A simple, yet delicious rice dish, with a whole variety of flavours and textures! Spicy and fragrant Ras El Hanout, salty halloumi and sweet and fruity apricots go amazingly well in this delicious Spinach & Halloumi Rice Bowl recipe. Finished with some lemon juice for a fresh zing, and some crunchy flaked almonds for a bit of texture, this is a wonderfully easy meal for a busy summer’s day that you can cook up in just 20 minutes!
Seb calls this dish a Halloumi Pilaf. Pilaf is just a fancy name for rice cooked in stock or broth with added spices, vegetables and other ingredients. The signature of a good pilaf is each of the rice grains being separate when cooked, as opposed to porridge-like (like arborio rice) or stuck together (like sticky rice). Our version is a bit of a cheat’s pilaf. We cooked the rice first, then added it with all the flavours after.
There are so many different rice varieties, each with its different appearance, texture and cooking time. For the pilaf, I’d recommend using basmati rice. It has great texture when cooked, grains do not adhere to each other and can easily be fluffed up with a fork. Another one, that works just as well is Jasmine rice. But because of the rather strong aroma, it depends on what other ingredients you’re cooking your pilaf with.
How to make Spinach & Halloumi Rice Bowl?
Toast flaked almonds in a dry pan until just starting to colour. Tip them onto a small plate to prevent further browning and set them aside.
Slice the spring onions on the diagonal, mince, grate or finely chop your garlic and finely chop the chilli.
Cook rice following packet instructions. Drain and set aside until later.
Whilst the rice is cooking, cut the halloumi into bite-size pieces. Heat a tsp of oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the halloumi cubes and cook for 4-5 min until starting to brown and crisp up. Add the spring onions, garlic, chilli and ras el hanout and cook for another minute stirring continuously. Then add the spinach, stir and cover with the lid. Cook for approx 1 minute until spinach starts to wilt.
Once wilted, add the cooked drained rice and chopped dried apricots. Cook for 2 minutes to warm the rice through. Take the pan off of the heat and squeeze in the lemon juice. Garnish with the toasted flaked almonds, dill and a spoonful of yoghurt!
For other great ways to use halloumi, have a look at our favourite recipes below:
- Creamy Sweet Potato, Halloumi & Leek Pie
- Ultimate Halloumi Burgers with Chimichurri Mayonnaise
- Mandarin & Halloumi Couscous Bowl
Spinach & Halloumi Rice Bowl with Almonds and Apricots
Ingredients
- 120 g basmati rice
- 2 garlic cloves minced or finely chopped
- 1 chilli finely chopped
- 1 spring onion thinly sliced
- 225 g halloumi cheese cut into cubes
- 1 tsp ras el hanout
- 120 g spinach
- 5 g dill finely chopped
- 10 g flaked almonds
- 30 g dried apricots roughly chopped
- 1 lemon juice only
- 2 tbsp plain yogurt
Instructions
- Toast flaked almonds in a dry pan until just starting to colour. Tip them onto a small plate to prevent further browning and set aside.
- Cook rice following packet instructions. Drain and set aside until later.
- Whilst the rice is cooking, cut the halloumi into bite-size pieces. Heat a tsp of oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the halloumi cubes and cook for 4-5 min until starting to brown and crisp up.
- Add the spring onions, garlic, chilli and ras el hanout and cook for another minute stirring continuously.
- Then add the spinach, stir and cover with the lid. Cook for approx 1 minute until spinach starts to wilt.
- Once wilted, add the cooked drained rice and chopped dried apricots. Cook for 2 minutes to warm the rice through.
- Take the pan off of the heat and squeeze in the lemon. Garnish with the toasted flaked almonds, dill and a spoonful of yoghurt!
Nutrition
