Kedgeree with dark leafy greens

This is the ultimate comfort food - creamy, warming and filling, just what's called for on a stress-free weekend lunchtime.

Prep: 30min
Cook: 30min
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 150g basmati rice, rinsed
• 70g unsalted butter
• 2 large brown onions, chopped
• 1 medium red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 2 tsp hot curry powder
• 250g fresh spinach, washed
• 200ml double cream
• 1/2 lemon
• 4 large eggs, hard-boiled (see Tips) and peeled
• Salt and black pepper to season

Method:

1. Cook the rice in a large pan of boiling water until tender. Drain and set aside.
2. Melt the butter in a very large saucepan over a medium heat, then add the onions, chilli and ginger and sauté until softened a little.
3. Add the spices, cook for a further minute, then add the spinach. Cover the pan and cook for a few minutes, shaking the pan from time to time, until the spinach has wilted.
4. Add the cream, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 5 minutes.
5. Season with salt and black pepper, then squeeze the juice from the half lemon into the sauce.
6. Stir the cooked rice into the sauce and check the seasoning.
7. Spoon the rice onto four plates, placing two halves of a boiled egg on top of each portion.

Tips:

To hard-boil eggs, carefully slide them into a pan of boiling water set over a medium heat. Return the water to the boil, then cook for 6-7 minutes.

If you've got leftovers of the kedgeree, reheat them thoroughly in the microwave in a shallow bowl, or stir gently in a large pan until heated right through. To reheat hard-boiled eggs, drop them, peeled, into a pan of boiling water for 30 seconds.

To make it vegan, substitute the butter for olive oil, and the cream for oat cream, then serve it without the boiled eggs on top.

Make it vegan

© This recipe is from The Vegetarian Kitchen by Prue Leith and Peta Leith, published by Bluebird.