Fragrant Chicken with Honeyed Rhubarb & Cashew Fried Rice Recipe

Ingredients

150g brown basmati rice
1 onion
4 rhubarb sticks
8 cardamom pods
1 orange
A thumb of ginger
1 tbsp honey
250g diced chicken leg
1 red onion
1 courgette
1 garlic clove
1 tbsp tamari
35g cashews
50g baby leaf spinach
500ml boiling water
Sea salt
1½ tbsp olive oil
Freshly ground pepper

Prep: 15 mins | Cook: 30 mins

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Method

1. Tip the rice into a bowl, cover with cold water and whisk for 1-2 mins till the water goes cloudy. Drain, rinse and tip into a small pan. Add 300ml boiling water and a pinch of salt. Pop on a lid, bring to the boil then turn the heat down very low. Gently simmer for 25 mins till all the water is absorbed, then take off the heat and leave to steam in the pan, lid on. The rice will stay warm in the pan.

2. Peel and thinly slice the white onion. Trim the dry ends from the rhubarb and cut them into 4cm lengths. Crush 8 cardamom pods using a pestle and mortar. Discard the papery husks. Finely grind the black seeds and tip into a small bowl. Grate the zest from the orange and set the zest aside. Juice the orange into the bowl. Peel and grate in the ginger and whisk in 1 tbsp honey.

3. Place a frying pan or wok on the heat. When warm, drizzle in 1 tbsp olive oil. Add the diced chicken leg and onion. Fry for 5 mins, stirring regularly, till the chicken is golden and the onion is soft. Pour in the ginger and orange sauce with 200ml boiling water. Drop in half the rhubarb. Place a lid on the pan and cook for 15 mins.

4. Meanwhile, prepare the veg for your fried rice. Peel and finely chop the red onion. Trim and finely dice the courgette. Peel and grate the garlic. Whisk the garlic in a small bowl with 1 tbsp tamari.

5. Pop a frying pan on a high heat and tip in the cashews. Toast for 2-3 mins till slightly darkened. Tip the toasted cashews onto a chopping board and, when cooled, roughly chop.

6. Place the pan back on the heat and drizzle in ½ tbsp oil. Add the red onion and courgette and fry together for 6 mins, stirring now and then.

7. After the rhubarb chicken has cooked for 15 mins, drop the remaining rhubarb into the pan along with the baby leaf spinach. Place the lid back on and cook for 4 mins. Taste and adjust the seasoning and add more honey if you like.

8. While the chicken is finishing cooking, tip the cooked rice into the pan with the courgette and onion. Drizzle in the garlicky tamari and toss everything together. Stir in most of the cashews. Taste and add more tamari if you like.

9. Spoon the rice onto a couple of warm plates. Top with the honeyed rhubarb chicken. Scatter over the remaining cashews and orange zest to serve.