Steamed Djerba Rice (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ Base

01 - 500g fresh spinach leaves
02 - 250g long-grain rice like jasmine or basmati
03 - 500g diced chicken breast

→ Vegetables and Legumes

04 - 1 large chopped onion
05 - 1 to 2 carrots
06 - 1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight (about 300ml)
07 - 1 cup frozen or fresh green peas (300ml)
08 - 4 cloves garlic, minced

→ Herbs and Spices

09 - 2 teaspoons Tabel spice mix or Ras El Hanout
10 - ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (optional)
11 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
12 - ½ bunch of finely chopped cilantro
13 - ½ bunch of chopped flat-leaf parsley

→ Seasonings

14 - Salt and pepper to taste
15 - 1 tablespoon tomato paste
16 - 100ml high-quality olive oil
17 - 1 teaspoon harissa paste (optional)

# Instructions:

01 - The day before cooking, soak the chickpeas in water with a pinch of baking soda. Soak the rice in water for 30 minutes right before cooking.
02 - Clean the spinach and chop it up. Dice all your vegetables, cut the chicken into cubes, and finely chop the fresh herbs.
03 - Heat about 5.5 cm of water in the bottom section of your steamer pot or couscoussier until it boils.
04 - Combine all ingredients in a big bowl. Stir the tomato paste and harissa into the olive oil before mixing it with the rest.
05 - Pour everything into the steamer basket. Cover it up and let it cook over medium heat for an hour.

# Notes:

01 - After soaking, dried chickpeas expand to three times their volume.
02 - Serve this dish with plain yogurt or a fresh raita on the side.
03 - Spinach shrinks down a lot when it’s cooked.

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