Mujadara stuffed peppers

1 Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Halve the peppers and remove the core and seeds. Rub the peppers with oil and sit them on a tray. Roast for 20-25 minutes, until nicely roasted and starting to blister. There will be nice juices inside the peppers – leave it all sit there, as the rice can go on top.

2 Meanwhile as the peppers roast, cook the rice. Rinse the basmati in a sieve over the sink. Tip into a pan with the water or stock, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a bare simmer with the lid on. Place the saffron threads into a cup with a splash of boiling water and leave to soak for five minutes before adding it to the rice. Replace the lid. If using turmeric, you can add it directly to the rice water as it cooks. After 10 minutes, remove the pan from the heat and set it aside.

3 Melt the butter in a frying pan, add the sliced onion and cook on low for 10 minutes, until soft and beginning to caramelise in places. Add the cumin, cinnamon and chilli flakes. Season generously with salt and pepper. Let the spices warm through and become fragrant. Set aside two tablespoons of the onions for garnishing the peppers. Fold the remaining onions and the herbs through the cooked rice. Taste the rice and check for seasoning.

4 Remove the roasted pepper halves from the oven. Fill each one with the rice mix and top each with a little caramelised onion. Return the stuffed peppers to the oven for five minutes, then scatter fresh parsley and mint on top before serving.