Bengali-Style Mustard Basa With Fragrant Rice

Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 200°C (fan)/ gas 7, then add your basmati rice, cloves, a pinch of salt and 250ml [320ml] [500ml] cold water to a pot with a lid and bring to the boil over a high heat

Once boiling, reduce the heat to very low and cook, covered, for 10-12 min or until all the water has absorbed and the rice is cooked – this is your fragrant rice

Once cooked, remove from the heat and keep covered

Meanwhile, peel and finely chop (or grate) your garlic

Cut your green chilli[es] in half lengthways, deseed (scrape the seeds out with a teaspoon) and chop finely

Boil a kettle

Add your wholegrain mustard, cumin seeds, yellow mustard seeds, chopped garlic, chopped chilli (can't handle the heat? Go easy!) and a generous pinch of salt to a pestle & mortar and grind to form a smooth paste

Add 2 tbsp [3 tbsp] [4 tbsp] vegetable oil and mix well – this is your mustard mixture

Tip: Alternatively blitz together in a food processor!

Place your creamed coconut (in its packaging!) in a mug and cover with boiled water (this softens the naturally hard cream)

Leave for 1 min, then remove from the mug

Add your ground turmeric and the softened creamed coconut to the mustard mixture and give everything a good mix up – this is your Bengali-style mustard paste

Cut a piece[s] of baking paper (or tin foil) approx. the size of A3 sheets of paper (1 per person!)

Add your basa fillet[s] to the middle of each piece of paper/foil

Spoon the Bengali-style mustard paste evenly over your fillet[s] and scrunch the edges of the baking paper together around the basa to form a sealed parcel[s]

Add the parcel[s] to a baking tray (or two!) and put into the oven for 15 min or until the basa is cooked through

Tip: Your fish is cooked once it turns opaque and flakes easily

Chop your coriander finely, including the stalks

Top, tail, peel and grate your carrot[s]

Wash your salad, then pat it dry with kitchen paper

Add the salad, grated carrot and chopped coriander to a bowl with the juice of half your lime[s], a drizzle of olive oil and a generous pinch of salt

Give everything a good mix up – this is your carrot & coriander salad

Discard the cloves from the fragrant rice, then cut the remaining lime into 1 wedge per person