Oven Baked Sri Lankan-Style Chicken Curry With Cauliflower Rice

Before you begin...

This recipe takes around 5-10 min to prep, so get your casserole dish and all your ingredients ready, then wash your fruit and veg

Note: Make sure your dish is oven-proof and safe to use on the hob. Don't have one? Start cooking in a large, wide-based pan then transfer to an oven-proof dish

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

Now, let's get started!

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

Heat a large, wide-based, hob-safe oven-proof casserole dish with a matching lid with a generous drizzle of vegetable oil over a high heat

Chop your chicken into smaller strips and once hot, add your chopped chicken with a pinch of salt and cook for 2-3 min or until very lightly browned, then transfer to a plate and set aside

While the chicken is browning, peel and roughly chop your shallot[s]

Peel and finely chop (or grate!) your garlic

Chop your creamed coconut roughly (if required!)

Slice your green chilli[es] finely

Add the chopped shallot and chopped creamed coconut to the dish with half the sliced green chilli (can't handle the heat? Go easy!)

Add the chopped garlic, curry powder, tamarind paste, ground turmeric and chicken stock mix with your chopped tomatoes and 250ml [325ml] [425ml] boiled water

Put the dish in the oven and cook, uncovered, for an initial 25 min or until thickened – this is your curry sauce

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

Add your basmati rice and cauliflower rice to an oven-proof dish with 120ml [225ml] [300ml] boiled water

Cover tightly with tin foil and put the dish in the oven for 25-30 min or until all the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked – this is your baked cauliflower rice

Wash your spinach and pat it dry with kitchen paper

Use this time to clear up, set the table, have a cup of tea or simply chill!

Once the curry sauce has thickened, remove the dish from the oven

Add the browned chicken to the dish with the spinach and a pinch of salt and pepper

Give everything a good mix up, cover with a lid and return the dish to the oven for 8-10 min or until the chicken is cooked through (no pink meat!) – this is your Sri Lankan-style chicken curry