Moroccan-inspired rice salad with apricots, sultanas and roasted chickpeas

Classic Moroccan spices combined with savoury roasted chickpeas and sweet dried fruit gives great depth of flavour to this winning side dish. Serve alongside slow roasted lamb for a dish you’ll return to time after time!

Ingredients (3-4 as a side dish):

• 1 Nice Rice Pure Basmati pouch
• ½ yellow pepper, diced
• ½ red onion, diced
• 1 medium carrot, grated
• Small handful dried apricots, chopped
• Small handful sultanas
• Can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• Small handful flaked almonds
• Small handful fresh coriander 
• 1 clove garlic
• Thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and grated
• 1 tsp ground cumin + 1 tsp for the chickpeas
• 1 tsp ground coriander + 1 tsp for the chickpeas
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon + ½ tsp for the chickpeas
• ½ tsp ground turmeric + ½ tsp for the chickpeas
• 1 tsp flaked sea salt
• Zest and juice of an unwaxed lemon
• Glug of extra virgin olive oil

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/Gas Mark 6). Drain the can of chickpeas and rinse well. Pat dry with some kitchen paper and spread out onto a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
2. Drizzle over the olive oil and sprinkle over the spices and a pinch of flaked sea salt, then toss to coat well. Roast in the oven for around 10-12 minutes, until the chickpeas are crispy but not burnt, so keep an eye on them.
3. In the meantime, make the dressing. Crush the garlic clove into a small jar with a tight lid (or a small bowl). Peel and finely grate in the ginger, before adding the spices: 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground coriander, ½ tsp ground turmeric and ¼ tsp ground cinnamon. Add the grated zest and juice of a lemon, then add a good glug of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Shake or mix well to fully combine.
4. Squeeze the Pure Basmati rice pouch well to separate the grains, then tip into a large bowl. Add the diced red onion and yellow pepper, grated carrot, sultanas and chopped apricots. Once the chickpeas are ready and slightly cooled, tip most of these into the bowl, too (saving a few to decorate the top). 
5. Toss well to coat all of the ingredients in the spiced dressing, then sprinkle in most of a handful of finely chopped fresh coriander (reserving a little for the top). 
6. Tip out into a serving dish and top with a little extra coriander, the reserved chickpeas and a handful of flaked almonds, which you could lightly toast if you like.

Now it's time to tuck in to some changemaking grains - enjoy!