Fragrant Chicken Saag Masala With Pilau Rice

Before you start cooking, take your chicken out of the fridge, open the packet and let it air, then boil a full kettle

Peel and finely slice your brown onion[s] and your garlic

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

Once hot, add the sliced onion and cook for 5 min or until softened

Meanwhile, wash your spinach, then add to a colander and pour boiled water all over it so that it starts to wilt

Rinse the wilted spinach under cold running water until it's cool

Once cool, squeeze as much water out of the spinach as you can, then chop it roughly

Reboil the kettle

Add the sliced garlic, your ground fenugreek, garam masala and chilli flakes (can't handle the heat? Go easy!) to the softened onion and cook for 30 secs or until fragrant

Increase the heat to high and add your chicken breast strips to the pan and cook for 3 min on each side or until they are lightly browned

While the chicken is browning, dissolve your chicken stock mix, tomato paste and 1 tsp [1 1/2 tsp] [2 tsp] sugar in 350ml [455ml] [600ml] boiled water – this is your tomato stock

Add the tomato stock and chopped spinach to the pan

Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, covered, for 15-20 min or until the chicken is cooked through (no pink meat!) and the sauce has thickened

While the sauce thickens, crush your cardamom pods open by squashing them with the side of a knife

Melt a knob of butter in a pot with a matching lid over a medium heat

Once melted, add the crushed cardamom pods to the pot and cook for 1 min or until fragrant

Add your basmati rice to the pot and cook for 1 min further, then add 300ml [390ml] [600ml] cold water 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 been absorbed and the rice is cooked

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

While the pilau rice is cooking, chop most of your coriander finely, including the stalks (save some leaves for garnish!)

Transfer the cooked chicken to a clean board and shred apart using two forks – this technique is known as 'pulling'

Add the pulled chicken back to the curry and give it a good mix up – this is your fragrant chicken saag masala

Stir the chopped coriander through the pilau rice, then discard the cardamom pods