This week we had guests coming aboard and we had some fresh cherry tomatoes so we used them to make a chicken biryani

Ingredients - Serves 4

Meat sauce layer

• 2 chicken breasts
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 medium onion finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons biryani masala
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 tablespoon dried coriander
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• Oil
• Cherry tomatoes
• 1 tin tomatoes
• 3 dessert spoons red split lentils

• 1 1/2 medium onions coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon turmeric

• 1 scoop rice per person(use a 85ml scoop for this)
• 1 1/2 scoops hot water per person
• 1 teaspoon turmeric

Method

Start by adding the masala mix, along with the crushed fennel seeds to warm oil and allow the flavours of the spices to come out into oil, then add the garlic and the onions to the spiced oil and cook the onions until they have gone transparent. Now add the chopped tomatoes along with the tin of tomatoes. Add the turmeric along with the lentils. This will make a thick sauce. You can add some water at this stage but not too much as you do want a nice thick sauce. Now add the chicken pieces. If you want to go vegetarian then mushrooms at this point works well. Now simmer, the mixture for 10 - 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked. If you are using Mr. D just pop the meat layer in Mr D and leave for 10 - 20 minutes.

While the meat layer is cooking, chop 1 1/2 medium onions coarsely and cook these until they have gone transparent along with the turmeric.

Chop the fresh coriander and put into two groups.

For the rice layer, you will need 1 scoop of rice per person along with 1 1/2 scoops of hot water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes. If you have room you can pot the rice in Mr D over the meat layer. You want the rice slightly underdone as you will be cooking the rice some more later.

Once the rice and the chicken are cooked you are now in a position to make up the layers. If you have used Mr. D, you might want to warm him again so that everything is piping hot.

First layer in Mr D or in a deep oven tray is the meat sauce layer. Now sprinkle half the fresh coriander over that. Next comes the onion layer followed by the remaining fresh coriander.

Lastly comes the rice, which is slightly undercooked as you will be returning the pot either to the oven or into Mr D for another half hour.

Serve straight from the serving dish into bowls for a really tasty meal.

Top Tip

Don't get hung up on finding a Biriani Masala mix for this recipe, Garam Masala or Jalfrezi Masala work just as well