Microwave biryani

Quick and easy, this spicy supper for two is perfect for using up the vegetables you have in your fridge, plus it can be cooked in one pot in the microwave

  • Prep:15 mins
    Cook:10 mins
  • Serves 2
  • Easy

Nutrition per serving

  • kcal 397
  • fat 4g
  • saturates 1g
  • carbs 77g
  • sugars 19g
  • fibre 7g
  • protein 10g
  • salt 0.6g

Ingredients

  • 2 spring onions, finely sliced
  • 1 fat garlic clove, crushed
  • knob of butter
  • seeds from 1 cardamom pod
  • ¼ tsp chilli flakes
  • 140g rice
  • 400ml vegetable or chicken stock
  • ¼ tsp turmeric
  • ¼ tsp ground cumin
  • pinch of cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp raisins or sultanas
  • 200g vegetables of your choice, finely chopped or grated (try a combination of grated carrot, frozen peas, peppers in 1cm chunks or finely sliced mushrooms)
  • small handful coriander or mint leaves, to serve

Tip

Top tip

As with many recipes that use a lot of spices, this tastes even better when cooked in advance as the flavours have time to develop and settle – so you could cook this ahead of time and heat it up in the microwave.

Method

  1. Add the onions, garlic, butter, cardamom seeds and the chilli flakes to a large microwaveable bowl and cook in the microwave on High for 30 secs. Tip in the rice and stock and stir well with the turmeric, cumin, cinnamon and raisins, then cover with cling film.

  2. Place a few sheets of kitchen paper on your microwave turning plate to absorb any spills then place the bowl on top and cook on High for 2 mins. Remove and stir, then leave to stand for 1 min; it will continue to cook even after it has been removed, so allowing it to stand is really important.

  3. Repeat 2-3 more times until the rice is just cooked, the last time adding your finely chopped veg to the bowl and stirring through. Garnish with fresh coriander or mint, to serve.

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