One-pot Cajun rice
- Prepare
- less than 30 mins
- Cook
- 10 to 30 mins
- Serve
- Serves 4
A gently spicy chicken one-pot that can be thrown together quickly for easy mid-week meals. Top with fresh olives, parsley and lemon juice for a final fresh flourish.
With a GI of 51, this meal is high protein, low GI. Each serving provides 462 kcal, 44g protein, 43g carbohydrate (of which 11g sugars), 11g fat (of which 2g saturates), 7.8g fibre and 0.47g salt per portion.
By Priya Tew
Ingredients
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp asafoetida (or ½ tsp each of onion and garlic powder)
- 2 tsp dried mixed herbs
- 4 chicken breasts, trimmed to be the same size
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 peppers, sliced
- 4 sticks celery, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 200g/7oz brown or basmati rice
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 chicken low-salt stock cube
- 16 olives
- 2 handfuls fresh parsley, leaves picked and chopped
- 1 lemon, juice only
Method
Mix together the paprika, cumin, asafetida and dried mixed herbs in a bowl, then coat the chicken breasts in the spice mixture.
Heat half of the olive oil in a large lidded saucepan, add the chicken and drizzle the rest of the olive oil over the chicken. Reserve any remaining spice mixture. Cook for 7–8 minutes, turning regularly using tongs. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
Using the same pan as the chicken was cooked in, fry the onion for a few minutes, add the other vegetables and a splash of water. Cook for 3 minutes. Tip in the rice, garlic and add any leftover spice mixture. Cook for 1 minute, stirring so that it doesn’t stick. Pour in 250ml/9fl of oz water and add the stock cube. Bring to the boil and reduce the heat to a simmer.
Place the chicken back on top of the rice mixture, cover with the lid and cook for 15 minutes, or until the rice is cooked through.
Top with the olives and parsley, and drizzle over the lemon juice. Serve hot.
