SPICY CHICKEN WITH OKRA AND TOMATO

Serves 4, prep time 20 minutes, cooking time 1 hour and 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

■ 2 tbsp vegetable oil

■ 8 skinless chicken thighs

■ 1 chopped onion

■ 3 garlic cloves, crushed

■ 1 tsp cayenne pepper

■ Salt and pepper

■ 2 chicken stock cubes

■ 4 sprigs of fresh thyme

■ 1 tin of chopped tomatoes

■ 300ml of boiling water

■ 16 okra or ladies’ fingers, washed and sliced

■ 1 1/2 cups long grain rice

TO SERVE

1 seeded chopped tomato 1 spring onion chopped

METHOD

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over mediumhigh heat. Brown the chicken thighs for three minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer to a plate. In the same pan, add the onion and saute for three minutes until softened. Add garlic, cayenne pepper and season. Return the chicken to the pan. Add 300ml of boiling water, crumble in the stock cubes, thyme and chopped tomatoes. Stir and bring to the boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for an hour, until chicken pieces are tender. Then turn up the heat to medium. Stir in the okra and rice; you may need to top up the pan with more boiling water. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for 15 minutes until okra and rice are cooked. Allow to cool for a few minutes, top with chopped spring onion and tomato, serve straight from the pan.