Spicy Chicken Vindaloo With Cardamom Rice And Naan

Take your chicken out of the fridge, open the packet and let it air, then peel and finely slice your brown onion[s]

Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick with a matching lid), with a generous drizzle of vegetable oil over a medium heat, once hot, add the sliced onion with a pinch of salt and cook for 7-8 min or until softened

(Doubled your protein? Use 2 pans!)

Meanwhile, chop your chicken into bite-sized pieces

Add the chopped chicken to a bowl with your cider vinegar, ground cumin, ground paprika, half your cayenne pepper (can't handle the heat? Go easy!) and a pinch of salt

Give everything a good mix up – this is your coated chicken

Boil half a kettle

Peel and finely slice your garlic

Chop your cherry tomatoes in half

Dissolve your chicken stock mix and tamarind paste in 150ml [200ml] [250ml] boiled water – this is your tamarind stock

Once the onion has softened, add a knob of butter with the halved tomatoes and sliced garlic and cook for 6-8 min further or until the tomatoes are starting to break down

Crush your cardamom pods open by squashing them with the side of a knife

Add your basmati rice, crushed cardamom pods, a 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 all the water has absorbed and the rice is cooked

Once cooked, remove from the heat and keep covered until serving – this is your cardamom rice

Once the tomatoes have started to break down, increase the heat to medium-high, then add the coated chicken, half your Thai basil leaves (save the rest for garnish!) and a grind of black pepper and cook for 3-4 min or until the spices are fragrant

Reduce the heat to medium, then add the tamarind stock and cook, covered, for 8-10 min or until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is cooked through (no pink meat!) – this is your spicy chicken vindaloo

Add your garlic & coriander naan[s] to a toaster for 1-2 min or until warmed through

Slice the remaining Thai basil leaves finely

Tip: Once the vindaloo is done, taste the sauce and stir through any remaining cayenne if it needs more kick!