Smoky Meat-Free Mince Chilli With Herby Rice And Popped Beans

Preheat the oven to 240°C/ 220°C (fan)/ gas 9 and boil a kettle

Rinse your 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 20-25 min or until it's tender with a slight bite

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

While the rice is cooking, peel and finely dice your red onion[s]

Peel and finely chop (or grate) your garlic

Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with a drizzle of olive oil over a medium heat

Once hot, add the diced onion with a pinch of salt and cook for 4-5 min or until starting to soften

While the onion softens, drain and rinse your red kidney beans, reserving the liquid

Add half the drained kidney beans (you'll use the rest later!) to a baking tray with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper

Put the tray in the oven for 20-25 min or until the skins have burst and are crispy – these are your popped beans

While the kidney beans are in the oven, dissolve your vegetable stock mix and tomato paste in 300ml [400ml] [500ml] boiled water – this is your tomato stock

Add the chopped garlic, ground cumin, ground smoked paprika and ground coriander to the onion and cook for 30 secs

Increase the heat to medium-high, add your meat-free mince (remove the paper if required!) to the pan and cook for 4 min or until beginning to brown, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as you go, then cook for a further 3 min

Add the tomato stock, a generous pinch of sugar and a pinch of salt and cook for 4-5 min or until slightly thickened

Add the remaining drained kidney beans with the reserved kidney bean liquid and cook for a further 2-3 min or until the sauce has thickened to a chilli-like consistency – this is your smoky meat-free mince chilli

While the chilli is cooking, grate your cheddar cheese

Chop your coriander finely, including the stalks

Once the rice is cooked, stir through the chopped coriander – this is your herby rice