The combination of nutty sunflower seeds and baked rice make this dish more of an unusual pilaf rather than just another bowl of rice. It also offers a great place to get creative with variations; try adding golden raisins or dried apricots, other herbs or vegetables, or cooked legumes to make a wholesome and tasty one-dish meal.

2 cups hot vegetable stock
1 cup basmati rice
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
1 red pepper, de-seeded and sliced
1 onion, chopped
½ cup of peas
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
Handful of chopped fresh herbs (to garnish)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Heat oil and sauté onions for 5 minutes, add cumin seeds and turmeric and sauté for another minute, add rice and cook gently until translucent.

3. Add salt, red pepper and peas and cook for 2 minutes, add stock and sunflower seeds and bring to a boil. Stir once and transfer to ovenproof dish.

4. Cover and bake in oven 20-25 minutes, or until rice has absorbed all liquid.

5. Spring with chopped, fresh herbs before serving (optional)