Chicken & Cauliflower ‘biriyani’ With Lentil Roti

Recipes & food styling Fiona Smith / Photography Aaron McLean / Styling Fiona Lascelles

	3 tablespoons curry paste (I use Asian Home Gourmet Chicken Madras Paste)
	2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
	3cm piece ginger, finely chopped
	200ml coconut milk
	3 tablespoons sunflower or other plain oil
	900g–1kg chicken drumsticks
	2 onions, sliced
	2 teaspoons mustard seeds
	3 stems curry leaves, stems removed
	1 teaspoon dried turmeric
	1 teaspoon ground coriander
	1 teaspoon ground cumin
	250ml seasoned chicken stock
	1 cauliflower (about 1kg), finely chopped
	100g spinach leaves
	¼ cup coriander leaves, chopped
	lentil & curry leaf roti, to serve (see recipe)

1.	Heat the oven to 200°C.
2.	In a bowl, combine the curry paste, garlic, ginger and coconut milk.
3.	Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large, ovenproof frying pan or casserole over a medium-high heat and brown the chicken drums.
4.	Transfer them to a baking dish and pour over the coconut mixture and stir to coat the chicken well.
5.	Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 5 minutes.
6.	Remove the chicken and cool it enough to handle, then cut the meat off the bones and stir back though the coconut mixture. Set aside.
7.	Add the onions to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes until deep golden then set aside.
8.	Add the remaining oil to the pan and fry the mustard seeds and curry leaves for a few seconds then add the turmeric, coriander and cumin and cook for a further minute.
9.	Add the stock to the pan and deglaze by letting it bubble up, scraping the base of the pan with a wooden spoon.
10.	Add the cauliflower, chicken mixture and half the onion and stir through.
11.	Cover with lid and bake for 20 minutes.
12.	Stir through the spinach and half the coriander then cook for a further 10 minutes uncovered.
13.	Scatter with the remaining onion and coriander and serve with lentil and curry leaf roti.