One-Pot Rice and Veggies with Chickpeas & Dilly Tahini

Ingredients

Rice and Veggies with Chickpeas:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium shallot, chopped
• 1 ½ cups chopped carrots
• 2 cups chopped cauliflower
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 cup jasmine or long grain white rice
• 1 15-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 ½ cups vegetable stock, plus extra
• ½ cup frozen peas

Dilly Tahini:

• ¼ cup tahini
• ¼ cup water
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon Tamari
• ½ teaspoon maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons dill leaves
• 1 green onion, rough chop
• sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Set a large and deep skillet or braiser over medium heat. Once it’s hot, pour in the olive oil and swirl it around. Add the shallots and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the carrots and cauliflower and let them sit for a full 2 minutes to get some browning. Stir them up and let them sit another 2 full minutes. Once the veg have some colour and caramelization, add the onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, thyme, turmeric, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Stir in the Dijon mustard and then add the rice and chickpeas. Stir once more to coat the rice in seasoning. Add the vegetable stock and use your spoon to scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower heat to a simmer and put a lid on top. Simmer until the rice is cooked and the veggies are tender, about 20 minutes.
4. While rice and veggies are simmering, make the dilly tahini. In an upright blender, combine the tahini, water, garlic, lemon juice, Tamari, maple syrup, dill, green onion, salt, and pepper. Blend until creamy and smooth, and then set aside.
5. Once the rice and veggies are done, add the peas and stir until they are warmed through, adding more vegetable stock if necessary.
6. Serve the one-pot veggies and rice with the dilly tahini and extra chopped dill on top. I like to drizzle with chili crisp and sprinkle some sesame seeds as well.