A healthy and fuss-free dish perfect for busy women on the go.

The last thing you want to do after a long day at work is to cook up a storm. Plus, there is the pile of dirty dishes you have to deal with afterwards. Enter this fuss-free one-pot meal of coriander chicken and mushroom brown rice.

It is easy to whip up, in one hour and 20 minutes – perfect for busy women on the go. Most of that time is waiting for the rice to cook, which takes about an hour. While waiting, you could wash up and take a shower. It is also an economical meal to cook for the family, using ingredients that are easily available at the supermarket.

(Also read: 10 Healthy ‘Fast Food’ Items Every Busy Woman Needs in the Kitchen)

The usual ratio of cooking brown rice is one part rice to 1 1/2 parts liquid. But as there are other ingredients in the mix that can add moisture, I find cutting back slightly on the cooking liquid – in this case, chicken stock – helps prevent the rice from being mushy. For this recipe, I reduce the amount of chicken stock by 25ml. If you find the rice too hard, simply add a little more stock and let it cook longer.

The protein in this one-pot meal is mainly from the chicken. For maximum flavour, marinate the meat the night before, or first thing in the morning. Although this is a one-pot dish, I pre-fry the rice mixture and meat for extra flavour and colour. I also leave the chicken skin on. You can remove it for a healthier meal, and skip the stir-frying steps if you really want to go for the bare minimum in cooking this dish.

(Also read: The Difference Between Whole Grains, White Rice, Brown Rice & Other Types of Rice)

CORIANDER CHICKEN AND MUSHROOM BROWN RICE

Makes 4 to 5 servings

Ingredients

2 boneless chicken legs (800g), cut into 4cm by 4cm bite-sized pieces


50g fresh coriander, chopped


25g garlic, chopped


1/3 tsp ground white pepper


½ tsp salt


2 tbsp cooking oil


80g whole garlic cloves, lightly bruised


5 fresh shiitake mushrooms (100g), chopped


2½ cups of brown rice (350g), rinsed


1 tbsp sesame oil


500ml canned chicken stock


30g fried shallot


250g xiao bai cai (Shanghai greens)

(Also read: Recipe: Brown Rice Vietnamese ‘Pho Ga’ Chicken Noodle Soup)

Method

1. Place the chicken in a bowl, then add the chopped coriander, chopped garlic, white pepper and salt. Mix well. Cover with cling wrap and place in the fridge to marinate for at least 15 minutes.

2. In a non-stick frying pan, heat the cooking oil over medium heat.

3. Add the whole garlic cloves and fry for one minute until fragrant.

4. Add the mushrooms and fry for 45 seconds.

5. Add the brown rice and stir-fry for two minutes.

6. Add the sesame oil and stir-fry for 30 seconds.

7. Transfer the rice mixture into a rice cooker.

8. Pour in the chicken stock and add the fried shallot. Stir, then cook for 25 minutes.

9. Heat the non-stick pan over medium heat.

10. Place chicken pieces in the pan and fry for 45 seconds until the surface turns opaque.

11. Turn off the heat and transfer the chicken into the rice cooker. Cook for another 30 minutes.

12. Open the rice cooker and arrange the xiao bai cai on top of the rice. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.

13. Serve hot.

A version of this story first appeared on www.tnp.sg.