Chicken Chilli with Herb Rice

Chicken breast chilli is served on a bed of herb rice

Chilli or chili is of course a dish normally made with beef. There is nothing to stop us, however, making chilli with a wide variety of different types of meat and I have experimented in the past with meats ranging from lamb, to turkey, to ostrich. Strangely enough, however, I realised recently that I don't think I have ever before made chilli with probably the most popular meat eaten on the planet, chicken. I decided to put that right. This version is very mild but you can easily spice it up by using a stronger chilli or even by adding some chilli powder.

Peppers and garlic for chicken chilli

Ingredients (Serves Two)

1 large skinless chicken breast fillet, roughly chopped
1 medium strength red chilli, seeded and finely diced
1 large garlic clove, peeled and finely diced
Small pack or generous handful mixed sliced bell peppers
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 tablespoons rapeseed, vegetable or sunflower oil
Salt and pepper
14 ounce can chopped tomatoes in tomato juice
8 ounce canned red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
5 ounces basmati or long grain rice
2 tablespoons freshly chopped coriander/cilantro, plus a little extra to garnish

Chilli pepper, garlic and cumin are gently sauteed in rapeseed oil

Directions

Pour the oil in to a lagre pot or saucepan and very gently heat. Add the chilli, garlic and cumin seeds and very gently sautee, stirring with a wooden spoon, for about a minute.

Diced chicken breast is added to pot to be sealed

Add the chicken pieces to the pot and keep stirring for about a further minute or so until the chicken pieces are evenly sealed and opaque.

Bell pepper slices are stirred in to sealed chicken

Stir the bell pepper slices in to the chicken.

Canned tomatoes are added to chicken and peppers

Pour the tomatoes in to the pot, stir well and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and continue to simmer for fifteen minutes.

Red kidney beans are added to chicken chilli

After fifteen minutes, wash the rice through a sieve under running cold water before adding it to a pot of boiling, salted water. Simmer for ten minutes. Add the red kidney beans to the chicken chilli, stir well and bring back to a simmer - uncovered this time - for ten more minutes, stirring frequently.

Chopped coriander/cilantro is added to chicken chilli

Add one tablespoon of the coriander to the chicken chilli and stir well. Taste and season as required with salt and pepper.

Chopped coriander is added to drained rice

Drain the rice and let it steam off for a couple of minutes. Return to the pot and stir through the second tablespoon of coriander.

Herb rice bed for chicken chilli

Divide the rice between two deep serving plates and flatten as beds for the chicken chilli. Spoon the chilli on to the rice beds and garnish with the remaining coriander.

Chicken chilli is spooned on to herb rice bed