This colourful beetroot biriyani is a clever twist on the classic Indian dish. The natural sweetness of beetroot balances perfectly with the variety of spices to make a flavoursome meal. Serve with your favourite chutney. For a heartier meal, serve alongside a mild vegetable curry.

Ready in: 1 hours 15 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients

3 large raw beetroot (approx. 500g)
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 large onion, finely sliced
Thumb sized piece of ginger, grated
2 small garlic cloves, crushed
1 bay leaf
4 cardamom pods
2 tsp turmeric
2 tbsp garam masala
250g basmati rice
500ml vegetable stock
100ml fat-free yoghurt
Small bunch of coriander

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200C. First, prepare the beetroot. Peel and chop into 2cm cubes. Tip into a bowl and toss with half the oil and season well. Transfer into a roasting dish and bake for 25-30 minutes, stirring halfway through, until tender.

2. While the beetroot is cooking, heat the remaining oil in a large, shallow casserole dish or ovenproof frying pan. Fry the onion for around 10 minutes, until golden.
Next, add the ginger and half the garlic then cook for another minute. Stir in the bay leaf, cardamom pods, turmeric and garam masala and cook for 2 minutes.

3. Rinse the rice and tip into the pan along with the cooked beetroot. Season and stir well.

4. Next, pour in the stock and bring to the boil.

5. Place the dish in the oven, uncovered, and cook for 20-25 minutes. The rice should be cooked through. Once cooked and out of the oven, stir well.

6. Place the yogurt, coriander and remaining garlic in a food processor and blitz until smooth. Season to taste and serve alongside the biriyani.

Ingredient of the Week: Fresh Beetroot

Fresh beetroot has an earthy, rich flavour with a natural sweetness. While pickled beetroot is often added to salads, this fresh root vegetable is great for using in both sweet and savoury dishes. It has a deep red colour, has many health benefits, and is packed full of nutrients. Pick up fresh beetroot from our Greengrocers.