Rhubarb recipes

Kheer is the great Indian rice pudding — slow-cooked, deeply fragrant and unashamedly rich. Here, sharp spring rhubarb is cooked down into a vivid pink compote and swirled through at the end, cutting through the sweetness of the cardamom and rose water cream with a welcome tartness. It is one of those desserts that looks far more impressive than the effort required.

Rhubarb does two brilliant jobs here: it slow-braises down into a tangy, almost barbecue-style sauce that coats pulled chicken thighs, and a quick-pickled version cuts through the richness in the crunchy slaw on top. This is the kind of recipe that surprises people — they cannot quite place the sharpness but they always want to know what is in it.

A fast, vibrant breakfast that comes together in under 20 minutes and makes the most of early-season rhubarb. The compote is warm, pink and gently sweet, spooned over cool thick yoghurt and finished with crunchy toasted oats and a drizzle of honey. It is simple, but it is genuinely one of the best ways to start the day when your rhubarb patch is going.

Rhubarb's sharp acidity makes it a natural partner for rich, fatty pork belly in this fast and intensely flavoured stir-fry. The rhubarb melts down into a glossy, tangy sauce that coats the pork and noodles with a hit of ginger and five-spice. It is a genuinely surprising combination that works the first time you try it and becomes a regular after that.