Channa Masala-inspired Chicken and Rice

Good morning, girls and boys!

This morning is icy and freezy in Cape Town, and I can't stop thinking about my dinner last night! Am I the only one who thinks about food constantly in winter? And my dear, it's been a cold winter!! If you're looking for something warm, hearty, spicy, filling and cheap, you've come to the right place! As Marisa at The Creative Pot mentioned, it's penny-pinching time, and with my wedding coming up in about a month, I'm pinching all the pennies I can get my paws on! So when I saw her Channa Masala, I was inspired to make this Channa Masala-inspired chicken dish!
{Image source: allikazoo, flickr}

I'm a huge fan of using what you have at hand and, as I may have mentioned, I'm not too wonderful at sticking to a recipe verbatim. I like to use what I have, what's available in my local shops and sometimes, what just feels like a good idea that day! So while this dish was initially inspired by Marisa's Channa Masala, it can't claim to be even a sibling - more of a distant cousin, I suppose!

{Image source: Il Primo Uomo, flickr}

That said, don't let me stop you from following every recipe to the letter! I write these down as accurately as I can, so that you can have the benefit of my inability to follow recipes.. You're welcome! Also, following recipes will make you a better baker. We all know how I struggle with that!!

And so, without further ado, I give you,

Channa Masala-inspired Chicken and Rice
Served: 2, with leftovers

Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely diced
1 tsp crushed ginger
1 tin chopped tomatoes / tomato and onion mix
1/2 yellow pepper, chopped
1/2 tin chickpeas
1/2 tin sweetcorn kernels
1/2 tin red kidney beans
2 chicken breasts, flattened and chopped into bite size pieces
150 ml white wine
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to season
Rice, cooked according to instruction, to serve

Method:

1. Chop onion (slice off the ends, then cut in half length ways. Take each half and lay it flat on the board, slicing from end to end to make half-moon shaped slices), and dice garlic.
2. Heat a little sunflower oil in a pan, and fry the onion, garlic and ginger until fragrant, and the onion is translucent.
3. Add the spices (cumin, paprika and cayenne pepper) and fry until fragrant, mixing into the mixture.
4. Add the yellow pepper, and fry a little more, but not too much, you want the pepper to remain slightly crunchy.
5. Add the flattened and chopped chicken, and stir into the mixture, until just cooked on the outside.
6. Pour in the white wine, and stir to deglaze the pan. I used Kleine Zalze chenin blanc (I'm an Ambassador! Go and follow my adventures, and leave me a little comment love!), but any dry white wine will do. Have a glass while you're at it, you deserve it!
7. Add the chopped tomatoes, chickpeas, sweetcorn and red kidney beans, and stir.
8. Heat through, and allow to simmer for 10 minutes.
9. Serve over rice with a side salad, and enjoy!

This dish is deliciously warming and spicy, and makes a LOT, so you should have leftovers, if you're only serving 2, as I was. You can sub out the chicken for sausages, or more chickpeas, or even meatballs, if you like.

Enjoy!