Baharat Chicken Thigh Stew With Brown Rice And Pomegranate

Before you start cooking, take your chicken out of the fridge, open the packet and let it air, then boil a kettle

Rinse your brown rice, add it to a pot with plenty of cold water and bring to the boil over a high heat

Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 20-25 min or until it's tender with a slight bite

Once cooked, drain, return it to the pot and keep covered until serving

Peel and finely slice your brown onion[s]

Peel and finely chop (or grate) your garlic

Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with a drizzle of vegetable oil over a high heat

Once hot, add your diced chicken thigh and cook for 3-4 min or until lightly browned

Once the chicken has browned, add the sliced onion to the pan and cook for 2-3 min or until softened

Once softened, reduce the heat to medium-high, then add the chopped garlic with your ground turmeric, baharat and 1/2 tbsp [3/4 tbsp] [1 tbsp] flour

Cook for a further 1 min or until fragrant

Tip: Add a drizzle more oil if your pan is looking a little dry!

Once fragrant, add your chicken stock mix to the pan with 225ml [300ml] [450ml] boiled water and a pinch of sugar, bring to the boil over a high heat

Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-high and cook for 6-8 min or until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is cooked through (no pink meat!)

Whilst the stew is cooking, cut the top and bottom off your pomegranate[s], then slice into quarters, then place the pomegranate quarters into a large bowl filled with cold water

Tip: This helps prevent mess and makes separating the seeds easier!

Separate the pomegranate seeds from the white pith and discard the pith, then drain the pomegranate seeds in a fine sieve and set them aside for garnish

Wash your spinach and pat dry with kitchen paper

Once the chicken is cooked, add your spinach to the pan and cook for a final 1-2 min or until wilted – this is your baharat chicken stew