DEGF Speedy Chickpea Biryani… a challenge for you!!!

Speedy Chickpea Biryani… a challenge for you! 🙂

© Life Diet Health 2015

As you probably know I like to use my own recipes which I have created from scratch 🙂 However, this is a challenge not set by me, but by the British Children’s Food Trust ‘Lets Get Cooking’ team. The idea is that this weekend starting from TODAY everyone should cook the same speedy biryani recipe (with a few allowances for allergies etc.) to encourage everyone to enjoy cooking and to all join in!

The idea is to register on their website so they know how many people are participating (there are prizes for UK entrants)! then between today (6th March) and Monday 9th March 2015 to cook the given recipe. A massive ‘cookathon’ for everyone to join in! As you may know I’m one of those ‘can’t don’t follow a recipe type’ 😉 so this in itself will be a challenge for me! The getting others to join in part and the eating no doubt will be easy but using someone else’s recipe for a savoury dish?! I have to read a recipe!? 😮 Anyway, the recipe for a start is a ‘chicken’ biryani! but generously they have included chickpeas as an alternative! 🙂 Also, there are loads of different little tweaks you can make so it ends up just how you like it, the main thing is to get ‘everyone’ cooking! <3 Children of any age can cook along with you! <3 So get everyone in the kitchen, there’s a ‘step by step how to’ video (with raw chicken & eggs just to warn any vegetarians & vegans), give everyone a job and have some fun! 🙂 Here’s my healthy nutritious DEGF (Dairy. Egg. Gluten. Free.) version for you 🙂

Gather

• 200g brown basmati rice
• 600ml boiling water
• 10g coconut oil
• 1 large onion diced
• handful of fresh coriander chopped (plus extra to garnish)
• 20-30 cherry tomatoes halved (or 4 tomatoes cut into eighths)
• 100g frozen garden peas
• 1 teaspoon salt (I used pink Himalayan)
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon biryani/curry powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
• 3 cardamom pods
• 150ml cold water
• 400g tin of drained chickpeas

Prepare

1. Put the rice in a pan with the boiling water, bring back to the boil then simmer for 40 minutes or until cooked.
2. While the rice is cooking prepare the rest of the ingredients
   

   © Life Diet Health 2015

   and start cooking when the rice has about 10-15 minutes left.

3. Melt the coconut oil in a pan and cook the onion until it starts to change colour. Add the fresh coriander and peas and cook for a couple of minutes.
4. Add the tomatoes followed by the salt, turmeric, biryani/curry powder, cumin, coriander powder and cardamom.
   

   © Life Diet Health 2015

   Gradually add the water and mix until you have a smooth sauce.

5. Add the chickpeas and cook for five minutes.
6. Stir in the cooked rice, cover the pan and leave for 2-3 minutes.
   

   © Life Diet Health 2015
7. Garnish with fresh coriander and enjoy!

Serve & Store

• As this is a rice dish, it should be consumed as soon as it is ready and not left standing.
• Cool any spare biryani down quickly and refrigerate for maximum of a day. Reheat thoroughly by sprinkling with water before microwaving on full power for 3-4 minutes (quantity dependent). Alternatively eat cold! 🙂
• As this is a speedy dish and is a one pot meal, there are no accompaniments needed!

© Life Diet Health 2015

© Life Diet Health 2015

© Life Diet Health 2015

Please note I have no affiliation with any of the organisers or sponsors and just thought this would be a quick, fun and easy challenge to share with you all! 🙂