Ingredients

1 1⁄2 cups basmati rice

4 ounces roasted thin noodles

1 large onion

1 cup golden raisin

12 dates

3 teaspoons orange marmalade

1 pinch powdered saffron

1 flour tortillas or 1 naan bread

Directions

Servings: servings.

Instructions.

Place a colander (with fine mesh or very small holes) in your sink ready to drain the rice.

Bring 7 cups of water to the boil in a non-stick pan (10 cup capacity with a lid) and add 3 T salt.

Tip the rice into the boiling water and add the noodles. Be careful not to let the mixture boil over.

When the rice mixture starts to boil, lower the heat to medium-high and occasionally stir the rice gently in a circular motion.

Taste a grain of rice and once it is cooked ! ALA DENTE !  drain the rice in the colander.

How to prepare the dried fruit mixture:

Cut the onion in half and slice.

Add 4 tsp oil to a pan and warm on medium-high heat. Fry the onion until golden brown and caramelised, then remove from the pan and set aside.

Place the pitted, sliced dates in the same pan and stir for a minute before turning off the heat.

Add the orange marmalade, half of the caramelised onion and the dissolved saffron, mix and set aside.

How to prepare the rice:

Put 3 tsp oil in a pan and cover with the tortilla.

Add a quarter of the rice/noodle mixture and cover this with a third of the raisin mixture. Repeat twice, ending with the final rice/noodle layer.

Poke some holes in the rice and pour 2-3 tsp of oil evenly over the top. Wrap the pan with a towel and put the lid on tightly. Steam for 45 minutes on medium heat.

Scoop out the mixture, a spatula at a time, into the serving dish (keeping the tah-dig intact at the bottom of the pot).

Sprinkle the other half of the caramelised onion on top of the rice dish as a garnish.

Use a wooden spatula to loosen and remove the tah-dig and serve in the same dish or separately.