Spicy Tahini Chicken, Beetroot and Brown Rice Salad

A big plate of spicy chicken. Words that make my mouth water. It was these words that started this dish. Chicken with the broad nutty flavours of tahini and walnuts, spikes of chilli, pangs of lime, and the floating smoke of paprika. I paired it with a sweet, delicate rice salad to both soothe and mirror the chicken. Here's how to do it.

Ingredients (For Two)

For the Chicken

1 Spicy Chilli - as hot as you feel brave enough eating, finely minced

600g Chicken thigh, sliced into strips

1 Teaspoon Coriander Powder

1/2 Teaspoon Cumin Powder

2 Teaspoons of Smoked Paprika

1 Inch Fresh Turmeric, grated

1 Inch of Ginger, grated

5 Cloves of Garlic, peeled and minced

1 White Onion, peeled and finely diced

4 Large White Button Mushrooms, sliced

6-7 stalks of coriander, stems minced, leaves set aside

Hulled Tahini (hulled because it's less bitter)

A handful of Walnuts, finely chopped

Salt/Pepper

Lime Juice

Hummus

Olive Oil

For the Salad

1 Cup Brown Rice

1 Beetroot, finely grated

Juice of Two Limes

A couple of Handfuls of Almonds, roughly chopped

1 Teaspoon Smoked Paprika

6 Coriander stalks, finely minced, leaves set aside for serving

1 Bunch of chives

Olive oil

Salt

Pepper

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Method

Start with the brown rice for the salad. Cook the brown rice in well salted water until nice and tender. Mix through the grated beetroot, coriander stalks, paprika, chives, lime juice and almonds. Stir and drizzle through some olive oil so it glistens. Salt and pepper to taste (should require a big hit of pepper!). Roughly chop, then sprinkle with coriander leaves.

In a large frying pan, pour a lug of olive oil. Turn to a medium-low heat, and gently saute the turmeric, ginger, garlic, chili, onion, cumin, paprika, coriander powder and coriander stems. Fry until the onions soften. Add the chicken and mushrooms, and fry until the chicken is cooked (cut open the fattest piece to see).

Once the chicken is cooked, take it off the heat. Stir through 4-5 tablespoons of hulled tahini, the walnuts, then drizzle with lime juice and olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with an extra drizzle of tahini, a lump of hummus and some fresh coriander leaves.

Enjoy!