Chef's Special with DJ BBQ of Ben's Beginners

Online family cooking channel Ben’s Beginners, from Uncle Ben’s, has teamed up with the Children’s Food Trust to support the Big Cookathon 2015, in a bid to get kids and families cooking together at home.

From tomorrow until Monday families, clubs, schools and organisations across the country will be challenged to take part in what is hoped to be the largest mass cooking event to date. What’s more, all those who take part will be in with a chance of winning a share of £15,000.

Inspired by chef DJ BBQ, families will be encouraged to cook the official Big Cookathon 2015 recipe – Speedy Biryani, below – at a time that suits them over the long weekend. In order to make it as easy as possible, DJ BBQ will be talking everyone through the recipe on the YouTube Ben’s Beginners channel, step-by-step.

To register for the Big Cookathon 2015, visit letsgetcookingathome.org.uk/bigcookathon where you will find everything you need on how to take part.

Ingredients
(Serves 4)

* 200g Uncle Ben’s Ready to Heat Basmati rice
* 100g French beans
* 130ml water
* 4 tomatoes
* 4 x 15ml spoons Uncle Ben’s Recipe Base Korma
* 2 chicken breast fillets (about 260g)
* 2 hard-boiled eggs
* 1 medium red onion
* 1 x 15ml spoon vegetable oil
* Small bunch fresh coriander
* Curry paste

Method

Cut the chicken into 2-3cm diced pieces and place in a bowl. Wash your hands after handling the raw chicken.

Cook the rice according to the instructions on the packet.

If you haven’t already hard-boiled the eggs, pop them in a separate pan in cold water, bring to the boil and simmer for five minutes.

Then drain and leave to stand in fresh cold water to cool. While these are cooking you can carry on with the next steps.

Using a different chopping board and knife, peel and finely chop the red onion.

Wash the French beans, tomatoes and coriander.

Finely chop the coriander. Top and tail the French beans and cut them in half. Cut the tomatoes into quarters.

Heat the vegetable oil in the large saucepan, then add the chicken, half of the chopped coriander and Uncle Ben’s Recipe Base Korma. Cook for five minutes, stirring all the time. The chicken will change colour from pink to white Add the chopped red onion and French beans and cook for a further three minutes Add the tomato quarters, and add the water gradually – you may not need it all. Your Speedy Biryani should be moist enough for the flavours to spread through evenly, but it shouldn’t be wet. Cook for a further three minutes. Keep stirring.

Add the cooked rice. Mix well, cover and simmer for two minutes. You might want to add a little bit more water now.

Peel the shell from the hard-boiled eggs and slice into quarters.

Spoon the Speedy Biryani into a large serving dish and garnish with hard-boiled egg quarters and a sprinkling of fresh coriander.