Sri Lankan Prawn Pilaf

Pour the boiling water (amount specified in the ingredient list) into a jug and dissolve the vegetable stock pot in it.

Heat a saucepan over medium heat and add a glug of oil. Add your onion and cook for 3 mins. Stir in your garlic and add the Sri Lankan spice blend. Cook for 1 minute and then add the rice. Mix well to make sure the spices are evenly distributed. Add your courgette and pour in your stock. Bring to the boil and then pop a lid on. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 mins.

After 10 mins, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the prawns. Tip:The prawns need to be submerged in the rice to cook through. Leave the pan off the heat with the lid on for another 10 mins. The heat of the rice will cook your prawns, and your rice will finish cooking in its own steam.

While your rice and prawns get acquainted, finish off your last few jobs! Zest the lemon into a bowl and roughly chop the parsley. Mix half of your parsley with a pinch of lemon zest and add the olive oil (amount specified in the ingredient list).

Peel the beetroot and remove the top and bottom. Grate your beetroot on the coarse side of your grater and mix into the bowl with your olive oil, lemon zest and parsley. Squeeze in half the lemon juice. Taste and add more zest if you feel it needs a bit more zing!

Check your prawns are cooked. They should be pink on the outside and white all the way through. If this isn’t the case, leave the lid on for another 5 mins. Squeeze in the rest of the juice from your lemon. Mix in your remaining parsley and then taste your rice. Season with salt and black pepper if necessary. This is your pilaf!