Servings : Serves 6
A flavourful and colourful combination of veg rice, topped with a saucy gravy of chicken and veggies, this meal involves a little bit of prep work but the results are always phenomenal!
Ingredients for Chicken & Veg
- 500 gm boneless chicken, cut into cubes (you can use breast or thigh)
- 2-3 tbsp oil
- 2 medium red onions, finely chopped
- 3 spring onions, finely chopped
- 3 medium carrots, cut up into half-moons
- 1 large red capsicum/bell pepper, cut into chunks
- 1 large green capsicum/bell pepper, cut into chunks
- 1 large yellow capsicum/bell pepper, cut into chunks
- 1 cup green beans, cut up into pieces
- 2-3 green chillies, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 large tomatoes, grated and skins discarded
- 1 tsp garlic paste
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- 1 tsp paprika powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp cornflour/cornstarch, mixed in a bit of water
- salt and pepper as needed
Ingredients
- 3 cups long grain rice
- 4 tbsp oil
- 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
- 2 spring onions, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp garlic paste
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into small cubes
- 1/2 cup finely chopped capsicum/bell pepper (whichever colour you prefer)
- 1/2 cup peas, boiled
- 1/2 cup green beans, chopped into pieces
- 1/4 cup sweet corn
- water or chicken stock, as needed
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- salt to taste
Instructions
First, prepare the Chicken and Veg Sauce. Heat the oil in a pan, add the chopped red and spring onions, sauté them over medium heat until slightly translucent. Next add the garlic and ginger paste and stir them for a 30 seconds. Next, add the chicken cubes and stir them around until they are no longer visibly pink, for about 2-3 mins. Then add the chopped carrots, all the capsicum/bell pepper, the green beans and chopped chillies. Add the tomato paste and sprinkle the paprika powder and cumin powder. Stir everything well and then add the grated tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Allow the mix to cook for about 5 minutes and then add about 2 cups of water. Drizzle in the soy sauce and bring to a simmer on low heat. You can add more water for a thinner gravy or less for a thicker sauce. Add the cornflour paste and stir it in to thicken the gravy. Simmer on low heat for about 5-10 more minutes, taste and adjust the seasoning and then turn the heat off.
In the meantime, wash and then soak the rice for about half an hour. Heat the oil in a pan and add the chopped red and spring onions, stir them until lightly golden. Add the garlic paste, potato cubes, chopped carrots, capsicum, peas, green beans and sweet corn. Stir them around for about a minute. Next, drain the soaked rice and add it in. Stir over high heat for another minute, and then add warm water or stock. I normally use around 1 and a quarter to 1 and a half cups of liquid for every cup of rice. You can adjust as per the type of rice you are using. Add the salt and bring to a simmer, giving the rice a stir every few minutes. Once the liquid is almost all gone, turn the heat down to the lowest possible. Add the soy sauce and stir it in. Cover with a tight lid and leave the pan over very very low heat for about 15 minutes to steam the rice. You can alternatively put the pan in the oven at 180 C for about 10-15 minutes.
Once steamed, open the pan and fluff up the rice gently with a fork. Serve with the chicken and veg sauce on top. You may garnish with the green part of the spring onions.
Enjoy! 🙂
