Cranberry, Sprout and Pecan Pilaf

So I'm doing a Christmas Calendar of Christmasy Foods.

 Ingredients:

200g Mixed Basmati & Wild rice
5 tbsp Rapeseed or Olive oil
1 large Onion (finely sliced)
Thumb-sized piece ginger (peeled and cut into chunks)
2 Garlic Cloves
small bunch coriander( stalks roughly chopped, leaves chilled for later)
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground allspice
juice and zest 1 lemon
500g Brussels sprouts (half finely sliced, the rest halved through the stalk)
100g pecans
100g fresh cranberries
50g dried cranberries
50g butter
natural yogurt (to serve)

 Serves: 4-6

Instructions: 

Pre-heat the oven to 180oC (Fan).

In a bowl, cover the rice with cold water and leave to soak for an hour.

Meanwhile heat 2tbsp Oil in a large pan.

Add the Onion and cook for 10 minutes (stirring now and then) until caramelised.

Meanwhile dice the Ginger, Garlic, Coriander stalks, Spices, Lemon juice and zest into a paste (this is easiest to do in a food processor).

Add the paste to the Onion and cook for 5 minutes or until aromatic.

Remove from the heat and set aside.

Heat 1 tbso Oil.

Add the Sprouts and cook for 8-10 minutes until softened (stir from time to time).

Add the paste and cook for 1 minute.

When the Rice has finished soaking, drain and tip into a pan.

Cover with fresh water and season with a pinch of salt.

Simmer for 5 minutes until softened, then drain.

Place half the Sprouts in a roasting tin with 1 tbsp Oil and season to taste.

Roast for 20-25 minutes (making sure that everything in the pan get roasted, by shaking from time to time) until the edges are starting to brown and the Sprouts are tender.

Meanwhile combine the rice with the sliced Sprouts, Onion and Paste.

Add the Pecans and Cranberries.

Season and mix well.

Heat the Butter and the remaining Oil in the pan.

Add the Rice mixture and flatten.

Poke 3 steam holes in the Rice and turn the heat all the way down.

Cover with a tea towel, then a lid and cook for 20 minutes, until the rice is cooked through (you may have to cook for a further 5 minutes if the rice still has a bite to it).

Transfer the cooked Rice onto a serving platter.

Scatter the roasted Sprouts and Coriander leaves over

Serve, with natural yogurt.