Spiced basmati and smoked quinoa rice balls with apple ketchup
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These ingenious basmati rice and quinoa balls are a little like Italian arancini, but make the most of aromatic basmati, Middle Eastern spices and molten mozzarella cheese for a fascinating twist. The apple ketchup on the side is spiked with ajwain seeds, which have a flavour similar to thyme and star anise.
First published in 2019
Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
Apple and ajwain ketchup
- 350g of Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and finely sliced
- 150g of caster sugar
- 150ml of cider vinegar
- 1 tsp ajwain seeds
- 10ml of lemon juice
Rice balls
- 3 tbsp of coconut oil
- 1 white onion, medium, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 40g of ginger, minced
- 2 tsp baharat powder
- 4 tsp ground fenugreek
- 4 tsp sweet smoked paprika
- 250g of basmati rice and smoked quinoa mix
- 600ml of vegetable stock
- 150g of mozzarella cheese, firm, diced into 1cm cubes
- 100g of polenta
- oil, for deep-frying
SAVE RECIPE
Equipment
- Blender
Method
1
To make the ketchup, place the apples, sugar, ajwain seeds and vinegar in a saucepan and set over a medium heat. Bring to the boil and cook the apples until they are very soft
- 150ml of cider vinegar
- 350g of Granny Smith apple, peeled and cored weight, finely sliced
- 150g of caster sugar
- 1 tsp ajwain seeds
2
Drain the apples, reserving the liquid in the pan. Place the apple mixture into a blender and blitz until smooth. Add the lemon juice and enough of the reserved cooking liquid to reach a thick ketchup-like consistency. Store any extra ketchup in an airtight container in the fridge for a week or so
- 10ml of lemon juice
3
To make the rice balls, melt the coconut oil in a saucepan. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and cook for 4 minutes, then add the spices
- 3 tbsp of coconut oil
- 4 tsp sweet smoked paprika
- 1 white onion, medium, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 40g of ginger, minced
- 2 tsp baharat powder
- 4 tsp ground fenugreek
4
Continue to cook until the onion softens completely. Add the rice and quinoa, mixing well, then add the stock. Bring to the boil, stir, and reduce the heat. Cover with a lid and cook gently until the rice is tender and the liquid has evaporated. Remove from the heat, spread out on a tray and place in the fridge to cool for at least 1 hour
- 600ml of vegetable stock
- 250g of basmati rice and smoked quinoa mix
5
Preheat a deep-fryer or deep pan full of oil to 180°C
- oil, for deep-frying
6
Shape the rice mixture into 30g balls and push a piece of mozzarella into the middle of each one, making sure it is completely covered in rice. Dust the balls in polenta and deep-fry until golden and crisp
- 150g of mozzarella cheese, firm, diced into 1 cm cubes
- 100g of polenta
7
Serve immediately with the apple ketchup
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