Spicy Chicken Madras With Cooling Raita

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

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 12-15 min or until the water has absorbed and the rice is cooked, then remove from the heat and keep covered until serving

Meanwhile, peel and very roughly chop your brown onion[s]

Cut your red chilli[es] in half lengthways, deseed (scrape the seeds out with a teaspoon) and chop roughly (like it hot? Keep the seeds in!)

Peel (scrape the skin off with a teaspoon) and roughly chop your ginger, then peel and roughly chop your garlic

Chop your tomato[es] into wedges

Add the chopped onion, chopped ginger, chopped garlic, chopped chilli, your curry powder and chilli flakes (can't handle the heat? Go easy!) to a food processor

Blitz until smooth or very finely chopped – this is your spicy madras paste

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

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

Once hot, add the chopped chicken breast and cook for 3-4 min or until golden

Boil half a kettle

Reduce the heat to medium-high, then add the spicy madras paste and the tomato wedges to the chicken and cook for 3-4 min further

Dissolve your chicken stock mix in 200ml [260ml] [350ml] boiled water and stir in your tomato paste – this is your tomato stock

Add the tomato stock to the pan and cook for 10 min further or until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is cooked through (no pink meat!)

Roughly chop your coriander, including the stalks

Add half the chopped coriander to the sauce (save some for garnish!) and stir it all together – this is your spicy chicken madras

While the sauce is thickening, cut your cucumber in half lengthways

Scrape out the seeds with a teaspoon and discard, then dice the cucumber

Strip your mint leaves from their stems and chop them roughly, discard the stems

Combine the diced cucumber and chopped mint in a small bowl with your natural yoghurt and a pinch of salt – this is your cooling raita