Guatemalan-Style Green Chicken Stew

Preheat the oven to 200°C/ 180°C (fan)/ 395°F/ Gas 6, and boil a kettle

Rinse the 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 15-20 min or until it's tender with a slight bite

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

Meanwhile, add half of the seeded tortillas to a baking tray and put in the oven for 4-5 min or until they are beginning to crisp (the rest will be put in the oven later)

Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick with a matching lid) over a medium heat

Once hot, add the pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds and cook for 2-3 min or until toasted and beginning to pop, then remove from the heat

Tip: Watch them like a hawk so they don't burn!

While the seeds are toasting, crush the garlic open by squashing with the side of a knife and discard the skins

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

Trim 1 [2] spring onion[s] and cut the pepper[s] in half (scrape the seeds and pith out with a teaspoon)

Add the garlic, coriander (reserve a little for garnish), green chilli (can't handle the heat? Go easy!), trimmed spring onion[s] (you'll use the rest later!) and pepper halves to a food processor

Then add the toasted seeds and tear in the crispy seeded tortillas (careful, these may be hot!)

Add 50ml [100ml] water and season with a generous pinch of salt then blitz until you have a rough paste

Tip: The seeds and tortilla act as a natural sauce thickener!

Return the pan to a medium-high heat with a drizzle of vegetable oil, once hot, add the chicken thighs and cook for 3 min on each side or until golden (these will finish cooking in the sauce)

Once golden add the paste with the chilli flakes (not a fan of spice? Go easy!) and cook for a further 1-2 min or until fragrant

Tip: If your paste is looking a little thick add a splash of water to loosen!

Add the chicken stock mix with 300ml [550ml] boiled water

Give everything a good mix up and cook, covered, for 8-10 min or until the chicken is cooked through (no pink meat!)

Once done, transfer the chicken to a clean board and shred it apart, using two forks – this technique is known as 'pulling'

Return the pulled chicken to the pan and give everything a good mix up

While the chicken is cooking, trim, then slice the remaining spring onion[s]

Roll the lime[s] with your hand on a hard surface (to release more juice) and cut in half

Cut the remaining tortillas in half and add them to the baking tray with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper

Put them in the oven for 3-4 min or until they are beginning to crisp