One-Pot Curried Basa & Dal With Chilli Cashew Chutney

Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 200°C (fan)/ gas 7 and boil a kettle

Peel and finely slice your brown onion[s]

Add the sliced onion to an oven-proof dish with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt

Put the dish in the oven for an initial 7-8 min or until softened

Chop your creamed coconut roughly (if required!)

Dissolve your vegetable stock mix, chopped creamed coconut and tomato paste in 450ml [600ml] [750ml] boiled water – this is your coconut stock

Rinse your red lentils in a sieve under cold running water

Once the onion has softened, remove the dish from the oven and stir through half your ginger & garlic paste (you'll use the rest later!) and your garam masala

Add the drained lentils and your ground turmeric to the dish with the coconut stock and give everything a good mix up

Put the dish back in the oven for 20-25 min further or until the lentils are tender – this is your dal

Pat your basa fillet[s] dry with kitchen paper

Sprinkle your curry powder over the basa and rub it into both sides until evenly coated

Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and set aside – this is your curried basa

Strip your mint leaves from their stems, discard the stems

Tip: Hold the top of the herb sprigs firmly and slide your fingers down their lengths to easily remove the leaves

Chop your coriander and mint leaves roughly, including the coriander stalks

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

Wash your spinach, then pat dry with kitchen paper

Once the lentils are tender, remove the dish from the oven, then add the spinach, stir it through the dal until starting to wilt

Top the dal with the curried basa fillet[s] and return the dish to the oven for a final 12-15 min or until the fish is cooked through and the lentils are completely softened – this is your one-pot curried basa & dal

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

Add the chopped mint and chopped coriander to a food processor with the chopped chilli (can't handle the heat? Go easy!), your cashew nuts, the remaining ginger & garlic paste and 2 tbsp [3 tbsp] [4 tbsp] cold water

Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and blitz until a paste forms – this is your chilli cashew chutney

Tip: No food processor? Chop everything up as finely as you can and mix it together!