Filipino-Style Chicken & Lentil Curry With Lemongrass Rice

Take your chicken out of the fridge, open the packet and let it air, then boil a kettle

Peel and finely dice your brown onion[s], then 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 the diced onion with a pinch of salt and cook for 3-5 min or until beginning to soften

While the onion is softening, peel (scrape the skin off with a teaspoon) and finely chop (or grate) your ginger and garlic

Bash your lemongrass with a rolling pin

Chop the softer inner core finely

Remove the tough outer layers of the lemongrass and set aside for later

Slice half your red chilli[es] into rounds and finely chop the remaining

Once the onion has softened, add the chopped ginger and garlic, chopped lemongrass, chopped chilli (can't handle the heat? Go easy!) and bay leaf[ves] to the pan and cook for 1 min or until fragrant

Once fragrant, add your diced chicken thigh, half your cider vinegar (you'll use the rest later!) and a generous pinch of salt and cook for 2-3 min or until starting to brown

While the chicken is browning, rinse your red lentils in a sieve under cold running water

Meanwhile, chop your creamed coconut (if required!), then dissolve your chicken stock mix and chopped creamed coconut in 500ml [650ml][850ml] boiled water – this is your coconut stock

Once the chicken is starting to brown, add your tomato paste, rinsed lentils and coconut stock and bring to the boil over a high heat

Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, covered, for an initial 18-20 min or until the chicken is cooked through (no pink meat!)

Add your white long grain rice, outer lemongrass layers and 175ml [230ml] [350ml] cold water to a pot with a lid 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 cooked, remove from the heat and keep covered until serving – this is your lemongrass rice

While the rice is cooking, add the chilli rounds to a bowl with the remaining cider vinegar, 1 tsp [1 1/2 tsp] [2 tsp] sugar and a pinch of salt and set aside to pickle – this is your quick-pickled chilli

Wash your spinach and pat it dry with kitchen paper

After an initial 20 min, add the spinach to the pan and cook, uncovered, for a further 2-3 min or until the spinach has wilted and the sauce has thickened slightly – this is your Filipino-style chicken & lentil curry

Discard the bay leaf[ves]