Gary Townsend

THIS vegetable biryani dish is delicious, warming and gently spiced. Made from rice and vegetables, it makes a delicious meal when served with raita and Indian breads.

Ingredients

2 cloves garlic – crushed

10g ginger – grated

1 x onion – sliced

50ml olive oil

350g basmati rice (uncooked weight) 1tsp cumin seeds

1tsp cumin ground

1 tsp garam masala

2 tsp turmeric

¼ tsp mustard seeds

1 tbsp. curry powder

200g potatoes, peeled and diced

150g carrots – sliced

1 x cauliflower – cut into florets 100g peas

100g cashew nuts

Handful sultanas or golden raisins Fresh coriander

Raita Sauce

150g natural/Greek yoghurt ½ diced cucumber

1 tbsp lemon juice

Pinch of salt

Method

Preheat oven to 180c/gas mark 4.

It is best to have your rice ready cooked and well drained for this dish.

The raita is simple to make. Just mix all the ingredients together and keep in the fridge until needed.

For the biryani, place the potatoes, carrots and cauliflower in to a large roasting tray, drizzle with oil and cook for around 20 minutes. In a large saucepan, heat the oil on a medium heat and slowly cook off the onion with the garlic and ginger. Next add all the spices and cook on a low heat for a few minutes.

Once the vegetables in the oven are cooked, add them to the pan followed by the peas. Add the sultanas or raisins, season with a pinch of salt then fold in the rice.

Continue to cook on a low heat until everything has combined and is hot. Serve with a handful of cashew nuts and fresh coriander and a serving of fresh raita spooned on top.

Enjoy.