Aromatic rice and carrot salad with nuts and fresh spearmint

Light but nutritious, colourful and delicious recipe for all hours and days to enjoy as a salad or even as a light meal!

From "Cook Book" magazine of "ETHNOS" newspaper

Ingredients (for 4 people):
150 gr. of basmati rice

1 large lemon, the juice

2 anchovy fillets (from a tin)

1 tbsp of brown sugar

1 small red onion, finely chopped

1 Spring onion, finely chopped (both white and tender green part)

2 Florina red peppers (or red bell pepper), cut in small cubes

400 gr. carrots, finely grated

75 gr. of Aegina pistachios, roughly chopped (unsalted)

1 pod of cardamom, the seeds

1/2 tea-cup of fresh spearmint, finely chopped

2-3 tbsp of olive oil

salt
pepper

Method:

In a mortar bowl thoroughly mash with the pestle the anchovy fillets along with the sugar and the cardamom seeds.

Transfer the mixture into a salad bowl and add both the chopped onions, the peppers and the grated carrots. Mix the ingredients very well and leave aside for 30 minutes to marinate.

Boil the rice in plenty of salted boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain in a colander and transfer the rice into the salad bowl.

Drizzle the salad with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Gently mix and add the pistachios, the spearmint and in the end drizzle with the lemon juice.

Mix again and serve the salad immediately.