Baked mango and sweet chili chicken and rice

Here’s another ready marinated chicken I bought as it’s on sale. Loving the idea of using my cast iron pan, as I just cook some of the vegetables and add in rice and marinated chicken then put in the oven until it’s cooked.

I can do other things or watched Netflix. I have added zucchini, red and yellow capsicums for colour and have some vegetables to go with chicken and rice. I just love adding more rub as I find the rub from ready marinated doesn’t have enough flavour and not spicy enough for me.

This can be lazy meal, no hassle and not many gadget to wash. I don’t have to spend time in the kitchen too long. Just have to remember to put timer on. Don’t want burnt food or kitchen. It’s ideal to cook for friends and at the same time can make entrée or dessert. When they arrive, you can chat with them while it’s cooking in the oven. My cast iron meal is colourful, flavourful, spicy enough for me and delicious. Let’s cook!!!

Ingredients

1 packet mango sweet chili chicken, about 1.2 kg, room temperature
1 onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 Tbs minced garlic
60 g butter
1 Tbs oil
300 g basmati rice
8 cardamom pods, lightly pound
8 cherries tomatoes, cut in half
6 cloves
3 bay leaves
3 star anise
2 cinnamon sticks
1 red capsicum, cut into bite size
1 yellow capsicum, cut into bite size
1 medium size zucchini, cut into bite size
1 3/4 c hot chicken stock, warm up
1 1/4 c hot boiling water
1/4 c white wine (OPT)
salt
pepper

Extra rub flavouring for chicken (OPT)

1 1/2 Tbs margarine, divide
1 1/2 Tbs sweet chili sauce, divide
1 Tbs harissa paste, divide
2 Tsp garlic powder, divide

Method

Preheat oven 180 degrees C. Soak basmati rice for 15 minutes, drain well and set aside. Heat butter and oil in cast iron pot on medium heat, when butter melted add onion and garlic, cook for about 5 minutes. Mix all the extra rub flavouring ingredient in a bowl and set aside.

Add rice mix, stir well to coat in butter and oil. Then add all the spices, cherries tomatoes, red capsicums, yellow capsicums and zucchini and cook for 2-4 minutes. Pour stock, water and wine. Then put chicken on top of rice. Cover with lid. Bake for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes up remove the lid, pull cast iron pot out a bit from oven, use pastry brush dip in extra rub flavouring: 1 Tbs margarine, 1 Tbs sweet chili sauce, 1/2 Tbs harissa paste, 1 Tsp garlic powder and brush all over the chicken, add seasoning around chicken and on rice.

Spray oil on chicken for some glossy look. Then bake further 30-40 minutes uncovered until liquid absorbed and the rice and chicken are lightly charred. Switch off oven, remove chicken onto a lined tray, brush remaining rub and leave rice in oven with door close for 10 minutes. Remove rice from oven after 10 minutes up. Switch oven on and place cooked chicken on tray with remaining rub back into oven, baked further 15-20 minutes until lightly charred. Meantime, fluff up rice, removed all the spices especially bay leaves. Spoon rice and chicken pieces on to bowls. Serve with red wine. Enjoy!!!!