Rice puffs
This is a great, crunchy savoury dish to snack on while watching television in the evening with a cup of tea or a beer.
Method
To make the rice puffs, cover the rice with water and leave to soak for an hour.
Rinse and drain the rice thoroughly, add the salt and stir to coat the grains evenly. In a large frying pan, dry-fry the rice over a low heat for about 10 minutes, or until just lightly toasted – try not to let the rice grains colour at all. Set aside to cool completely.
Line a baking tray with kitchen paper. Heat the oil to 180C in a deep-fat fryer or a large, deep saucepan. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.) Put small batches of the toasted and cooled rice into the base of a metal sieve then carefully lower into the hot oil and fry for about 10 seconds until they bubble and puff up. Transfer the rice puffs to the baking tray to drain any excess oil. Repeat with the remaining rice.
Once you’ve cooked all the rice, mix all of the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl. Toss through the puffed rice, taking care not to over-handle. Serve immediately.
Recipe Tips
In the original recipe Nadiya used 1–2 tbsp mustard oil in the dressing (instead of vegetable oil mixed with mustard powder). Mustard oil cannot be sold in the UK for human consumption, though it is widely used in Asian cooking.
