Vegetarian mains
Cauliflower biryani
For a little extra luxury, finely slice and fry 1 large onion until golden, then scatter over the dish.
Cook's notes
To make this vegan-friendly omit the yogurt or use a dairy-free alternative.
Ingredients
- oil for frying, e.g. rapeseed
- 2 onions, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp medium hot curry powder (less if you prefer it milder)
- 2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes
- 10 cardamom pods
- 200g brown basmati rice, rinsed well and drained
- 1 large cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets
- 200ml fat-free yoghurt, plus extra to serve
- 2 large garlic cloves, crushed
- 50g piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 50g fresh coriander
- 4 tbsp flaked almonds, toasted in a dry frying pan until golden
- fried onions to garnish (for sinners)
Method
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Step 1
Preheat oven to 190°C/Gas 5. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pan. Fry the onion on a low heat for about 10 minutes, until soft and translucent, without colouring.
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Step 2
Add the curry powder, tinned tomatoes, cardamom pods, rice and 600ml water. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 25 minutes, or until the rice is tender.
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Step 3
While the rice is cooking, toss the cauliflower with the yoghurt, garlic, ginger, cumin seeds, turmeric, garam masala and half the coriander leaves in a baking dish. Roast until the cauliflower is just tender but still with some bite, about 20-30 minutes, depending on how small you've cut the florets.
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Step 4
Remove from the oven and stir in the cooked rice and half the almonds. Cover with foil and bake for a further 15 minutes.
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Step 5
Serve sprinkled with the rest of the almonds, coriander leaves, crispy fried onions (if using) and a dollop of extra yogurt.