Middle Eastern Lamb and Lentil Rice Pilaf

1. If using silverbeet (chard) which is what I did for this photo, tear the green leaves off the thick part of the white stems. The thinner part towards the leafy end are fine to include - the thick part is too thick and will still be crunchy unless you dice it up pretty finely.

2. The best substitute for basmati rice is long grain rice, followed by medium grain rice then short grain rice. This recipe is NOT suitable for arborio (risotto) rice.

3. Check your rice to determine quantity of water required as it may differ. You want the amount of water required for the absorption method. For most rice brands, it is 1 cup of rice with 1 1/2 cups of water.

4. Fried Asian Crunchy Shallots (Scallions) - I've repeatedly professed my addiction to these. Little slices of shallots that have been deep fried and perfectly seasoned. They are like Asian croutons. They are brilliant on many dishes (including many non Asian dishes) to bring a little burst of salty texture to a dish. They are now readily available in the Asian section of most large grocery stores. They go particularly well with Middle Eastern dishes which often have deep fried onion slices as garnishes on recipes.

5. If you want to add extra vegetables: non watery vegetables like carrots and peas are easy to incorporate, just add them with the rice. For watery vegetables like zucchinis, you need to dice (or grate), then sauté them separately. Once sautéed, set aside, proceed with the recipe then add to the pot along with the rice. The reason is that the pot will be too crowded if you try to sauté it with the other ingredients. And you must sauté watery vegetables otherwise there will be too much liquid when cooking the rice.

6. I used canned lentils and they are already cooked. So if you make this with dried lentils, cook them separately first then drain, then use per the recipe.

7.Nutrition Facts assumes this serves 5 people.