Mexican-Style Pulled Chicken & Sweet Potato Chilli

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

Boil half a kettle

Peel and finely dice your shallot[s]

Peel and finely chop (or grate) your garlic

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

Pat your chicken thighs dry with kitchen paper

Once hot, add the seasoned chicken thighs and cook for 3 min on each side or until lightly browned

Meanwhile, peel and cut your sweet potato[es] into bite-sized pieces

Deseed your pepper[s] (scrape the seeds and pith out with a teaspoon) and cut into bite-sized pieces

Combine your tomato paste and soy sauce with 250ml [325ml] [400ml] boiled water — this is your tomato stock

Drain and rinse your black beans

Once the chicken has browned, add the diced shallot, ground cumin, ground allspice, half your ground smoked paprika (you'll use the rest later!), 1 tbsp [1 1/2 tbsp] [2 tbsp] flour and your cayenne pepper (can't handle the heat? Go easy!) and cook for 1 min or until fragrant

Once fragrant, add the chopped garlic and cook for a further 1-2 min

Add the chopped sweet potato, chopped pepper, tomato stock and drained black beans to the pan and cook, covered, for an initial 15-20 min or until the sweet potato is tender and the chicken is cooked through (no pink meat!)

After an initial 15-20 min, remove the lid and cook for a further 3-4 min, or until the sauce has started to thicken

Whilst the chilli is cooking, add your white long grain rice 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

Meanwhile, combine your natural yoghurt and the remaining ground smoked paprika in a small bowl — this is your spiced yoghurt

Transfer the cooked 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

Stir through 1/2 tbsp per person of the spiced yoghurt — this is your Mexican-style pulled chicken & sweet potato chilli