Canned chickpeas is one quick and ready to use ingredients, saving all the soaking time.
This time, I'm cooking tomato chickpeas paella. Added in some shrimp too. You can also use short-necked clams, scallops, squid etc. Seafood portion is basically up to your own preferences.
For anchovies broth, I'm using the Anchovies stock cube. Divide a cube into 3 small pieces, add only 1/3 piece to 200ml plain water. Stir to dilute. This is my lazy and instant soup stock when I'm in a rush. As this is slightly salty, you might need to reduce/adjust the salt that you are going to add in.
Ingredients : (serves 2)
100g Calrose Rice - rinsed
200g Canned Diced Tomatoes
100g Canned Chickpeas (drained & rinsed)
4pcs Prawns
2 tbsp Olive oil
1 clove Garlic - finely minced
1 pc Shallot - finely minced
1/2 tsp Paprika powder
180ml Anchovies Stock
1/4 tsp Salt / to taste
Dash of black pepper
Dash of Dried Parsley Flakes / chopped Fresh Parsley
1 slice of Lemon (cut into quarter)
Step by Step:
1. Heat up pan with 1 tbsp olive oil. Once oil gets hot, add prawns into the pan, lightly toss for about 1-2 mins, remove and set aside. This is to let the seafood infuse the oil flavor and prevent it to release too much moisture later on. Discard & set aside.
2. Using the same pan, add in another 1 tbsp olive oil, saute minced garlic and shallot till slightly golden.
3. Then add diced tomato, paprika powder, chickpeas, salt, black pepper and cook for about 1-2 mins.
4. Top up with anchovies broth. Bring to a boil. Check the broth taste, it should be slightly salty as we are going to mix in the rice. Add more salt if preferred.
5. Add washed rice into the broth, gently stirring to gently distribute the rice all around the pan. Let it cook for 5 mins on medium low heat with lid covered.
(If you preferred a charred burnt crispy rice at the bottom of the pan, you shouldn't stir the rice. But for me, I don't like it, so I stirred them occasionally.)
6. After 5 mins, arrange the shrimp and cook for another 5 mins. Do not stir the rice at this point. Cook for another 5 mins on medium low heat.
7. After cooking for 10 mins, with very little broth left, turn back the heat to high for 1 min, to further dries up the broth and make the burnt rice at the bottom of the pan. Then turn off the heat, cover the pan with lid and let it rest for 7-10 mins for the rice to fully cooked.
8. Now it's ready. Garnish with lemon slices and freshly chopped parsley / dried parsley. Serve hot.
Happy Cooking.