The recipe
Put 150g of brown basmati rice into a small to medium saucepan, cover with warm water, then gently agitate the rice with your hand until the water is cloudy; pour off the water and repeat.
Once the water is clear, pour it away and then cover the rice with enough cold water to come 3cm above the grains. Add half a tsp of salt, 6 whole black peppercorns, 2 bay leaves and 3 cloves and bring to the boil.
Turn the heat down, cover with a tight lid and leave to cook for 15 minutes, adjusting the heat as necessary to keep it at a steady, not frantic, boil. Remove from the heat, without removing the lid and let it sit for 10 minutes.
Peel 200g of cucumber, halve lengthways and remove the seeds with a teaspoon. Cut the flesh into small dice. Finely chop 2 spring onions.
Halve, stone and peel a ripe but firm avocado, then cut into small cubes.
Peel and grate 2 cloves of garlic. Warm 2 tbsp of olive oil in a shallow pan over a moderate heat, add the garlic and cook briefly until fragrant, then add 2 tsp of ras el hanout. Cook for a minute or two.
Drain a 400g can of chickpeas and add to the pan. Stir in the cooked and drained rice, together with a little salt. When the chickpeas are hot, gently stir in the chopped cucumber and avocado (careful not to crush the avocado), and serve. Enough for 2. Ready in 30 minutes
The spices in the ras el hanout are already roasted, so a minute or two over the heat is long enough.
I like to fold in a handful of chopped coriander at the end. If coriander isn’t your thing, basil is equally happy with the avocado.
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