VEGETABLE BIRYANI

Ingredients
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 small cauliflower , broken into small florets
2 large sweet potatoes , peeled and cubed
1 large onion , sliced
1l hot vegetable stock
3 tbsp hot curry paste (Madras is good)
1 red chilli , seeded and finely chopped
large pinch of saffron strands
2 tsp mustard seeds (black or white)
500g basmati rice
140g trimmed green beans , halved
2 lemons , juice only
a handful of fresh coriander leaves
50g packet salted roasted cashew nuts
poppadoms and raita, to serve .......

PREPARATION
Preheat the oven to 220C/gas 7/fan 200C. Pour the oil into a large roasting tin or ovenproof dish and put in the oven for a couple of minutes to heat through. Add all the vegetables to the tin, except the beans, stirring to coat them in the hot oil. Season with salt and pepper and return to the oven for 15 minutes until beginning to brown.
While the vegetables are roasting, stir together the stock, curry paste, chilli, saffron and mustard seeds.
Mix the rice and green beans with the vegetables in the tin, then pour over the stock mixture. Lower the oven to 190C/gas 5/fan 190C. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Stir in the lemon juice and check the seasoning, then scatter over the coriander and cashew nuts. Serve with a pile of poppadums and a bowl of raita