Friday Feast: Pop-in-the-Oven Biryani

Serves 4

• 400g basmati rice, rinsed
  
• 2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced into rounds
  
• ½ cauliflower, broken into florets
  
• 10 green beans, trimmed and halved
  
• generous handful of cashews
  
• 1 x 400ml can coconut milk
  
• 1 tbsp medium curry paste (ensure dairy-free)
  
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
  
• ½ tsp ground cumin
  
• ½ tsp dried chilli flakes
  
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped
  
• generous handful of coriander leaves, roughly torn
  
• generous pinch of sea salt
  
• juice of ½ unwaxed lemon, plus lemon wedges to serve
  

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6.
   
2. Scatter the rice into a deep roasting pan, along with the carrots, cauliflower florets, green beans and cashews.
   
3. Pour the coconut milk into a jug, along with 200ml water. Whisk in the curry paste, turmeric, cumin and chilli flakes until combined.
   
4. Pour the spiced coconut milk mix over the rice and gently stir through to ensure all of the rice is coated.
   
5. Loosely cover the roasting pan with foil, then bake in the oven for 45–50 minutes until the coconut milk has been absorbed by the rice and the vegetables have softened.
   
6. Scatter with the spring onions and coriander, season with salt and lemon juice, then serve with more lemon wedges on the side.
   

EASY TIP - Basmati rice has a fragrant aroma and the fluffy texture needed for this dish. Other types of rice will require a longer cooking time.

READ Vegan Roasting Pan by Katy Beskow (Quadrille, £15)

​This recipe can be found in Issue 104 of The Green Parent magazine, buy a copy here