Lentil rice – trust us, it’s a revelation! Here we’ve added spiced chicken, cherry tomatoes and roasted almonds for crunch. Don’t forget the dollop of cucumber yoghurt – it turns into the perfect sauce to bring it all together.
Always refer to the product label for the most accurate ingredient and allergen information.
/ Serving 2 people
Preheat the oven to 240°C/220°C fan-forced. Cut the beetroot (unpeeled) into 1cm cubes. Slice the brown onion into 2cm wedges. Place the beetroot and onion on an oven tray lined with baking paper. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Roast until tender, 20-25 minutes.
TIP: Beetroot retains a lot of its firmness when cooked. You can tell it's cooked when it can be easily pierced with a fork.
While the beetroot is cooking, finely chop the garlic (or use a garlic press). In a medium saucepan, melt the butter with a dash of olive oil over a medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Add the basmati rice, water and salt, stir, and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and cover with a lid. Cook for 10 minutes, then remove from the heat and keep covered until the rice is tender and the water is absorbed, 10 minutes.
TIP: The rice will finish cooking in its own steam so don't peek!
While the rice is cooking, grate the cucumber (or finely chop if you prefer!). In a small bowl, combine the cucumber and Greek yoghurt. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Halve the cherry tomatoes (see ingredients list). Roughly chop the parsley. Place the cherry tomatoes and parsley in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Drain and rinse the lentils (see ingredients list).
Chop the chicken tenderloins into bite-sized pieces and place in a bowl with the ras el hanout. Drizzle with olive oil, season generously with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Heat a large frying pan over a medium-high heat with a drizzle of olive oil. Add the chicken and cook, turning, until browned and cooked through, 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside to rest.
TIP: The chicken will char a little in the pan, this adds to the smokey flavour!
Stir the roasted beetroot and onion and the lentils through the rice. Roughly chop the roasted almonds.
Divide the lentil rice between bowls. Top with the spiced chicken, cherry tomatoes and cucumber yoghurt. Sprinkle over the roasted almonds.
TIP: For the low-calorie option, serve with 1/2 the rice and omit the cucumber yoghurt.