YELLOW RICE PILAF

NOT ONLY IS TURMERIC A WONDER SPICE HEALTHWISE, IT ALSO MAKES EVERYTHING LOOK SO SUNNY AND INVITING. I PREFER TO USE BROWN BASMATI RICE AS IT HAS A LOVELY NUTTY FLAVOUR AND KEEPS ITS TEXTURE WHEN COOKED, PLUS, MOST IMPORTANTLY, IT RETAINS VALUABLE NUTRIENTS AND FIBRE WHEN UNREFINED. I FIND THE KIDS DON’T SEEM TO NOTICE WHEN IT’S COLOURED WITH TURMERIC, TOO.

Serves 4

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

30g/1oz/2 tbsp butter

1 large onion, roughly chopped

2 handfuls of blanched almonds

2 tbsp mild curry powder

250g/9oz/scant 1⅓ cups brown basmati rice

2.5cm/1in piece of fresh root ginger, grated (no need to peel)

1 tsp turmeric

600ml/21fl oz/2½ cups reduced- salt vegetable stock

2 handfuls of frozen peas

½ cauliflower, cut into florets, grated

1 handful of parsley, chopped (optional)

1 tbsp olive oil

LEMON YOGURT:

150g/5½oz/scant ⅔ cup Greek yogurt

1 small garlic clove, crushed 2 tbsp lemon juice

finely grated zest of ½ lemon

1 Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook for 10 minutes, covered with a lid and stirring occasionally, until softened.

2 While the onion is cooking, toss the almonds in half of the curry powder and leave to one side.

3 Mix together all the ingredients for the lemon yogurt in a bowl and leave to one side.

4 When the onions are cooked, add the rice, ginger, the remaining curry powder, the turmeric and the stock (the rice should be covered by about 1cm/½in stock). Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down to its lowest setting, cover with a lid and cook for 20 minutes.

5 Stir the peas into the rice, quickly cover with a lid and cook for another 5 minutes, or until the water has been absorbed and the rice is tender. Stir the cauliflower and parsley into the rice until combined, cover with a lid and leave to stand on the turned-off hob/stovetop.

6 While the rice is cooking, heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the spice-coated almonds and cook for about 4 minutes, shaking occasionally, until they smell aromatic and toasted. Serve the yellow rice with a good spoonful of the lemon yogurt and topped with the spiced nuts.