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

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.
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.
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.