BASMATI RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat the grill to medium heat. Sprinkle the coconut onto a baking tray and toast under the grill until just golden-brown. Set aside.
• Put the basmati rice in a lidded saucepan then cover with 400ml/¾ pint cold water. Add half of the butter, then cover the pan, place it over a high heat and bring just to the boil. Reduce the heat to its lowest setting and cook the rice for 12-15 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed all the water and is just tender.
• Meanwhile, heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, or until just softened. Add the curry paste and stir-fry for a further minute.
• Add the chicken to the pan and stir well to coat it in the sauce.
• Add the tomatoes and coconut milk, stir well and bring the mixture to the boil, then reduce the heat until the mixture is simmering and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened slightly.
• Stir in the chopped coriander, mint and lime juice, then stir in the remaining butter and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• To serve, fluff the cooked rice using a fork, then divide it equally among four serving plates. Spoon a ladleful of chicken curry on top of each portion of rice. Garnish with a sprinkling of desiccated coconut.

Steps:

• Ingredients out • Kettle boiled • Large frying pan, high heat • Medium lidded casserole pan, high heat • Liquidizer START COOKING Put the lentils into a bowl with a pinch of sea salt, black pepper, the garam masala and mince, then mix and scrunch together with clean hands. Divide the mixture in half, then with wet hands quickly squeeze and mould each half into 6 fat fingers. Put them into the frying pan with 1 tablespoon of oil, turning when golden. Put 1 mug of rice, 2 mugs of boiling water and the cardamom pods into the casserole pan, then halve and add the beans and put the lid on. Squash the tomatoes into the liquidizer, peel and add the ginger, and trim and add the spring onions. Add half the chilli, the coriander stalks, turmeric, honey, curry paste and coconut milk, then blitz until combined. Pour into the kofta pan, bring to the boil, then simmer and season to taste. Take the lid off the rice, add the peas, mix it all up and give it just a few more minutes. Crack up the uncooked poppadoms and pop them in the microwave (800W) for a minute or two to puff up. Finely slice the remaining chilli and the coriander leaves and scatter them over the curry, dollop with yoghurt, then serve with lemon wedges, poppadoms and the rice, beans and peas.