Garlic + Chilli Hispi Cabbage with Fennel, Cardamom + Cinnamon Rice

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 hispi cabbage

2 garlic cloves

2 red chilli

fennel tops (use from fennel below)

salt + pepper

olive oil

For the rice:

300g rice

2 fennel

2 cinnamon stick

8 cardamom pods

1tsp fennel seeds

salt + pepper

Serving:

100g cashews or flaked almonds, toasted

1 aubergine

2tbsp tahini

1/2 lemon juice

salt + pepper

1 garlic clove

First prepare the rice dish:

Add the fennel seeds and cardamom pods to a jug and pour over 600ml boiling water, leave to cool.

Then using a deep roasting tray, slice the fennel, sprinkle with olive oil, salt + pepper and roast at 180 degrees until slightly golden + crispy (25mins approx.). When ready, take out the tray and turn the oven up to 200 degrees. Cover the roasted fennel in rice and cover with the 600ml of spiced water, making sure the rice is covered. Add the cinnamon sicks and a sprinkle of salt + pepper then cover with foil and return to the oven for another 25minutes. Remove from the oven, and leave covered in foil for 10minutes. Then remove and stir.

Whilst the rice is in the oven you can prepare the cabbage:

Quarter the cabbage, finely chop the garlic and chilli, and cut fluffy bits off the fennel tops. Mix the garlic, chilli and fluffy fennel bits in a bowl with salt, pepper and 2tbsp olive oil and liberally cover the cabbage with this dressing. This will take about 20mins to roast, so I put it in the oven after the rice has come out as you want to put the oven back down to 180 to avoid burning too quickly.

To serve:

I like this dish with toasted cashews or almonds, a green leaf, lemony, herby salad and some baba ganoush.

To make the baba ganoush, half the aubergine, cover with oil and plant face down on an oven dish or foil and roast for about 40minutes or until the skin is soft, wrinkly and peels off easily. A great time to do baba ganoush is also on the bbq - just put the aubergines on whole until the skin has blackened.

Take out the oven and once cooled, scoop out the filing and add to bowl with tahini, lemon, garlic and seasoning. I would go easy on the lemon, salt + pepper and add more if you need after tasting. Maybe start with 1/4 lemon and see how it tastes. Use a stick blender to mix until puree and season to taste.

Serve with a big spoon of the baba ganoush across the plate and serve the rice and cabbage on top. You can serve extra baba ganoush on top! Sprinkle with nuts.

Enjoy!