Moroccan Sweet Fried Rice with Almonds and Raisins

Name: Moroccan Sweet Fried Rice with Almonds and Raisins
Prep time: 12 min
Cook time: 23 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Moroccan
Ingredients: ⅓ cup (50 g) raisins; ½ cup (120 ml) hot water, just boiled, for soaking the raisins; ½ cup (55 g) blanched slivered almonds; 3 tbsp (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided: 1 tbsp for the almonds, 2 tbsp for the vegetables; 1 tbsp (14 g) unsalted butter; 1 medium (about 5 oz) (150 g) yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced into half-moons; 1 medium (about 3 oz) (80 g) carrot, peeled and cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice; 1 cup (165 g) cooked chickpeas, canned is fine; rinsed, drained, and patted very dry; 3 cloves (9 g) garlic, minced; 1 tbsp (6 g) fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated; 2 tsp (4 g) ras el hanout; ½ tsp (1½ g) ground cinnamon; ¼ tsp (0.8 g) ground turmeric; 4 cups (640 g) cooked basmati or long-grain white rice, cold, day-old, clumps broken up with your fingers; ¾ tsp (4½ g) fine sea salt, plus more to taste; 1 tbsp (21 g) honey; 1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice, from about ½ lemon; ¼ cup (10 g) fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped; 2 tbsp (6 g) fresh mint, leaves roughly chopped (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Day-old basmati rice is stir-fried with ras el hanout, cinnamon, caramelized onion, crisp chickpeas, plump raisins and toasted almonds. A little honey and lemon balance the sweet and savory notes.

Prep: 12 min
Cook: 23 min
Wait: 10 min
Total: 45 min
Makes: About 6 cups (4 main-course servings or 6 side servings)

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Ingredients

4 servings

⅓ cup (50 g) raisins
½ cup (120 ml) hot water, just boiled, for soaking the raisins
½ cup (55 g) blanched slivered almonds
3 tbsp (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, divided: 1 tbsp for the almonds, 2 tbsp for the vegetables
1 tbsp (14 g) unsalted butter
1 medium (about 5 oz) (150 g) yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced into half-moons
1 medium (about 3 oz) (80 g) carrot, peeled and cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice
1 cup (165 g) cooked chickpeas, canned is fine; rinsed, drained, and patted very dry
3 cloves (9 g) garlic, minced
1 tbsp (6 g) fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
2 tsp (4 g) ras el hanout
½ tsp (1.5 g) ground cinnamon
¼ tsp (0.8 g) ground turmeric
4 cups (640 g) cooked basmati or long-grain white rice, cold, day-old, clumps broken up with your fingers
¾ tsp (4.5 g) fine sea salt, plus more to taste
1 tbsp (21 g) honey
1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice, from about ½ lemon
¼ cup (10 g) fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped
2 tbsp (6 g) fresh mint, leaves roughly chopped (optional)

Equipment (5)

12-inch (30 cm) large skillet or wok
Heatproof spatula or wooden spoon
Small heatproof bowl for soaking the raisins
Cutting board and knife
Plate for the toasted almonds

Steps

Before you start

Use cold, day-old cooked rice. To make it fresh, cook about 1⅓ cups (260 g) dry basmati, spread it on a tray, and chill it uncovered for at least 1 hour. Warm, freshly cooked rice turns mushy.
Check your ras el hanout. Blends vary in heat and saltiness, so taste the finished rice and adjust the salt.
Have everything chopped and measured before you turn on the heat. The stir-frying goes quickly.
Break up any clumps in the cold rice with your fingers before cooking.

