You will find ras el hanout, a traditional North African herb and spice mix, in Middle Eastern stores or in some supermarkets. Try cooking the rice in vegetable bouillon to give it extra flavour, and serve the dish with steamed green beans.
SERVES 4 PREPARATION 15 minutes COOKING 20 minutes
2 tbsp olive oil
500g/1lb 2oz skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 bay leaves
5cm/2in piece fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 courgettes/zucchini, diced
1 tbsp ras el hanout spice mix
200g/7oz tinned chickpeas/garbanzo beans in water, drained and rinsed
300g/10½oz/scant 2 cups cold cooked brown basmati rice
juice of 1 lime
1 small handful coriander/cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
1 small handful mint leaves, roughly chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Heat the oil in a large wok or frying pan. Stir-fry the chicken for 6 minutes until golden all over, then remove from the wok and keep warm.
2 Add the onion and stir-fry for 7 minutes. Next, add the garlic, cumin seeds, bay leaves and ginger and stir-fry for another minute. Add the courgettes/zucchini, ras el hanout and chickpeas/garbanzo beans, then stir-fry for 2 minutes.
3 Add the cooked rice, chicken, lime juice and herbs and stir well as the mixture heats through. Season to taste, then serve.
Ras el hanout is typically made up of cardamom, cinnamon, cumin, chilli, coriander, nutmeg, mace, cloves, peppercorns and turmeric. Spices are renowned for their digestive and carmitive properties, helping to relieve indigestion and nausea. Many also have antibacterial qualities.
Food Facts per Portion
Calories 435kcal • Total Carbs 31.8g • total sugar 2.3g • added sugar 0g