Roast Carrot Biryani

A rice dish packed with Indian curry spices, sweet roasted carrots, dried apricots and coconut chips, topped with a fresh mint yoghurt.

Source
Recipe Info
Servings: 4
Prep: 10m
Cook: 45m
Total: 55m
Ingredients
  • 300g brown basmati rice
  • 4 tbsp tikka spice paste
  • 2 onions, finely sliced
  • 600g carrots, peeled and chopped into angled pieces
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 2 lemons
  • 20g mint, finely chopped
  • 300ml yoghurt
  • 2 tomatoes, diced
  • 2 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp black onion seeds
  • ½ tsp ground ginger
  • 400g spinach
  • 40g dried apricots, finely chopped
  • 20g toasted coconut chips
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 220°C/200°C fan/Gas 7. Rinse the rice under cold running water in a sieve.
  2. Add the tikka spice paste and onions to a saucepan. Fry gently for 2 minutes. Add the rice and 1.2 litres boiled water. Add salt, cover and cook on a low boil for approx. 25 minutes, until tender (cooked brown rice retains a little bite). The liquid should almost all be absorbed at the end, but drain off any excess if needed.
  3. Toss the carrots in a roasting tin with the oil and the juice from 1 lemon. Season. Cover the tray tightly with foil. Roast for approx. 20 minutes, until tender.
  4. Mix the mint into the yoghurt. Season.
  5. After 20 minutes, remove the carrots from the oven and uncover them. Stir in the tomatoes, garam masala, black onion seeds and ground ginger. Roast for a further 5 minutes, uncovered.
  6. Heat a frying pan to a medium heat. Add handfuls of spinach, stirring until wilted (2-3 minutes).
  7. Stir the spinach, roasted carrots, apricots and coconut chips into the rice. Taste and check the seasoning. Add a squeeze of lemon juice, to taste, from the remaining lemon. Serve with a swirl of mint yoghurt.