Middle Eastern-style chicken pilaf

Name: Middle Eastern-style chicken pilaf
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 200 g Essential Brown Basmati Rice; 125 g Essential Greek Style Yogurt; 1 Essential Lemon, scrubbed then zested, plus 1 tsp juice; 4 cloves crushed garlic; 1 tbsp Essential Olive Oil; 2 Essential Onions, chopped; 500 g Essential British Chicken Thigh Fillets, cut into small pieces; 1 tbsp Cooks’ Ingredients Lebanese 7-Spice Style Blend; 260 g pack Essential Spinach, washed; 40 g raisins or sultanas; ½ x 25g pack mint, leaves only, chopped

Transform a simple chicken and rice dish into something special with the addition of Lebanese 7 Spice, a delicious blend with warm, peppery flavours

4.5 out of 5 stars(3) Rate this recipe

Healthy

Serves4
CourseMain meal
Prepare15 mins
Cook35 mins
Total time50 mins

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Ingredients

200g Essential Brown Basmati Rice
125g Essential Greek Style Yogurt
1 Essential Lemon, scrubbed then zested, plus 1 tsp juice
4 cloves crushed garlic
1 tbsp Essential Olive Oil
2 Essential Onions, chopped
500g Essential British Chicken Thigh Fillets, cut into small pieces
1 tbsp Cooks’ Ingredients Lebanese 7-Spice Style Blend
260g pack Essential Spinach, washed
40g raisins or sultanas
½ x 25g pack mint, leaves only, chopped

Method

Cook the rice in boiling, lightly salted water for 30 minutes, or until just tender. Combine the yogurt, lemon juice, ¼ of the garlic and plenty of black pepper in a small bowl.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan or flameproof casserole, then add the onions and chicken. Fry gently, turning the ingredients frequently for 10 minutes, or until the chicken is pale golden and the juices run clear with no pink meat. Stir in the spice blend and remaining garlic, then continue to stir over a gentle heat for 2 minutes. Pile the spinach on top, cover with a lid and cook gently for 2-3 minutes, until the spinach has wilted.
Thoroughly drain the rice and add to the chicken with the raisins. Heat through briefly, until any moisture from the spinach has evaporated. Season to taste. Scatter with the mint and lemon zest, then serve with the garlic yogurt.

Cook’s tip

The sweetness of the raisins balances and enhances other ingredients in this recipe. If you’re not keen on them, use other dried fruit such as apricots, dates or figs, chopped into small pieces. Or leave out altogether.