Make your own mouth watering Somali rice

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Check out this easy to make recipe that's sure to make your taste buds tingle. Straight from Laith's kitchen, it's delicious Somali rice!

You will need
  • 210g basmati rice
  • 1/2 onion, sliced
  • 8 table spoons vegetable oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 medium tomato, diced
  • Handful coriander, chopped
  • 3-4 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 chicken/vegetable stock
  • 5 cardamom pods
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 tbsp ground cumin
  • 1/4 tsp food colouring
  • 40g raisins/sultanas
  • 1 banana, sliced

Instructions

Please grab a grown-up to help you make this dish!

  • Rinse the rice in cold water, until the water runs clear. Parboil the washed rice in boiling water for about 8 minutes until it is half-cooked - this means wait until half the rice is clear and half is still white. When it’s ready, pour the rice into a colander or sieve and run under cold water to stop it from over-cooking.

  • In a small bowl, cover the raisins in boiling water for 5 minutes to soften, then drain off the liquid.

  • Put the garlic and coriander in a pestle and mortar and crush together to make a paste (if you don't have a pestle and mortar, carefully chop together finely).

  • Place a large lidded pan or casserole pot on a medium-high hob heat. Fry the sliced onions in the oil until they are brown and crispy, but not burnt! Remove the fried onions with a slotted spoon and place them onto a plate with a paper kitchen towel to absorb excess oil.

  • Leave the remaining oil in the pan and add the stock, diced onion and tomatoes. Cook them down to create the base for the sauce, stirring regularly so it doesn't burn.

  • Add the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods and stir before adding the garlic and coriander paste mixture.

  • Add in the ground cumin and give it a really good mix. After 5 to 10 minutes, when the base has softened, carefully remove the cinnamon stick and cardamom pods with the slotted spoon and discard.

Somali Rice in cooking in a pan.

  • Once the onions are soft and translucent, add 3 tablespoons of water to create a sauce that will help the rice finish cooking in the pan.

  • Turn the heat down to the lowest setting and spoon your parboiled rice on top of the sauce, being careful not to mix them together, then pat the rice down to cover the whole pan area.

  • Place the raisins, the onions and the food colouring of your choice on top of the rice.

Somali Rice in cooking in a pan.

  • Cover the top of the pan with kitchen foil and place the lid on the pan. Leave to finish cooking for 10 minutes.

  • Remove the lid and foil and test the rice to see if it is soft, if not, recover and leave for a further 5 minutes.

  • Mix the rice thoroughly in the pan with a large spoon to incorporate the flavour from the base, the fried onions, raisins and food colouring.

  • Dish out onto your plate and enjoy with slices of banana for a sweet, savoury combination!

Somali Rice in a bowl, being held up by Laith.

Don't forget to let us know how you get on in the comment section below!

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