Mushroom Keema Rice paired perfectly with Raita.  A delicious, quick, midweek dinner.

I made this one with wholegrain basmati so I'd like to think it's marginally healthier than plain basmati. It's definitely filling.

The Raita is optional but is so easy to make why leave it off as it pairs really nicely with this.

And I've just remembered...I still have some of the Raita in the fridge....

Serve with Poppadoms for an extra wee treat.

Special Equipment - Food Processor

Serves 4

Ingredients:

250g basmati rice 

500ml boiling water 

2 tbsp vegetable oil 

500g mushrooms (I used chestnut...I pretty much always use chestnut) 

2 tsp garam masala 

2 tsp ground turmeric 

1 tsp cumin seeds 

1 × 400g tin chopped tomatoes 

200g frozen peas 

1 lime 

salt and black pepper 

For the spice paste 

1 large onion 

4 garlic cloves 

5cm piece of fresh ginger 

2 fresh red chillies 

30g fresh coriander 

For the cucumber yogurt 

½ cucumber 

handful of fresh mint leaves 

200g plain dairy free yogurt 

salt and black pepper 

Method:

Cook the rice 

Rinse the rice well with cold water 

Tip into a microwaveable bowl and add the boiling water 

Microwave on high for 12 minutes 

Check the rice is cooked - you may need to add more water and microwave for longer (just add a splash of water and microwave in 3 minute increments if this is the case)

Cover with a tea towel and set aside 

Make the cucumber yoghurt

Grate the cucumber into a bowl

Roughly chop the mint and add it to the bowl

Add the coconut yoghurt and stir through

Season with salt and pepper 

Pop in the fridge 

Make the spice paste 

Peel and roughly chop the onion 

Peel the garlic and ginger and trim the chillies

Pick the coriander leaves and reserve them for garnish 

Tip the onion, garlic, coriander stems, ginger and chillies into a food processor 

Blitz to a rough paste 

Make the curry 

Put the frying pan or casserole over a medium-high heat

Heat the vegetable oil 

Add the curry paste and fry for 3 minutes

Meanwhile, roughly chop the mushrooms

Add the spices to the pan and fry for 1 minute

Tip the mushrooms into the pan and fry for 8 minutes until starting to soften 

Finish the curry

Add the chopped tomatoes to the pan and stir them through

Simmer for 3 minutes

Add the frozen peas and the cooked rice and stir

Halve the lime and cut one half into wedges

Squeeze the juice from the other half into the curry, stir well and season with salt and pepper 

If the mix seems too thick then add a little water (it really depends how 'watery' your tinned tomatoes were)

Serve 

Scatter the curry with the coriander leaves and serve with the cucumber yoghurt, lime wedges and poppadoms.