Everyday dinners
Gluten-free rice dishes: pepper and chickpea pilaf
A simple pan of fluffy rice, sweet peppers and chickpeas with smoked paprika and lemon.
Free guide: thirty gluten-free dinners, with the shopping lists
This gluten-free rice dish brings sweet peppers, chickpeas and a little smoked paprika together in one pan. Lemon and parsley go in at the end to freshen it up.
Use white basmati rice for the timings below. Brown rice needs a different amount of liquid and a longer cooking time. This recipe is in development and has not been kitchen-tested.
The recipe
Gluten-free rice dishes: pepper and chickpea pilaf
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total*
- 50 min
- Makes
- 4 servings
*Estimated development timings. The 35-minute cooking allowance includes 5 minutes standing off the heat, giving approximately 50 minutes in total with preparation. Allow extra cooking time if the rice needs the adjustments described in the method.
Ingredients
Tick things off as you go.
For the rice
To finish
Equipment
- Use a heavy-based saucepan or casserole of at least 3 litres with a close-fitting lid.
- Use a fine sieve to rinse and drain the rice.
- Use a chopping board, sharp knife, measuring jug and measuring spoons.
- Use a wooden spoon and a fork for stirring and fluffing the rice.
Let’s make it.
- 01
Prepare the rice
Rinse the rice in a fine sieve under cold running water until the water looks much clearer. Leave it to drain while you prepare the other ingredients; it should no longer drip steadily when added to the pan.
- 02
Soften the vegetables
Warm the olive oil in the saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and peppers and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring regularly, until the onion is translucent and the peppers are beginning to soften. Reduce the heat if their edges start to catch.
- 03
Add the flavourings
Stir in the garlic and smoked paprika for 30 seconds, until you can smell them. Add the drained rice and turn it through the vegetables for another 30 seconds, until the grains are evenly coated with the seasoned oil.
- 04
Simmer gently
Add the chickpeas and hot stock. Stir once, scraping the base, and bring to a steady bubble. Cover immediately and turn the heat down low. Cook gently for 15 minutes without lifting the lid; the pan should simmer quietly rather than boil vigorously.
- 05
Check the rice
Lift the lid and taste a few grains carefully. The rice should be tender without a chalky centre, the chickpeas hot throughout and the stock absorbed. If the rice is still firm and the pan looks dry, add 50 ml of the measured boiling water around the edges, cover and cook for 3 minutes before checking again. Repeat once if needed. If the rice is tender but liquid remains, cook uncovered over a low heat for 1–2 minutes until no puddle remains.
- 06
Rest and finish
Take the pan off the heat, cover and leave for 5 minutes. Gently lift and separate the grains with a fork, then fold in the lemon juice and parsley. Taste and add salt and black pepper as needed. The finished rice should be fluffy, with the peppers and chickpeas spread evenly through it. Serve straight away.
Ingredient checks
Use plain white basmati rice and stock labelled gluten-free. Check the paprika, tinned chickpeas and all other packaged ingredients for gluten-free suitability and relevant allergen warnings. Avoid stock containing wheat or barley unless specifically labelled gluten-free. For a cook with coeliac disease, use clean equipment, a clean sieve and uncontaminated ingredients to prevent gluten cross-contamination.
Allergens: Vegetable stock may contain celery; check the product used.; The remaining ingredients do not inherently contain any of the 14 UK declarable allergens, but stock and other packaged ingredients may introduce allergens.; Check labels for celery, cereals containing gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, lupin, milk, molluscs, mustard, tree nuts, peanuts, sesame, soya and sulphites..
Make it work for you
Replace the chickpeas with the same drained weight of tinned cannellini beans, folding them in gently to keep them whole.
Use the same quantity of gluten-free sweet paprika instead of smoked paprika for a milder flavour.
Replace the parsley with the same weight of fresh coriander.
For a celery allergy, choose gluten-free vegetable stock that is also suitable for that allergy; gluten-free stock is not automatically celery-free.
For another day
Divide leftover rice into small, shallow containers and cool quickly, ideally within one hour, then refrigerate; do not leave it in the cooking pan to cool.
Eat refrigerated rice within 24 hours of cooking.
Reheat only once, stirring during heating and checking that the whole portion is steaming hot before eating immediately.
To freeze, cool small portions quickly and get them into the freezer within one hour of cooking; defrost in the fridge, then reheat thoroughly and eat immediately.
The texture after freezing has not been kitchen-tested.
Exploding food
What goes in.
The ingredients, seen a little differently. This image is an illustration of the main ingredients; use the written recipe for the full list and quantities.
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