Fiery Xi'an-Inspired Salt & Pepper Fried Chicken Thigh

Take your chicken out of the fridge, open the packet and let it air

Heat a large dry pan over a medium heat

Once hot, add your cumin seeds, fennel seeds, cracked black pepper and chilli flakes (can't handle the heat? Go easy!)

Cook for 2-3 min or until fragrant

Tip: Watch them like a hawk to make sure they don't burn!

Once fragrant, transfer the toasted spices to a pestle & mortar and reserve the pan

Add your smoked sea salt flakes to the pestle & mortar and bash into a fine powder – this is your Xi'an-inspired spice mix

Add your cornflour to a plate with most of your Xi'an-inspired spice mix (save a pinch for garnish!), your umami seasoning and a pinch of sugar and mix until fully combined

Press your chicken thighs firmly into the spiced cornflour until evenly coated all over

Return the reserved pan to a medium-high heat with a very generous drizzle of vegetable oil (enough to cover the base of the pan)

Once hot, add the coated chicken and cook for 9-10 min on each side or until golden brown and cooked through (no pink meat!) – this is your Xi'an-inspired fried chicken

Whilst the chicken is cooking, add your white long grain rice to a pot with a lid with 225ml [300ml] [450ml] cold water and a pinch of salt 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 until serving

Peel and finely chop (or grate) your garlic

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

Bash your cucumber with a rolling pin and chop it into small, bite-sized pieces – this is your smashed cucumber

Tip: Bash the cucumber in its bag to avoid mess. By bruising the cucumber, the water is drawn out more easily!

Combine your ketjap manis with half your rice vinegar (you'll use the rest later!), half the chopped red chilli (can't handle the heat? Go easy!) and chopped garlic in a small bowl

Add 1 tbsp [1 1/2 tbsp] [2 tbsp] cold water and stir it together – this is your spicy dipping sauce

Add your bashed cucumber to a separate bowl with the remaining rice vinegar, remaining chopped chilli (not a fan of spice? Just add a little!) and a drizzle of vegetable oil and give everything a good mix up – this is your spicy cucumber salad