Ottolenghi rice cakes

Prep 15 min
Cook 40 min
Serves 4

200g sushi rice, soaked for half an hour
⅛ tsp ground turmeric
Salt and black pepper
4-5 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped (50g)
50g thick Greek-style yoghurt
2 tsp nigella seeds
125g frozen peas, defrosted
100g block low-moisture mozzarella, finely grated
80g feta
35g ghee, or butter, for frying

For the quick sweet chilli sauce
2 red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped (20g)
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
1½ tsp fish sauce
40g runny honey
1½ tsp lime juice

Drain the rice and put it in a small saucepan for which you have a lid. Add 240ml water, the turmeric and a half-teaspoon of salt, bring up to a simmer, then cover, turn down the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes. Take off the heat and leave to rest, still covered, for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, put all the chilli sauce ingredients except the lime juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer on a medium heat, then cook for three minutes, until the mixture thickens slightly and turns glossy. Squeeze in the lime juice, take off the heat and leave to cool.

Put the cooked rice in a medium bowl, add the spring onions, yoghurt, nigella seeds, peas, both cheeses and a quarter-teaspoon of salt, and mix to combine. Have ready a bowl of cold water and, using wet hands, measure out about 60g of the rice mixture. Roll this into a ball, squeezing firmly to make sure it stays together, then flatten into a round disc and set aside. Repeat with the remaining rice.

Put a third of the ghee in a large frying pan on a medium-high heat. Once hot, add the rice cakes four or five at a time and fry for about six minutes, turning once halfway so both sides go nice and crisp. Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper and repeat with the remaining ghee and rice cakes. If you want to keep the cooked cakes warm, pop them in a 170C (150C fan)/310F/gas 3½ oven until serving. Serve warm with the chilli sauce on the side.