1
Soak the raisins
- Put the raisins in a small heatproof bowl and pour the ½ cup (120 ml) hot water over them.
- Let them soak for 10 minutes, then drain well and pat dry with a paper towel.
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Ready when: Raisins look plump and soft
Tip: Dry the raisins well. Extra water makes the rice steam instead of fry.
2
Prep everything
- While the raisins soak, slice the onion, dice the carrot, mince the garlic, grate the ginger, and chop the cilantro and mint.
- Pat the chickpeas very dry.
- Break up any clumps in the rice.
- Measure the ras el hanout, cinnamon and turmeric into one small bowl.
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Ready when: All ingredients are chopped, measured and within reach of the stove
3
Toast the almonds
- Heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a 12-inch (30 cm) skillet or wok over medium-low heat.
- Add the almonds and stir constantly for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Tip them onto a plate as soon as they are golden.
- Wipe out the pan if any bits remain.
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Ready when: Almonds are light golden brown and smell nutty
Tip: Almonds keep browning from residual heat, so move them to a plate right away.
4
Soften onion and carrot
- Return the pan to medium-high heat and add the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil and the butter.
- When the butter foams, add the onion and carrot with a pinch of the salt.
- Cook, stirring every 30 seconds or so, for 6 minutes.
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Ready when: Onion is soft and golden at the edges and the carrot is just tender when pierced with a fork
Tip: If the onion browns too fast or scorches, lower the heat to medium.
5
Bloom garlic and spices
- Push the vegetables to one side.
- Add the garlic, ginger, ras el hanout, cinnamon and turmeric to the cleared space and stir for 30 to 45 seconds, then mix everything together.
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Ready when: Spices smell fragrant and the garlic is pale gold, not brown
Tip: Do not let the garlic or spices darken. Burnt spices taste bitter.
6
Crisp the chickpeas
- Add the dry chickpeas and spread them out in the pan.
- Cook for 3 minutes, stirring only every 45 seconds or so, so they pick up color.
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Ready when: Chickpeas are lightly blistered and golden in spots
7
Stir-fry the rice
- Add the cold rice and break up any remaining lumps with your spatula.
- Stir-fry for 5 to 6 minutes, pressing the rice into the pan for 20 to 30 seconds at a time before turning it, so some grains toast.
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Ready when: Rice is steaming hot all the way through, separate, evenly yellow-orange and slightly toasted
Tip: If the rice sticks, add 1 teaspoon of olive oil or a small splash of water rather than turning up the heat.
8
Add sweet and sour
- Add the drained raisins, honey, the remaining salt (about ½ tsp) and the lemon juice.
- Toss for 2 minutes until the honey is evenly distributed.
- Taste and add a pinch more salt if needed.
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Ready when: No wet patches of honey remain and the rice tastes balanced, lightly sweet with a touch of acidity
Tip: Add the honey last so it does not burn on the hot pan.
9
Finish and serve
- Turn off the heat.
- Fold in the toasted almonds, cilantro and mint if using.
- Transfer to a warm serving dish and serve immediately.
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Ready when: Herbs are bright green and almonds are evenly scattered
Tip: Adding the almonds off the heat keeps them crunchy.

Good to know

Tips

Cold, dry rice is the key. Fresh rice has too much moisture and will clump.
Keep the pan hot enough to sizzle when the rice goes in, but lower the heat if the spices smell scorched.
Taste before serving. The honey, raisins and lemon should balance each other rather than make the dish taste like dessert.
Serve with roasted vegetables, a fried egg, or grilled chicken.

Make ahead

"Cook the rice up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate it uncovered for the first hour, then covered. Toast the almonds up to 2 days ahead and store airtight at room temperature. Slice and dice the vegetables up to 1 day ahead."

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: up to 1 hour (cool the rice quickly). Refrigerator: airtight container up to 3 days. Freezer: up to 1 month, without the herbs. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat with 1 to 2 tbsp water for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring, until steaming hot throughout, or microwave covered with a damp paper towel for 1½ to 2 minutes.

Substitutions

ras el hanout → 1 tsp ground cumin + 1 tsp ground coriander + ¼ tsp ground ginger + a pinch each of ground cloves and black pepper. Approximates the warm, floral flavor of the blend. Taste and add a pinch more salt.
honey → maple syrup or date syrup. Use the same amount. Date syrup gives a more traditional deep sweetness.
blanched slivered almonds → slivered pistachios or toasted pine nuts. Toast for the same 3 to 4 minutes, watching closely.
raisins → chopped dried apricots or dates. Use the same weight and skip the soaking for dates.