East African-Style Chicken Pilaf With Tomato Salad

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

Boil half a kettle

Chop your creamed coconut roughly (if required!)

Dissolve the chopped creamed coconut and chicken stock mix in 225ml [300ml] [450ml] boiled water – this is your coconut stock

Peel and finely slice your red onion[s]

Peel and finely chop (or grate) your garlic

Peel (scrape the skin off with a teaspoon) and finely chop (or grate) your ginger

Cut your green chilli[es] in half lengthways, deseed (scrape the seeds out with a teaspoon) and chop finely

Add your white long grain rice to a pot with a lid with the coconut stock and bring to the boil over a high heat

Once boiling, reduce the heat to very low and cook, covered, for 12-15 min or until all the water has absorbed and the rice is cooked

Once done, remove from the heat and set aside (lid on) to steam – this is your coconut rice

Meanwhile, chop your tomato[es] finely

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

Once hot, add your chicken breast portion[s] with a pinch of salt and cook for 3 min on each side or until lightly browned, then transfer to a clean plate and set aside for later, reserve the pan

Return the reserved pan to a medium-high heat and add half the sliced red onion (you'll use the rest later!) to the pan with a pinch of salt and cook for 3-4 min or until softened

Once the onion has softened, add the chopped garlic, ginger and half the chopped chilli (can't handle the heat? Go easy!) with the berbere seasoning and cook for 1-2 min further or until fragrant

Once fragrant, add half the chopped tomato (save the rest for later!) with your bay leaf[ves] and cook for 4-5 min or until the tomato has begun to soften

Once slightly softened, return the browned chicken to the pan with a couple of splashes of cold water

Cover with a lid and cook for a further 10-12 min or until the chicken is cooked through (no pink meat!)

Once cooked, stir through the coconut rice and cook for 1 min further or until piping hot – this is your East African-style chicken pilaf

Whilst the chicken is cooking, chop your coriander finely, including the stalks

Combine the remaining chopped tomato and remaining chopped chilli (not a fan of spice? Just add a little!) in a small bowl

Add the remaining sliced red onion, half the chopped coriander (save the rest for garnish!), a pinch of salt and a drizzle of olive oil – this is your tomato salad