Festive Chicken Curry With Cranberry Rice

Take your chicken out of the fridge, open the packet and let it air

Add your basmati rice, cloves, dried cranberries, ground turmeric and 300ml [390ml] [600ml] cold water with a pinch of salt 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

Once cooked, remove from the heat and keep covered until serving – this is your cranberry rice

Boil a kettle

Peel and finely chop your shallot[s]

Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with a drizzle of vegetable oil over a medium-high heat

Once hot, add the chopped shallot with a pinch of salt and pepper and cook for 3-4 min or until beginning to soften

Meanwhile, combine your chicken stock mix with 250ml [325ml] [425ml] boiled water - this is your chicken stock

Chop your chicken breast strips into bite-sized pieces

Once the shallot has softened, add the chopped chicken to the pan with a pinch of salt and pepper and cook for an initial 3-4 min or until beginning to brown

Once beginning to brown, add your curry powder and ground cinnamon to the pan with your ginger & garlic paste, tomato paste and a generous knob of butter and cook for 1 min or until fragrant

Once fragrant, add the chicken stock with 1 tsp [1 1/2 tsp] [2 tsp] sugar and cook for 8-10 min or until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is cooked through (no pink meat!)

Wash your spinach and pat it dry with kitchen paper

Once thickened, remove the pan from the heat and add the spinach with half your natural yoghurt (you'll use the rest later!) and stir it all together until the spinach has wilted – this is your festive chicken curry