Jewelled rice salad with apricots & almonds

Add colour and style to a laid-back barbecue menu - its fancy food minus the fuss.

Recipe «Jewelled rice salad with apricots & almonds» presented in category Recipes / Salads, to prepare this dish you will need no more 10 minutes. To make this dish at home by prescription from the author Gomer would need: 750ml hot water, 1/2 tsp saffron threads, 400g Basmati rice, 1 orange, 75g flaked almonds , 160g dried Turkish apricots, thinly sliced lengthways, 115g dried cranberries, 115g unsalted pistachio kernels, coarsely chopped .

Ingredients:

• 750ml hot water 
• 1/2 tsp saffron threads 
• 400g Basmati rice 
• 1 orange 
• 75g flaked almonds 
• 160g dried Turkish apricots, thinly sliced lengthways 
• 115g dried cranberries 
• 115g unsalted pistachio kernels, coarsely chopped 

Instructions

1. Combine the water and saffron in a saucepan over high heat. Bring to the boil. Stir in the rice. Reduce heat to low. Cook, covered, for 10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Set aside, covered, for 10 minutes to stand. Use a fork to separate the grains. Set aside for 30 minutes to cool completely.
2. Meanwhile, use a zester, or a vegetable peeler and a small sharp knife, to cut the orange rind into thin strips. Cook the almonds in a medium frying pan over medium heat, stirring, for 1-2 minutes or until lightly toasted.
3. Add the orange rind, almonds, apricot, cranberries and pistachio to the rice mixture and stir until well combined. Season with salt and pepper.