Arun's leftover 'curried' lamb pilau: Today

Ingredients

Serves: 4

Pilau

• 1 red onion, finely sliced
• 40g butter
• 2 cups of Basmati rice,
• 3 tsp your favourite curry powder
• 1 heaped tsp sea salt
• 500g chopped or torn lamb shoulder, nice sized chunks
• 5 cups of hot water OR vegetable stock

Garlic feta sauce

• 2 bulbs garlic, roasted, then the cloves removed
• 100g feta cheese
• 100g Greek Yogurt
• 30g best mayonnaise
• 2 tblsp white wine vinegar
• 60ml water
• 2 tsp sea salt flakes

Garnish

• 1 onion peeled, sliced thinly and fried in a little butter, 2tsp brown sugar until dark, succulent and crispy. This can take a good 15 minutes or so…
• 1 tblsp pinenuts, gently toasted
• ½ lemon, zest and juice. Chop the other half into quarters
• Small handful of mint, torn
• Small clutch of chives, finely chopped

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180ºC or Gas Mark 4
2. Melt the butter in a casserole dish over a gentle heat, then add the onion and gently fry until it's good and soft. Tip in the rice, stir, coating all the grains with the melted butter then add the curry powder, salt and leftover meat.
3. Next, pour the hot water (or stock) into the casserole, give it a quick but gentle stir. Cover the casserole dish with a tight-fitting lid or tin foil and place on a middle shelf in your pre-heated oven.
4. After 10 to 15 minutes check the dish to see if all the liquid has been absorbed. If there’s still some liquid remaining, return the covered casserole dish to the oven and give it a couple more minutes until all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is moist and glossy.
5. Remove from the oven, take off the lid or gingerly rip off the foil, fluff gently with a fork. Set aside. Assembly Blitz the garlic feta sauce all in a food processor. Set aside.
6. Sprinkle the garnish ingredients over the rice, drizzle generously with the sauce and take the casserole pot to the table, serving family style with some more sauce in small bowl on the side. Enjoy!