Click here to read this recipe in Maltese: Ross il-Forn
Although we have access to recipes from all around the world, traditional Maltese recipes are still among the favourite with the Maltese. This recipe to make baked rice is a simple version whereby the rice is cooked directly in the oven rather than pre-boiled. I also like to add marrows so that the rice does not dry and also in order to add more vegetables.
Time: 1 hr 15 min
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
For the sauce:
- 2 tbps vegetable oil
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 2 marrows, cut into small cubes
- 400 g minced beef
- 1 small can of corned beef
- 2 tbsp tomato concentrate
- 200 ml tomato puree
- 1 tbsp Worchestershire sauce
- chicken cube
- 200 ml water
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp curry powder
For the rice:
- 400 g Tilda Easy Cook rice
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten
- 700 ml water
- 350 ml milk
- 100 g Kefalotiri, grated
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 200°C.
- Heat oil in a large frying pan or saucepan on medium heat.
- Add the onions and garlic and fry until the onion becomes translucent.
- Add the marrows and continue until they become soft.
- Add the minced meat and stir until it browns.
- Add the curry and tomato concentrate and continue stirring for a further 2 minutes.
- Add the tomato puree, the 200 ml water, the Worchestershire sauce, the cube and the pepper.
- Allow the sauce to come to a boil, reduce heat and allow to simmer for 15 minutes, partially covered, stirring from time to time.
- Place the corned beef in the centre of the sauce and, when it warms through and begins to soften, break it up with a wooden spoon and stir until it is well combined with the sauce.
- While the sauce is simmering, combine the eggs, milk, water, grated cheese and Tilda Easy Cook rice in a deep oven dish.
- Add the sauce to the dish and stir well, particularly at the bottom of the dish.
- Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the dish from the oven so as to stir the rice to ensure the sauce does not all sink to the bottom. Return the dish to the oven and bake for a further 25-30 minutes, until the rice becomes firm and the top becomes golden.
