Serves 4
Preparation time 25 minutes
Cooking time about 1 hour, plus standing
250 g (8 oz) basmati rice
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large onions, sliced
2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh root ginger
2 garlic cloves, crushed
250 g (8 oz) sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
2 large carrots, cut into cubes
1 tablespoon curry paste
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon chilli powder
300 ml (½ pint) vegetable stock
4 tomatoes, skinned, deseeded and cubed
175 g (6 oz) caulifower florets
125 g (4 oz) frozen green peas, thawed (optional)
50 g (2 oz) cashew nuts
2 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and cut into quarters
salt and pepper
Cook the rice in a saucepan of boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain in a colander, run under cold water, then drain again. Spread out the rice on a plate so that it dries out a little.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add half the onion and fry for 10 minutes until very crisp and golden. Remove and set aside to drain on kitchen paper. Add the rest of the oil to the frying pan, and fry the rest of the onion and ginger for 5 minutes until the onion is soft and translucent, adding the garlic for the last minute of the cooking time. Add the sweet potatoes, carrots, curry paste and spices and fry for another 10 minutes until light golden.
Pour in the stock and add the tomatoes. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the cauliflower and peas, if liked, and cook for 8–10 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed.
Mix in the rice and cashew nuts. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes, then cover and remove from the heat. Leave to stand for 5 minutes, then serve sprinkled with the crispy-fried onions and topped with the hard-boiled eggs.
For chicken biryani, cook the rice and fry the onions for topping as above. Fry 500 g (1 lb) diced boneless, skinless chicken breasts in the remaining oil with the diced carrots, curry paste and spices for 10 minutes, stirring until golden. Add the stock and tomatoes and cook as above, adding 125 g (4 oz) frozen green peas instead of the cauliflower. Cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the rice and cashew nuts. Serve with the crispy-fried onion and egg as above.