Keralan-Style Chicken Curry With Lime & Chilli Rice

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

Heat a large, dry, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) over a high heat, then once hot, add your coriander seeds and fennel seeds and cook for 1-2 min or until fragrant and toasted, then transfer to a food processor and reserve the pan for later

Tip: Watch them like a hawk to make sure they don't burn!

Return the reserved pan to a high heat with a drizzle of vegetable oil

Once hot, add your diced chicken thigh and cook for 3-4 min or until browned

Once browned, add your ground turmeric and cook for a further 1 min

Transfer the browned chicken to a plate, reserve the pan and juices

Peel and roughly chop your shallot[s]

Roughly chop your tomato[es]

Peel (scrape the skin off with a teaspoon) and roughly chop your ginger

Peel and roughy chop your garlic

Trim, then chop your green beans in half

Add the chopped shallot, tomato, ginger and garlic to the food processor with the toasted spices

Add a pinch of salt and pepper and blitz until smooth – this is your spice paste

Chop your creamed coconut roughly (if required!)

Dissolve your chicken stock mix and chopped creamed coconut in 200ml [260ml] [350ml] boiled water – this is your coconut stock

Add your basmati rice and 300ml [390ml] [600ml] 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

Once cooked, remove from the heat and keep covered until serving

Meanwhile, return the reserved pan and juices to a medium-high heat

Add the spice paste and cook for 4-5 min or until fragrant

Once fragrant, add the browned chicken, halved green beans and coconut stock and cook for 6-8 min or until thickened to a curry-like consistency and the chicken is cooked through (no pink meat!) – this is your Keralan-style chicken curry

Meanwhile, zest half your lime[s]

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

Add the lime zest and half of the chopped chilli (can't handle the heat? Go easy!) to the cooked rice and give it a good mix up – this is your lime & chilli rice

Squeeze the juice of half the lime[s] over the Keralan-style chicken curry, then cut the remaining lime into 1 wedge per person