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Juicy pieces of grilled chicken on nutrient-packed brown rice plus a mountain of vegetables topped with itsu’s famous ithai sauce – what could be better?

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS
150g mixed brown and wild rice
150g boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 tsp light oil, such as groundnut, for coating
1 large carrot, topped, tailed and cut into fine sticks
1 red pepper, cored, deseeded and sliced
100g or a handful of green beans, topped
100g or a handful of mangetout
100g or a handful of shiitake
mushrooms, halved
100g or a handful of spinach
100g or a handful of bean sprouts
1 quantity ithai Sauce (see below)
salt and black pepper

METHOD
1/ Wash the rice thoroughly and cover with warm water. Set aside to soak for at least 10 minutes.

2/ Heat the grill to its highest setting. Put the chicken thighs in a roasting tin, season well with salt and pepper and coat with the oil. Grill for 10 minutes, turning halfway through the cooking time. Remove and allow to cool slightly before cutting the chicken into pieces.

3/ Meanwhile, bring a large pan of water to the boil, add a good pinch of salt and cook all the vegetables except for the spinach and bean sprouts for 3 minutes. Add the spinach and bean sprouts 30 seconds before the end of the cooking time. Drain well and cover to keep warm.

4/ Drain the rice and add it to the vegetable water, which will now be full of nutrients, and boil for 15 minutes, or according to the packet instructions. Drain well.

5/ Put the rice into serving bowls and top with the chicken pieces and vegetables. Pour ithai sauce over each one and serve with the remaining sauce on the side.

Variations: Try different vegetables, perhaps leeks, tenderstem broccoli or pak choi, with edamame (soya) beans. Furikake or sesame seeds, preferably toasted, or toasted pumpkin seeds can be sprinkled on the finished dish to garnish.

• 300 calories
• 3.8g saturated fat

ITHAI SAUCE

After years of tweaking, we have created a unique and delicious Thai sauce with the perfect balance of infused flavours. It’s something we are truly proud of, and its place as an itsu classic is now secure. Use it on potsus,
as a dressing for steamed vegetables, or poured over white or brown rice. Stored in a screwtop jar, it will keep for up to a week in the fridge.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS
4 tbsp coconut milk
1 tsp tomato passata
4–6 lime leaves, finely chopped
½ lemon grass stalk, finely chopped
10g or 2cm fresh root ginger, grated
1 garlic clove, grated or crushed
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp crushed chilli or ½ red hot Thai chilli, chopped
1 tsp sugar or sugar alternative
1 tsp tamarind paste
1 tsp cornflour
½ tsp salt
160ml water
1 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped

METHOD
1/ Put all the ingredients, except the water and coriander leaves, into a blender and whizz to a smooth sauce. Alternatively, hand-chop the ingredients as finely as possible and combine in a bowl.

2/ Put the sauce into a small saucepan and add the water. Slowly bring to the boil, stirring, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.

3/ Use the sauce immediately, adding the coriander to serve, or store in a screwtop jar in the fridge until needed.

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