This is an Iranian-inspired recipe. The yogurt rice forms a beautiful golden crust when baked. I like this filling, but it is certainly a filling you can make substitutions with until it’s to your liking!
Total time: 60 min, excluding rice and chickpea cooking.
Materials: 9×12″ glass pan; frying pan
Ingredients:
Yogurt rice:
- ½ cup dry rice (about 2 ½ cups cooked)
- ½ cup yogurt (I use Greek 2%)
Chickpea filling:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ⅔ cup dry chickpeas (about 2 cups cooked)
- 1 red bell pepper
- 4 mushrooms
- Fresh or frozen spinach to your liking
- 2 Medjool dates
- Orange zest from 1 small orange
- 2 tbsp Middle Eastern Spice mix (or: 1 tsp black pepper, 2 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp all spice, 3 tsp cumin, rose petals)
- 2 tsp dry dill
- Salt
Instructions:
- Combine yogurt with cooked rice and spread along the bottom and sides of the glass pan evenly.
- Preheat oven to 350˚F.
- On the stovetop, warm oil in frying pan while chopping vegetables.
- Fry cooked chickpeas with spice mix for about 2 minutes.
- Add all vegetables and cover the pan to let them cook for about 10 minutes, until softened. If necessary, add some water to let them steam.
- Add dates, orange zest, dill, and salt. Stir to combine.
- Pour chickpea mix on the rice in the glass pan.
- Bake at 350˚F for about 45 minutes, until rice is browned.