Baked Rice With Slow-Roasted Tomatoes and Garlic
Baking rice on a bed of tender vegetables has to be one of the most fail-safe ways to prepare it. Here tangy-sweet tomatoes, garlic and shallots are slowly roasted in olive oil with cinnamon and thyme, then baked with basmati rice until everything is fragrant and soft. Adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi’s cookbook, “Ottolenghi Simple,” it makes a spectacular side dish to pan-seared meats or fish, or can be the heart of a vegetarian meal with some crumbled feta and pine nuts sprinkled on top for serving.
- Total:
- Serves: 4 persons
Ingredients
- 1 ¾pounds cherry tomatoes
- 12large garlic cloves
- 4large shallots, cut into 1 1/4-inch pieces
- 1 ¼cup cilantro stems, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
- 3tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 4small cinnamon sticks
- 1teaspoon fine sea salt, more as needed
- Black pepper, as needed
- 7tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 ½cups basmati rice
- 2 ½cups boiling water
- ½cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
Instructions
Step 1
Heat oven to 350 degrees.Step 2
In an 8-by-12-inch casserole dish, toss together tomatoes, garlic, shallots, cilantro stems, thyme, cinnamon sticks, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Pour oil over everything, then bake until vegetables are soft, about 1 hour. Remove from oven and increase oven temperature to 450.Step 3
Without stirring anything, sprinkle rice evenly over vegetables. Top with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and plenty of black pepper.Step 4
Carefully pour boiling water over rice, then cover dish tightly with foil and bake for 25 minutes, until rice is cooked. Remove from oven and set aside for 10 minutes, still covered.Step 5
Remove foil, gently stir in cilantro leaves, taste and add more salt if needed, and serve.