* Spicy Cashew and Sultana Rice {Meatless Mondays}

We're celebrating Neils 45th birthday tonight, if we can manage to get to mum's in Neil's car.

Typically, both cars have gone up the spout at the same time... mine's in the garage for an MOT that's going to cost an arm and a leg... and then Neil phoned this morning to say that his car kept cutting out on him on the the way to work. 

It never rains but it pours.

Hopefully a huge "curry night" will take the edge off for all of us, and in a few hours we'll be in a curry coma.

There's a bottle of wine, beers and half the makings of dinner at mum's already - and I've cooked the rest today. We're having this lovely Spicy Cashew and Sultana Rice with Chicken Tikka Masala, onion bhajis, vegetable samosas and naan breads. I'm not skilled enough to make the tricky bits (yet - working on it), but the rice and curry are family favourites that I can turn out with my eyes closed. 

Sometimes. 

Today I nearly burnt the curry because I was distracted by something online. 

It's really not a good idea to google Hugh Jackman images when you're supposed to be cooking dinner.

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Spicy Cashew and Sultana Rice Recipe

Serves 4 - 5

Prep time - 5 minutes
Cooking time - 25 minutes
Total time - 30 minutes

You will need
A pot to boil the rice
A large non stick skillet/frying pan

Ingredients
9oz basmati rice
salt
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp sunflower oil
2 onions - sliced
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
6 cardamom pods - seeds only, ground in a pestle and mortar
2 handfuls sultanas
2 handfuls cashew nuts

Method

• Cook the rice according to packet instructions but add the turmeric and cinnamon to the cooking water along with a good pinch of salt.
• Whilst rice is cooking do the rest.
• Gently heat the oil in the frying pan and cook the onions for 5 - 10 minutes until soft and beginning to colour.
• Stir in the crushed cardamom seeds and cumin seeds.
• Drain the rice when cooked.
• Throw a couple of handfuls of sultanas and cashew nuts into the frying pan and warm through.
• Lastly add the cooked, drained rice to the frying pan and stir it into the onions etc.
• Cook stirring, for about 5 minutes to absorb the flavours.
• Serve with your favourite curry.

EAT

Lightly adapted from BBC Good Food Magazine

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