Apricot and tomato ragout with spicy rice

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 200 g apricot(s), dried
• 200 ml vegetable stock
• 2 garlic cloves
• Clarified butter
• 800 g beefsteak tomatoes
• salt and pepper
• Cumin, ground
• 3 cups long grain rice
• 1 onion(s)
• 1 garlic clove(s)
• 1 piece(s) ginger, approx. 2 cm
• 3 cardamom pods, green
• 1 clove(s)
• 2 star anise
• Clarified butter
• 2 cup(s) coconut milk, unsweetened
• 5 cup(s) water, salted
• 1 pepper, maybe 2, depending on taste
• 150 g cashew nuts
• 1 tsp curry powder, mild or hot, according to taste
• 2 tsp black cumin
• Salt
• Clarified butter

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 35 minutes; Total time approx. 55 minutes

an attractive vegetarian meal, suitable for guests

The cup used as a measure for various ingredients holds 180 ml. For the apricot and tomato ragout: Quarter the apricots and let them soak in the warmed vegetable broth for about an hour. Blanch the tomatoes, rinse, peel, deseed, and roughly dice them. Peel and finely dice the garlic and sauté in clarified butter. Add the apricots and vegetable broth and sauté for about 15 minutes. Then add the tomatoes, heat through, and season with salt, pepper, and cumin. For the spiced rice: Peel and finely dice the onion and garlic. Heat the clarified butter in a saucepan. Fry the diced onion and garlic over low heat. Add the rice, peeled and pressed ginger, and the spices (remove the cardamom seeds from the pods), and sauté while stirring constantly. Halve the chili peppers, remove the seeds, cut into strips, and add to the rice. Heat water and season with salt. Add coconut milk and four cups of water to the rice and spices. Bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat with the lid on for about 20 minutes (according to the package instructions). Fluff the rice occasionally with a fork and add the remaining water if necessary. For the topping: Heat clarified butter in a small pan. Toast the cashews, season with curry, black cumin, and salt. To serve, arrange the vegetables and rice separately, then pour the topping over the rice.