Bill Granger’s Curried Chicken & Rice is a one-pot wonder! It is super simple to make, extremely tasty and comes together with only a handful of ingredients. For a dish to taste this good with only a some basic pantry items, it is a win win in my book! I like to pair with a cucumber raita and some greens beans on the side.
There’s something truly delightful about chicken and rice dishes. They’ve always held a special place in my heart as one of my all-time favourite meals to both prepare and serve. Each mouthful brings a sense of comfort and satisfaction.
When you cook rice and chicken together in one pot, the rice absorbs all the delightful flavours from the spices, stock, and other ingredients you’ve combined with the chicken. The result is an incredibly flavourful dish, and this one is certainly no exception.
Bill opts for serving his chicken and rice with plain yogurt and a Cucumber and Lime Salad (recipe below). However, I often choose to keep it simple, pairing it with a basic raita and garnishing with fresh mint leaves. The combination never fails to impress!
Bill Granger | Simply Bill Cookbook | Page 21
bill granger
Hints & tips
Bill opts for adding flavour to this dish by using common supermarket curry powder. I personally used Keen’s brand because it’s what I currently have in the pantry, but Clive of India is also an excellent choice. Feel free to use any curry powder you have available in your pantry.
The initial recipe specifies 1kg of chicken pieces with bones. I prefer using a whole small chicken, approximately 1.5kg, which I then divide into 8 serving pieces. This method ensures that each cut includes two portions, even with the breast. I save the leftover chicken carcass pieces in the freezer for future stock-making, typically accumulating 3-4 pieces before preparing.
Bill recommends placing the curry powder in a bowl and adding the chicken, tossing it to coat. While this method is effective, I personally find it a bit messy (I’m a meticulous and tidy cook, by the way). Instead, I prefer placing the curry powder into a freezer plastic bag, adding the chicken, and shaking to coat. This technique results in a more even coating on the chicken without the mess and excess cleanup.
I hope you enjoy this as much as we do! 😊
Step-by-step
Serving suggestions
Bill’s Curried Chicken and Rice is a delicious and flavourful dish that can be served in a variety of ways. Here are some other serving suggestions to make the most of this dish:
- Mango Chutney: Serve with a side of mango chutney.
- Fresh Herbs: Garnish the dish with fresh herbs like coriander or parsley (instead of mint).
- Naan or Roti: Offer some warm naan, chapati or roti on the side to scoop up the curry and rice.
- Steamed Vegetables: Serve with a side of steamed vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, or green beans.
- Lime or Lemon Wedges: Provide lemon or lime wedges for guests to squeeze over their dinner.
- Salad: A simple green salad with a light vinaigrette can be a refreshing accompaniment.
- Chopped Nuts: Toasted almonds or cashews can add a nice crunch and nutty flavour.
- Pickled or Raw Onions: Pickled red onions (or thinly sliced raw) are a personal favourite topper.
❄️ Storage
FRIDGE:
Store any leftovers (once cooled) in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
FREEZE:
Store the chicken in freezer-proof zip-lock bags with excess air squeezed out. Label, date and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.
TO REHEAT:
Reheat gently in the microwave on MEDIUM (50% power), stirring occasionally, until piping hot.
Bill Granger’s Curried Chicken & Rice
Equipment
- Flameproof casserole dish (Dutch oven)
Ingredients
CURRIED CHICKEN & RICE
- 1kg chicken pieces, bone in & skin on (see Notes)
- 2 tablespoons curry powder (I used Keens)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 300g basmati rice
- 750ml (3 cups) liquid chicken stock
CUCUMBER & MINT RAITA (OPTIONAL)
- 1 large Lebanese cucumber, halved & deseeded
- 1 cup natural style Greek yoghurt
- ¼ cup fresh mint, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon garam masala (or ground cumin)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice
BILL'S CUCUMBER & LIME SALAD (OPTIONAL)
- 2 Lebanese cucumbers, halved & chopped
- 3 spring/green onions, sliced
- Small handful fresh whole mint leaves
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Juice of 1 lime
- pinch of sea salt
TO SERVE (OPTONAL)
- Natural style Greek yoghurt (if not making the raita above)
- Steamed green beans
- Fresh mint leaves
Instructions
CURRIED CHICKEN & RICE
- Preheat oven to 200℃. Place the chicken pieces into a large bowl. Add the curry powder and toss to coat well. (Alternately, place into a plastic bag and shake until evenly coated).
- Place a heavy-based casserole pan with tight fitting lid over medium heat. Add the oil and chicken pieces and cook until they are sealed and browned all over. Remove the chicken to a plate.
- Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook until the onion is soft and pale golden in colour. Add the rice, stir to combine and cook for 2 minutes.
- Return the chicken to the pan in a single layer over the rice. Carefully pour over the stock. Cover with the lid and transfer to the oven. Bake for 45 minutes of until the rice is tender and has absorbed all the liquid and the chicken is cooked through. Serve with Cucumber & Mint Raita or serve Bill's way with Greek yoghurt and the Cucumber and Lime salad on the side. Garnish with fresh mint leaves and serve with steamed green beans on the side.
CUCUMBER & MINT RAITA
- Coarsely grate the cucumber with a box grater then squeeze out excess liquid. Place into a bowl along with remaining ingredients and stir well to combine. Cover and chill until required. Serve with the Curried Chicken and Rice.
CUCUMBER & LIME SALAD (BILL'S)
- Combine cucumber, spring/green onions and mint leaves in a bowl.
- Whisk olive oil, lime juice and salt together then drizzle over the cucumber salad and lightly toss to combine. Serve on the side with the Curried Chicken & Rice.
Notes
- COOKS NOTES:
Oven Temps: Oven temperatures are for conventional, if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C.
Measurements: We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon = 5 ml, 1 tablespoon = 20 ml & 1 cup = 250 ml.
Herbs: All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed.
Vegetables: All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified.
Eggs: We use extra-large size and eggs are 55-60 g each, unless specified. - CHICKEN PIECES
You can purchase 1kg of already cut chicken pieces such as legs or thighs or chop a 1.4 – 1.6kg chicken into 8 serving pieces as I do. If buying pieces, you can use just 1 type of cut (such as thigh cutlets) or a mixture of different cuts. - BILL GRANGER
This recipe comes from Bill Granger in his book Simply Bill, page 21.
You may also like
If you liked this Curried Chicken & Rice, you may also like these chicken recipe:
- Middle Eastern Chicken & Rice One Pot
- Indian Spiced Yoghurt Chicken Breasts
- The Easiest Garlic Naan Bread Ever
- Peruvian Roast Chicken with Green Sauce
- Moroccan Chicken Tagine
- Indian Mint Chutney (Pudina Chutney) – a great chutney to drizzle over this dish
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