250 g/9 oz brown rice
¼ cauliflower, cut into tiny florets
2 celery sticks, finely chopped
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and grated
50 g/1¾ oz raisins, soaked in water for 30 minutes, then drained
100 g/3½ oz amardine*
2 tsp miso paste
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 heaped tsp Aleppo pepper
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method

Cook the brown rice according to your normal method. Drain and refresh, then allow to cool completely. Place the rice in a mixing bowl and toss together with the vegetables and raisins.
Place the amardine in a small pan with a splash of water, and warm gently until it is dissolved. Cool slightly before mixing with the miso, vinegar, garlic, Aleppo pepper and oil: check the seasoning, although you probably won’t need more salt as the miso weighs in pretty saltily.
Pour the dressing over the vegetables, stirring well, and serve.

*Amardine – Amardine (actually written qamar al deen) is Arabic apricot fruit leather. You can find it in most Arabic food shops (and some strange, bright yellow Persian corner shops; mine for example!), but it is relatively easy to make your own. Just wash, pit and chop around 12 fresh apricots. Place them in a pan with a dash of water, a squeeze of lime or lemon juice and 1–2 tablespoons of brown sugar (depending on whether you want your fruit paste sourer or sweeter). Simmer for around 30 minutes or until the apricots are breaking apart, then blend the mixture into a purée. Place some silicon paper on an oven tray and use a palate knife to spread the paste out into a thin sheet. Bake in a 160ºC/325ºF/gas mark 3 oven for around 4 hours or until the paste feels sticky. Allow it to cool before either removing the paper and cutting the fruit leather into chunks, or rolling it in the paper for easy storage.