Fried Chicken Karaage Bento With Seaweed Edamame

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

Cut the cucumber into quarters lengthways, then slice finely

Add your sliced cucumber to a bowl with half the rice vinegar (you'll use the rest later!), a pinch of salt and sugar and set aside to pickle – this is your quick-pickled cucumber

Rinse your sushi rice in a sieve under cold running water for 30 secs (use your hands to really wash the grains!), then set aside to drain fully

Add the drained rice with 200ml [300] [400ml] cold water and a generous pinch of salt to a pot with a lid and bring to the boil over a high heat

Once boiling, reduce the heat to low until very gently bubbling and cook, covered, for 15 min

After 15 min, remove the pot from the heat and keep covered for a further 10 min before serving – this is your sticky rice

Tip: Don't peek! Keep the lid on the whole time to get perfectly fluffy rice!

While the rice is cooking, peel and finely chop (or grate) the garlic

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

Add the diced chicken thigh to a bowl with the chopped garlic and ginger, soy sauce and 1 tsp [1 1/2 tsp] [2 tsp] sugar and stir to combine

Add the cornflour and give everything a good mix up until the chicken is fully coated

Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with [4 tbsp] [6 tbsp] [8 tbsp] of vegetable oil over a high heat

Once hot, add the coated chicken and cook for 5-6 min on each side or until golden, crispy and cooked through (no pink meat!) – this is your fried chicken karaage

Tip: Cooking for 4? You may need to cook your chicken in batches or use a second pan!

Meanwhile, wash your salad, then pat it dry with kitchen paper

Add the salad to the quick-pickled cucumber and toss everything together – this is your quick-pickled cucumber salad

Add your blanched edamame beans to a bowl and microwave for 1 min, or until hot and cooked with a bite

Combine the mayo with the remaining rice vinegar and a pinch of salt – this is your Japanese-style mayo