Spicy BBQ halloumi rice

The combination of spicy, smoky, creamy and salty flavours in this halloumi rice is stunning.

It's easy to learn how to make halloumi rice.

It's gorgeous as a main and would also make a lovely side dish if you're having a barbecue.

The dish is made with leftover or microwavable basmati rice, flavoured with smokey paprika, chipotle chilli, aromatic fennel, and a touch of maple syrup, with chilli and garlic spicing up the halloumi and colourful vegetables.

If you fancy making this spicy, warm, salty dish for yourselves, here's what to do.

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat.

Add the garlic and fennel seeds.

Fry for 1 minute until just colouring.

Add the courgette, red pepper, and halloumi to the pan.

Fry for 5minutes. Turning to allow them to colour on all sides. This may take a little longer, depending on how much moisture is released from the halloumi and vegetables.

In a small bowl, mix the chipotle chilli sauce, maple syrup, smoked paprika and lime juice.

Add the sauce to the pan and stir through.

Fry for a further minute.

Add the cooked rice to the pan.

.Stir until evenly coated, then serve

Easy peasy and full of flavour - what's your favourite food shortcut?

Here's that chilli BBQ rice with halloumi recipe again in an easy to print format.

For more delicious recipes featuring halloumi, try this grilled halloumi vegetable cous cous or this Cypriot-inspired halloumi pasta.

Pointers, tricks and troubleshooting tips for the perfect spicy BBQ halloumi rice.

Is spicy BBQ halloumi rice easy to make?

This dish is hard to get wrong as long as you keep an eye on your pans - just make sure not to burn the garlic or fennel, or to over cook your rice.

If your rice isn't fluffy and light it will negatively impact the texture, so make sure to follow the packet's instructions.

Will I need any special equipment for this recipe?

No special equipment is needed outside of the basic tools you will find in almost any kitchen, but check the equipment list on the page to make sure!

Where can I buy halloumi? What about basmati rice?

Halloumi is a rather popular cheese in the UK now, so you should be able to find it in the dairy aisle of most major supermarkets well as many smaller independent shops, especially if they have a Mediterranean section. It generally has a long life until opened so you should be able to keep it in the fridge for several weeks or months before you intend to use it.

Basmati rice should also be in the rice or world food section of your local shop.

How can I tell if this dish has gone off? What about the ingredients?

As with most uncooked or unprepared foods it's best to trust your nose, eyes and finally tongue to tell if something has spoiled prior to cooking, and never to risk it if you believe it has.

However, if this dish is already cooked and you want to eat it, then it can be more difficult. Food poisoning from rice is relatively common, partly because of how quickly an unsafe level of bacteria and toxins can be produced, and partly because it's not always obvious to the senses that this has happened.

When it comes to rice you would ideally only cook what you need and eat it as soon as it's been cooked.

If the dish hasn't been cooled down to below 5C/40F quickly, ideally within one hour of cooking, then I wouldn't risk eating it. If you did cool it down quickly don't store it in the fridge for no more than 1-day until reheating and make sure to check that the rice is steaming hot all the way through before serving. Never reheat it more than once.

Is this recipe suitable for vegetarians?

This dish is totally vegetarian, totally easy to make and totally yummy!

Is this recipe suitable for vegans?

The only thing that isn't suitable for vegans in this recipe is the halloumi, so you can either substitute it for a similar vegan cheese of your choosing or simply leave it out.

Is this recipe gluten-free?

This recipe should be gluten-free, but make sure to check that the chipotle paste doesn't have any gluten containing ingredients, as well as the Basmati rice if using a microwave pouch. Many types of rice are gluten free -including the following :

• Basmati rice
• Brown rice
• White rice
• Jasmine rice
• Black rice
• Red rice
• Sprouted rice

Is this recipe keto-friendly?

With roughly 24g of carbohydrates per serving this dish isn't keto friendly, but if you were to swap out the rice for cauliflower rice and forgo the maple syrup or use a carb-free sweetener then you will be well on your way to a significantly more keto friendly dish.

Is this recipe healthy?

With plenty of veg this dish has a lot of nutrients in, but is also fairly high in carbohydrates, so certainly not a meal to avoid but incorporating even more vegetables or protein wouldn't hurt either.

Is this recipe safe to eat while pregnant?

