Free Range Chicken Tamarind Curry With Turmeric Rice

Before you start cooking, take your chicken out of the fridge, open the packet and let it air

Add your white long grain rice to a pot with a lid with your ground turmeric, a pinch of salt and 225ml [300ml] [450ml] cold water and bring to the boil over a high heat

Once boiling, reduce the heat to very low and cook, covered, for 12-15 min or until all the water has absorbed

While the rice is cooking, boil half a kettle

Peel and chop (or grate) your garlic

Peel (scrape the skin off with a teaspoon) and finely chop (or grate) your ginger

Chop your creamed coconut roughly (if required!)

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

Once hot, add the chopped garlic, chopped ginger and curry powder and cook for 1-2 min or until fragrant

Dissolve your chicken stock mix and tomato paste in 200ml [260ml] [350ml] boiled water with your tamarind paste, chopped creamed coconut and 2 tsp [3 tsp] [4 tsp] sugar – this is your tamarind stock

Once fragrant, add the tamarind stock to the pan and cook for a further 4-5 min or until thickened to a curry-like consistency – this is your tamarind curry

Meanwhile, wash your spinach, then pat it dry with kitchen paper

Once the sauce has thickened, add the spinach and a pinch of salt and cook for 1-2 min or until the spinach has wilted

Chop your free range chicken breast portion[s] into bite-sized pieces

Top the curry with the chopped chicken and a pinch of salt and cook, covered, for 10-12 min further or until the chicken is cooked through (no pink meat!) – this is your chicken tamarind curry

Chop your coriander finely, including the stalks

Once the rice is cooked, remove the pot from the heat and add half your nigella seeds (save the rest for garnish!)

Give everything a good mix up and set aside (lid on) to steam until serving – this is your turmeric rice