Turmeric spiced chicken, pickled cucumber & crispy rice bowls with chilli peanut sauce
- Preparation and cooking time
- Prep:
- Cook:
- plus at least 1 hr marinating and chilling
- Easy
- Serves 4
Skip to ingredients
Ingredients
- 20g ginger, peeled and grated
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed or grated
- 2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 250g short-grain rice, such as sushi rice
- small handful of coriander, leaves picked
For the cucumber pickle
- 1 cucumber
- 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 2 tsp caster sugar
- 1 tsp grated ginger
For the chilli peanut sauce
- 4 tbsp chunky peanut butter
- 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1½ tsp caster sugar
- 1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
Method
- STEP 1
Mix the ginger, garlic, spices, 1 tbsp of the oil and 2 tsp salt in a large bowl. Add the chicken and smother in the paste. Chill for at least 1 hr. Will keep chilled overnight.
- STEP 2
Cook the rice following pack instructions, then drain and spread over a tray or plate until cool. Once cooled, will keep chilled overnight.
- STEP 3
Slice the cucumber as thinly as possible – use a mandoline if you have one. Put in a non-metallic bowl and add the vinegar, sugar, ginger and ½ tsp salt. Toss the cucumber in the dressing, then cover and chill for at least 1 hr, or overnight. Mix the ingredients for the chilli peanut sauce with 2 tbsp water in another bowl.
- STEP 4
Heat a griddle pan over a high heat, or light a barbecue. Cook the chicken thighs for 10-12 mins, turning until cooked through – the internal temperature should reach 70C if you have a meat thermometer. Transfer the chicken to a plate, cover loosely with foil and leave to rest while you cook the rice.
- STEP 5
Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Drizzle in the remaining 1 tbsp oil, then tip in the rice and press it into an even layer. Leave for a few minutes until a crispy edge forms, then break up the rice and stir-fry it for another 2-3 mins until piping hot. Divide the rice between four shallow serving bowls or plates.
- STEP 6
Slice the chicken into bite-sized pieces and arrange on top of the rice, then drizzle over any juices from the plate or pan. Add a generous portion of the cucumber pickle and a drizzle of chilli peanut sauce and top with a few coriander leaves.
