Roast chicken & spiced rice

Different types of rice will absorb liquid at different rates, so use the liquid quantities here as a guide, and top up with a little extra if needed.

SERVES 4 PREP 15 mins COOK 50 mins EASY

1 chicken stock cube

4 tbsp mild or medium curry

paste (we used korma)

2 tbsp butter or oil, plus extra

for frying

350g basmati rice

1 cinnamon stick

6 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs 1 onion, halved and sliced

20g toasted almonds

350g green beans handful of coriander leaves mango chutney, to serve

1 Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/ gas 6. Pour 800ml just-boiled water into a heatproof jug, crumble in the stock cube and stir through along with half the curry paste and the butter or oil. Pour the mixture into a large baking dish or roasting tin (ours was 25 x 35cm and 5cm deep), and tip in the rice and cinnamon stick. Season and stir well.

2 Cut a few deep slashes into each chicken thigh, then rub all over with the remaining curry paste and some seasoning. Arrange on top of the rice mixture, then cover the dish or tin with foil and bake for 30 mins. 3 Meanwhile, heat a drizzle of oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, and fry the onion for 10-15 mins, or until soft and caramelised.

4 Uncover the chicken and rice. The rice should still be wet, but if not, top up with 50-100ml more water. Scatter over the almonds and bake, uncovered, for 10-15 mins more until the chicken is browned, all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is cooked through and crisp at the edges. Meanwhile, cook the green beans in boiling water for 2-3 mins, then drain. Scatter the coriander and fried onions over the chicken and rice, spoon a few dollops of chutney over the dish, and serve with the green beans.

GOOD TO KNOW ibre • iron • 1 of 5-a-day

PER SERVING 684 kcals • fat 29g • saturates 8g • carbs 71g • sugars 6g • ibre 7g • protein 31g • salt 1.6g