1 large onion, 1 clove garlic, 4 or 5 or 6 potatoes, 450g spinach (fresh or frozen), 70g butter, 1 tsp whole cumin seeds, plus 2 tbsp toasted and ground, 2 tsp coriander seeds, toasted and ground, 1 tsp chilli powder, 1 tsp turmeric

Chop up potatoes into largish cubes and parboil for 5 or 10 mins. Drain then toss them around with 40g of the butter and the whole cumin seeds and roast in the oven for about an hour.

Meanwhile, sweat the onion and garlic on v. low heat in the rest of the butter until completely soft and gooey (about 40 mins). Then cook the spinach on a low heat in a splash of water for about 15 minutes with the lid on. Mix the onion and garlic into the spinach with the toasted cumin and coriander, chilli powder and turmeric. Cook on low heat for another 15 mins to mingle all the flavours. Add potatoes (should be golden and lovely by now) right at the end of cooking.

Rice: put the rice on at the same time as you mix up the spinach and onions. Put about 200ml of rice with a bit of oil, salt, and maybe a cardamon pod and some lemon zest in a shallow pan with a lid (using the same pan as for the onions and garlic is good as will still be nice and oniony). Add about 400ml of boiling water to the rice, stir once and bring back to boil. Then cover and turn to lowest heat. Leave for 15 mins WITHOUT removing lid until all water is absorbed. Eat it all.

I think I might turn this blog into a diary of food, since eating is about all I do other than work at the moment. So, last night we had dinner with T and F: home made leek and potato soup, garlic bread, home made ravioli with an onion and pepper filling, home made chocolate mousse on a pear and biscuit base. Beer. Wine. Mm. Monday morning hangover. Rain. Not so mm.