Palak Paneer With Cardamom Rice

Crush your cardamom pods with the side of a knife

Add your basmati rice, cardamom pods, a small pinch of salt 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 the water has absorbed and the rice is cooked, then remove from the heat and keep covered until serving – this is your cardamom rice

Meanwhile, peel and dice your red onion[s]

Roughly chop your tomato[es]

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

Boil a kettle

Chop your paneer into bite-sized pieces

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

Once hot, add the chopped paneer and cook for 2-3 min until it's browned on all sides

Once browned, transfer to a plate and season with a pinch of salt

Return the pan to a medium heat

Add the diced onion and cook for 3-4 min or until starting to soften

Once softened, add the chopped tomato, your garam masala and 3/4 of the chopped red chilli (can't handle the heat? Go easy!) and cook for 1 min or until fragrant

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

Rinse the wilted spinach under cold water until cool

Squeeze as much water out of the spinach as you can and chop it roughly

Reboil half a kettle

Once fragrant, remove the pan from the heat and carefully add your tomato paste and chopped spinach

Return the pan to the heat and and cook for 1 min

Dissolve your vegetable stock mix in 250ml [325ml] [425ml] boiled water

Add the vegetable stock to the pan and cook for 3 min or until the sauce resembles a thick curry

Return the browned paneer to the pan and cook for 1 min further to warm it through – this is your palak paneer

Discard the cardamom pods from the cardamom rice