Well you can’t have a chilli, spice and rice website without the occasional rice recipe!
Here’s the Smoky, spicy chicken rice!
This one pot rice cooker meal might just make you smile, a big fat contented smile.
This is what I call comfort food, a bowl of rice studded with colourful veg, speckled with herbs and aromats, seasoned with smoky spices and cooked with lots of love.
It’s a bowl of wonder, food to snuggle up on the sofa with for a homely TV dinner while it huggles and warms you inside.
That’s not to say that you can’t serve this when entertaining for an effortless one pot marvellous offering that can cater for both vegetarian and non-vegetarian palates.
I made 2 today, one using corn fillets for my daughter and her vegan friend.
The other I used boneless chicken thighs, cut into quarters. It works brilliantly with prawns, paneer, quorn and tofu. I reckon it would be rocking with browned halloumi added at the end too!
Once you have your ingredients assembled and prepped all you need is to have your rice cooker at hand so you can put your ingredients in there as you cook. There is a hob option which I will give directions for lower on the page.
I like using the rice cooker because the rice always comes out perfect for me. Mostly because I don’t have to worry about the heat level on a hob which can vary from cooker to cooker, pan size/type and from one ring size to another.
But as I said there is the option to do both.
But there is no excuse for not making it!
INGREDIENTS:
1 onion diced small
4 cloves of garlic minced
1 tsp chilli flakes
2 tsp of smoked paprika
1 dry bay leaf
1 tsp of ground turmeric
Half cup of frozen peas
2 tsp of dried oregano
1 large bell pepper diced
2 tablespoons of curry powder
1 carrot diced
2 green chilies chopped
1 rice cooker cup of basmati rice
1 chicken stock cube
4 boneless chicken thighs, quartered
1 tsp salt
Oil
1 tsp pepper
METHOD:
1 – Measured amount of water for your 1 cup rice for your rice cooker ( I use 2.5 water : 1 cup rice for mine)
2 – Rinse the rice place inside the rice cooker. Add the measured cold water, crumble in the stock cube and gently give it a light stir.
3 – In a bowl add the oregano, chili flakes, smoked paprika, a pinch of salt, half of your garlic then add the chicken thighs, give it a good mix and set it aside.
4 – Take a large pan, drizzle in some oil and when hot add your bay leaf and your chicken thighs.
5 – Cook this until the chicken is nicely brown on all sides. At this point transfer your chicken thighs into the rice cooker.
6 – In the same pan add some more oil, add your onions, remainder of the garlic, pinch of salt (the stock cube has salt in it so the amount of salt can be adjusted after the rice is cooked) and gently fry the onions until they become translucent and soft.
7 – Next add to your turmeric and curry powder. Cook this on a low heat stirring until the spices bloom and becomes aromatic. You will notice the change in the smell as you cook out the spices gently. Then the spices, as a little drizzle of oil if required or splashes of water just until you can see at the oil is separating a little.
8 – Now add your diced carrots and red pepper. Cook this in the spices for about five minutes on a medium low heat.
9 – Now transfer the carrots and red pepper into the rice cooker. Add the peas, chopped chilis and ground pepper. Give everything a nice gentle stir.
10 – Place the lid on and switch you rice cooker on. Once the rice cooker has finished cooking the rice, gently fork the rice and let it stand for a further 5 to 10 minutes this so the grains can fluff up a little.
If for any reason you feel that your rice is a little undercooked, add a splash more water cover letter to cook a little longer. Be mindful as the rice will continue to cook on standing from the residual heat in the rice cooker.
Serve your aromatic smoky spicy chicken rice in a bowl and dive into the wonderful goodness!
For the Hob:
If you are using the hob method,
Firstly prep and cook your chicken as in steps 3, 4 and 5 browning it and keeping it aside.
Prepare your vegetables in the spices as in steps 6, 7 and 8 above and once they are ready, add the browned chicken to your vegetables.
Add your washed drained rice, stock cube, the chicken and vegetables. Add the peas, chopped chilies and ground pepper. Give everything a nice gentle stir.
Add 300 mls boiling water to the pan, bring to the boil over high heat. Once boiling reduce the heat to low and cook covered for 10 to 12 minutes or until all the water has absorbed and the rice is cooked.
Gently fork the rice to loosen the grains cover and leave to stand for 10 minutes before serving.
TIPS:
Substitute quorn, tofu, paneer or prawns in place of chicken. They all taste superb!
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