I have been making this ‘special’ fruit and nut rice for years.  It has always been a firm favourite in my family and such a handy dish to have in the freezer as it is delicious with curry and most hot meals, as well as being a tempting side dish to have on the table to go with salads and cold meals etc.

I have no idea where the recipe came from as it was written on a scrap of paper from probably 40 odd years ago.  It is one of those recipes which changes slightly each time I make it, depending on which seeds, nuts and fruit I add.   I always make a large quantity and freeze it in portions, as it doesn’t seem to last long in our house.

I have guessed the weight of the nuts, seeds and fruit as I tend to take handfuls out of the large bags I keep and nearly always add more cashew nuts as they are my favourite.  I used to always spend ages chopping up my dates and apricots but now I buy the large 1k bags of ready-chopped fruit from Wholefoods and it is so much easier.

INGREDIENTS:

1k (uncooked weight) long grain rice, cooked and drained
1k (uncooked weight) long grain rice, cooked with 1 tablespoon+ turmeric added to water and drained
1k onions, peeled, chopped and sautéed in a little oil of choice
250g unsalted cashew nuts
250g almond flakes
250g pumpkin seeds
250g pine nuts
250g chopped ready-to-eat apricots
250g chopped ready-to-eat dates
250g pistachio nuts
250g sunflower seeds
250g sultanas
Optional: sesame seeds, linseeds

METHOD:

In a very large bowl, mix all ingredients together.

This rice is so versatile it goes with many dishes.

Pack into suitable containers – either one or two servings size, and freeze.

Serve hot or cold.  If serving hot, reheat thoroughly.