Spicy vegetable pilau with cucumber raita

3 of 5-a-day 7-day-summer diet plan calcium clean eating fibre folate iron natural summer summer clean eating plan vitamin c

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Source

Ingredients

2 garlic cloves

1 tbsp rapeseed oil

1 large onion , quartered and sliced

thumb-sized piece ginger , chopped

1 cinnamon stick

½ tsp cumin seeds

seeds from 8 cardamom pods

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp ground coriander

1 red chilli , halved, deseeded and sliced

1 large red pepper , deseeded and diced

50g freekeh

350ml vegetable stock (made with 2 tsp reduced-salt bouillon powder)

25g sultanas

½ pack coriander , chopped

40g cashew nuts

1 garlic clove

150ml pot bio-yogurt

¼ cucumber , grated

2 tbsp chopped mint

Method

Chop the garlic for the pilau and set aside. Finely grate the garlic for the raita and put in a bowl. Heat the oil for the pilau in a large open pan, and fry the onion and ginger for 5 mins until softened. Stir in the whole and ground spices, and cook for a few secs to release their aromas. Add the chilli, red pepper and freekeh, stir briefly, then tip in the stock and sultanas. Simmer for 15 mins until the freekeh is tender but still nutty, adding the chopped garlic for the final 2 mins. The stock should have reduced and absorbed into the freekeh now.

Meanwhile, finish the raita by stirring the yogurt, cucumber and mint into the grated garlic.

When the pilau is cooked, stir in the coriander and cashews, and serve with the raita.