Ingredients – serves 4

• 1 cup brown rice soaked overnight in warm water with 1 teasp. salt
• 2 tablesp. olive or coconut oil
• ½ cup finely chopped peppers (opt.)
• ½ cup thinly sliced onion
• ½ cup thinly sliced celery
• 2 cups water with 2 teasp. vegetable or chicken stock powder
• 1 tablesp. dark, strong flavoured honey-Manuka/Native bush blend is delicious. Alternatively, Wanganui City Gardens would be nice.
• 1 tablesp. Shoyu sauce
• 1 tablesp. tomato paste (or sauce)
• 1 teasp. each of ground cumin, fenugreek seeds and turmeric

Method

• Preheat oven to 180ºC
• Place the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat.
• Add the drained and rinsed rice, onion, celery and peppers and spices and sauté until golden brown.
• Turn the mixture into an oven dish and add all other ingredients and mix well. Honey may be stirred in at the end of the cooking time if you prefer.
• Cover dish with a lid or with foil.
• Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed.
• Fluff with a fork before serving.
• Delicious served with a lentil dish and salad.