Spiced pilaf with meatballs, currants and baby spinach

Serves: 4

Time to make: 40 mins

Ingredients

1 medium-sized onion, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, diced
1 large carrot, peeled, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 cup basmati rice
1 cup liquid salt-reduced vegetable stock
1 ½ cups frozen peas, thawed
1 portion reserved meatballs (from Day 2 recipe, see tips)
100g baby spinach
2 tablespoons currants
½ orange, zest
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, to garnish

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Instructions

Stay Awake

1 Set a large pan over a medium heat. Add olive oil and heat. Add onion, celery and carrot to pan. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until onion softens. Add garlic and curry powder to pan. Cook, stirring, for 1 more minute or until fragrant.

2 Add rice to pan. Stir to coat grains in oil. Add stock with 1 cup water and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover pan and simmer, without stirring, for 12 minutes or until rice absorbs most of the liquid.

3 Add thawed peas to pan with reserved cooked meatballs. Cover pan. Simmer for 3 more minutes. Remove pan from heat and leave to steam for another 2-3 minutes or until rice has absorbed all liquid.

4 Fluff rice with a fork. Add spinach, currants and orange zest to rice-meatball mixture in pan. Season with black pepper.

5 Divide spiced pilaf among serving plates, garnish with parsley and serve.

Variations

Make it gluten free: Use gluten-free meatballs (from Day 2 recipe, see tips). Check curry powder is gluten free and use gluten-free stock.

HFG tip

This recipe is part of our 7 days, 7 dinners feature – make dinners for a week easily, including ‘make ahead’ components to be used in other dishes.

Day 1: Chicken, lentil and kumara curry

Day 2: Meatballs in tomato and eggplant sauce with couscous

Day 3: Roasted pumpkin soup with hazelnut and parmesan toasts

Day 4: Fish stir-fry with broccoli and ginger

Day 5: Roasted pumpkin, leek and mushroom cannelloni

Day 6: Chicken, eggplant and capsicum bake with cauliflower mash

Day 7: Spiced pilaf with meatballs, currants and baby spinach (above)

Nutrition Info (per serve)

Calories 520 cal

Kilojoules 2180 kJ

Protein 38 g

Total fat 15 g

Saturated fat 5 g

Carbohydrates 55 g

Sugar 9 g

Dietary fibre 6 g

Sodium 470 mg

Calcium 100 mg

Iron 6 mg

Note: This nutrition analysis is a guide only. Nutrition composition will vary depending on the exact ingredients used. See our guides on your optimal daily nutrition intake, and supermarket shopping.