This dish should be fine to eat while pregnant. Halloumi cheese isn't mould ripened so no problems there, and all the other ingredients are on the safe list too.

Rice can be difficult to cool and store correctly without any possibility of producing an unsafe level of bacteria and/or toxins, so you may only want to eat it as soon as it's been made, but read elsewhere is the FAQ for safe storage tips.

What goes well with this recipe?

This dish has a great mixture of flavours and textures from the pillowy soft rice, to the crunch of the vegetables through to the 'squeaky' halloumi cheese you get a mix of spicy, salty sweetness that works well with a ton of dishes.

As a side it can jazz up many meals, but I particularly enjoy serving it with the following dishes.

BBQ chickpea vegan wrap

https://www.amummytoo.co.uk/sweet-chilli-tortellini-and-vegetable-bbq-skewers/

Mild chicken fajitas for kids

Can I make this recipe without halloumi cheese? What about using a different type of rice?

The great thing about this meal is how versatile is, you can swap in and out ingredients to suit your palette, or just to suit whatever you have in the fridge!

If you don't have halloumi cheese then feta would also work wonderfully - I would recommend cubing it and adding it at the end rather than frying it off in the pan. Even more exotic cheeses like Caerphilly or panir could work.

If you don't have any maple syrup some a pinch of brown sugar or some fresh, cubed apple would also be delicious.

If you want more protein then some tofu or cooked chicken/pork works.

As for rice, it's really up to from brown rice to wild rice almost anything will work.

Can I add extra veg to this recipe? What about spices?

Almost any veg you have laying around will be tasty in a meal like this, but aubergine, red onion and cherry tomatoes would be my personal favourites.

For spices few cumin seeds fried off in the pan or a sprinkling of garlic powder when frying the veg would be lovely. My general tip is to cook the dish first, then while it's still in the pan go to your spice rack, pick out whatever you think may work with the meal and then give it a smell while eating a little bit of the rice and veg. If you think your chosen spice would work with the dish then add a tiny bit at a time.

How should I store this recipe?

When dealing with rice dishes you should be extra careful with how you store it. Rice kept in the 'danger zone' of temperatures (roughly 5C-60C / 41.00-135.00F, although this temp varies across the world) can form unsafe levels of bacteria or toxins very quickly.

If you can, only cook as much rice as you need, but if you have made more than you can eat then get it below 5C within an hour of cooking, and in the fridge in an airtight container as soon as it is.

It's also best to reheat this dish so either place in a microwave safe bowl and cook on medium, or in a pan over a low heat until steaming hot.

How long does this recipe keep?

If cooled down to below 5 C within one hour of cooking it will keep in the fridge for up to 1 day or the freezer for one month.

Can I leave this recipe out on the counter?

Absolutely not. Bacteria and toxins will rise to an unsafe level within the rice very quickly.

Can I make this recipe ahead?

While you could cut up the cheese and vegetables and store them in the fridge a day in advance this is such a simple recipe I would say it's best to make everything as and when you need it.

What is the best way to reheat this recipe?

Take out of the fridge and place in a microwave safe bowl and cook on medium, or in a pan over a low heat until steaming hot.

Can I make this recipe in a different quantity?

Absolutely! It's a great recipe to scale up or down as needed, whether you're cooking it as a main for a big get together or a simple side for two. Just use the handy serving slider in the recipe card to adjust the quantities as needed. Easy!

How can I make sure this recipe is perfectly cooked?

The only thing that you may have trouble with his the rice, so make sure to follow the instructions on the packet carefully. If it says to wash the rice until the water is no longer cloudy then make sure you do, as spending a few more minutes will lead to much fluffier rice.

The easiest way to tell when your rice is done is to taste a couple of grains every minute or two once it has begun to soak up the water.

I overcooked my rice, what can I do?

If your rice ended up burnt on the bottom the top layer may still be salvageable. Remember to check on your rice more often next time, potentially use a lower heat, less water or thicker walled pan. A heat spreader is also a very cheap way of more evenly spreading the heat (unsurprisingly), which should reduce the points of intense heat on the bottom and help with sticking.

There's not really any way back from very soft, overcooked rice so it's best you either start again or remember to check your rice more often next time. Overcooked rice won't hurt you, it just won't have the same great texture, so feel free to use it if you want to.

More ways to cook with halloumi

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