Name: Fragrant vegetable & cashew biryani
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 40 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 500g basmati rice; 2 large onions halved and thinly sliced; 4 tbsp sunflower oil; thumb-size piece fresh root ginger shredded; 65g sachet korma curry paste (we used Sharwood's); 2 cinnamon sticks; 6 green cardamom pods; 3 star anise; 250g diced potatoes; 1 small cauliflower cut into small florets; 250g Greek yogurt; 225g frozen peas; 2 good pinches saffron; ½ tsp rosewater; butter for greasing; 100g roasted, salted cashew nuts; 2 onions halved and very thinly sliced; 3 tbsp sunflower oil; good handful coriander

500g basmati rice
2 large onions
halved and thinly sliced
4 tbsp sunflower oil
thumb-size piece fresh root ginger
shredded
65g sachet korma curry paste
(we used Sharwood's)
2 cinnamon sticks
6 green cardamom pods
3 star anise
250g diced potatoes
1 small cauliflower
cut into small florets
250g Greek yogurt
225g frozen peas
2 good pinches saffron
½ tsp rosewater
butter
for greasing
100g roasted, salted cashew
nuts

For the garnish

2 onions
halved and very thinly sliced
3 tbsp sunflower oil
good handful coriander

Method

step 1
Rinse the rice in several changes of water to remove excess starch, then put in a bowl of cold water and leave to soak for 30 mins.
step 2
Meanwhile, fry the onions in the oil for 8 mins until soft and starting to colour. Add the ginger, then cook for 2 mins more. Stir in the curry paste followed by the whole spices, cook for 1 min more, then tip in the potatoes and cauliflower. Pour in 300ml water, cover and boil for about 5-7 mins until the veg are just tender, but still have a little resistance. Stir in the yogurt and peas with 1 tsp salt.
step 3
Mix the saffron, rosewater and 3 tbsp boiling water together and stir well. Drain the rice, tip into a pan of boiling salted water, then cook for 5 mins until almost tender. Drain again. Get out a large ovenproof dish with a lid and butter the base. Tip the curry sauce into the base, scatter over the nuts, then spoon over the rice. Drizzle over the rosewater mixture, then cover with foil followed by the lid. Can be chilled overnight until ready to cook.
step 4
Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Put the biryani in the oven for 45 mins-1 hr until thoroughly heated through. To check it’s ready, try a spoonful from the centre of the rice. For the garnish, slowly fry the onions in the oil until really golden and crisp (this can be done in advance). When the biryani is hot and ready to serve, gently toss through the onions and coriander.