Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

1 cup Egyptian rice (washed, drained)

1/2 cup green onion (finely chopped)

1 tsp crushed garlic

1 tbsp grated fresh ginger

1/2 cup chopped cabbage

1/2 cup carrot (diced)

1/2 cup frozen sweet peas 

1/2 a capsicum (yellow or red)

2 tbsp cooking oil

Salt + pepper + ground cinnamon + herbes de Provençe + paprika

Method:

Heat a large wide cooking pot on high.  Add oil.  Lower heat to medium.  Stir in onion.  When translucent, add ginger and seasoning.  Stir until fragrant.  Add garlic.  Stir just to combine, then add all prepared vegetables.  Stir them in and add just half a cup of water.  Bring to the boil and lower heat to very low. Ten minutes later; remove pot away from heat.  With the pot lid on; remove it slightly to enable you to strain down; in a smaller pot or casserole; all liquid remaining within.  Add water to this liquid to amount to three cups all in all.  Add rice to the sautéed vegetables; over low heat.  Bring reserved liquid and extra water to the boil.  Pour over sautéed vegetables and rice.  Stir gently to mix.  Bring to a boil; covered, over low heat.  When bubbles appear on top and liquid is mostly absorbed; cover; over very low heat and simmer over a heavy simmering ring; until rice is done; (approximately one hour).  Remove away from heat.  Leave to set in pan for 10 to 15 minutes.  Fluff with a cooking fork, then serve.

*A version of this article appears in print in the  19 March, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly