Sweet, picante, filling, full of flavour and vitamins. Butternut squash if rich in potassium and vitamin A. Vitamin A is a powerful antioxidant required by the body to maintain healthy skin and is also essential for optimum eye sight. Half a medium squash weighs approximately 200g (7 onças ) and each portion of this biryani provides over 300% of the RDA.

Ingredientes serve 2

a tablespoon of olive oil

uma cebola vermelha, picado

uma polegada de um, (2e 1/2cm) pedaço de gengibre, picado

2 dentes de alho, picado

meia colher de chá de sementes de cominho secas

meia colher de chá de coentro seco

2 teaspoons of turmeric

a tablespoon of dried chilli flakes (this makes it medium hot, adjust to taste)

sal e pimenta

3 colheres de sopa de purê de tomate

half a butternut squash, peeled and cubed (you can roast the other half with the seeds for half an hour to have with pasta another time)

150g (5 onças) de espinafre

150g (5 onças) brown basmati rice

200ml (7 onças fluidas) of coconut milk

200ml (7 onças fluidas) of vegetable stock (ou água)

2 tablespoons of flaked almonds

a tablespoon of raisins

2 folhas de louro

Método

Pré-aqueça o forno a 200C (400F, gás marca 6)

Sweat the onion in a tablespoon of olive oil on a low heat for 5 atas, add the ginger and the garlic, stir and cook for another three minutes

Add salt and pepper and stir in all the spices

The mixture will now be quite dry. Add the spinach and tomato puree, stir and add the butternut squash

Scrape half of the mixture into an oven proof dish (if you have one with a lid that fits tightly use this, if not use foil)

Scatter over half the rice and then half of the almonds and raisins

Put the rest of the vegetables on top and scatter over the rest of the rice, almonds and raisins. Top with the two bay leaves

Pour the vegetable stock and coconut milk into the pan in which the vegetables were cooked, mexa e deixe ferver

Pour over the rice and vegetables, put the lid on tightly or tightly wrap with foil. Asse por 55 para 65 atas, until the rice is cooked and the liquid has mostly been absorbed. For the last 5 para 10 minutes cook with the lid off so the top becomes golden and slightly crisp