Radish & butternut pilaf with almonds & Greek yogurt

The wonderfully fragrant smell of the onions and spices cooking at the beginning of the recipe will really get you in the mood for this delicious pilaf. This is a quick easy recipe to make but the resulting dish is warm and comforting and is packed full of vitamins and goodness. Radishes are delightfully low in calories and being a low GI food help to fill you up and provide you with slow release energy. This is a great meal for all the family, though you may like to serve the youngest in the family before scattering the chopped chilli on top!

• Preparation: 10 mins
• Cooking: 20 mins
• Serves: 4

What you need:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 onion chopped
• 3 cloves garlic sliced
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp black onion seeds
• 400g basmati rice
• 400g butternut squash diced
• 800ml hot chicken stock
• Salt and pepper
• 100ml Greek yogurt
• 100g radishes sliced
• 100g roasted almonds crushed
• Small bunch mint roughly chopped
• Small bunch coriander roughly chopped
• 1 chilli chopped

What you do:

1. Heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan with a tight fitting lid, add the onion, garlic, cumin, fennel and black onion seeds, cook for 3 minutes, stirring every now and then until the onions are translucent.
2. Now add the rice and cook for a further 2 minutes until the rice has also turned translucent, stirring the rice all the time.
3. Add the butternut squash and stock, bring to the boil and turn down the heat to a gentle simmer.
4. Season and place the lid on the pan and leave to cook without stirring for 10 minutes, or until all the stock has been absorbed, turn off the heat and leave to stand for 5 minutes to finish cooking.
5. Remove the lid and give a gentle stir. Top with a spoonful or two of Greek yogurt and scatter the sliced radishes and remaining ingredients over the top.
6. Serve at once.