Lightly spiced rice, apricot and almond salad recipe, perfect for a BBQ

This is really tasty rice dish first tried by me in the 70's! Inevitably, given the time interval, I've misplaced the original recipe - and the two intervening wives - but I think this version is just as tasty as the original. (Clare, in case you get to read this, of course, you are the tastiest of them all!)

Nowadays, I prepare the dish using the BBQ... in those long moments one has to wait for the charcoal to turn from black & smokey, to red, to grey - ready for the main dish.

You'll need a saucepan and frying pan that you are prepared to either 'sacrifice' for BBQ use only or scour thoroughly after use, as both will become smoke tarnished.

I've included the recipe on my food blog following a specific request from Krista.

Ingredients (for 2/3 as a side dish) 

120g Basmati rice
1 tbs mild olive oil
1 white onion, chopped (@90g)
80g ready to eat dried apricots, sliced in 2mm strips
40g toasted flaked almonds
1 tsp whole cumin seeds
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp curry powder (e.g. madras)
1 tsp garam masala
zest and juice of 1/2 lemon (more to taste)
1 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper

Method

Using the saucepan, pour at least 3/4 litre freshly boiled water over rice, add a good pinch of salt and place over recently lighted BBQ coals (they're probably flaming at this point). When the rice starts boiling, stir once (!) and move to a position where the rice continues to boil for 8 minutes (9 max, otherwise the rice will stick together). Drain immediately and leave to cool in strainer.

Next place frying pan (or wok/paella dish) on BBQ and, once hot, pour in the oil and add the diced onions. Fry and turn until opaque (3/4 mins.) then add the sliced dried apricots, most of the flaked almonds and the cumin seeds. Continue frying for a few minutes before adding the turmeric, curry powder and salt. Combine thoroughly and remove from heat.

You're now in the final stage. Combine the drained rice, garam masala, remaining flaked almonds, freshly ground pepper, lemon zest and juice with the onion mix. 'Toss' lightly (so as not to damage the rice).

Voila - ready to serve with, for example, BBQ'd lamb and a greek salad; grilled fish (sardines/mackerel go especially well); or pork Char Sui... Yum or to continue in the Raymond Blanc idiom 'Superbe!"