One plate Indian chicken and rice

this One plate Indian chicken and rice Has your classic chicken and rice dinner just gotten better? This one-pot meal consists of tender chicken, cooked rice, and soft and flavorful cauliflower florets. It’s hearty, delicious, and a perfect easy weeknight meal!

simple one plate meal

If I told you I was serving Indian Spiced Chicken with Cauliflower and Rice in a super creamy and delicious coconut tomato sauce, you might think it took me a while. And it needs at least a few more dishes!

Think again! This Indian chicken rice dish is that meal, but the chicken, rice, cauliflower, and sauce are all cooked together in one pan.

Not only is this recipe so easy, it tastes incredible enough to serve a crowd and make tons of leftovers. No mess, no frantic cleanup, but definitely a great meal.i just like it Healthy One Pot Meals!

Can rice and raw chicken be cooked together?

Yes. Yes, you can! This recipe involves cooking chicken cubes and rice in the same pot at the same time. All you need to do is roast the chicken for a few minutes, then add the rice and liquid and let them finish cooking together.

It’s so simple, everything works perfectly, and it really does make cleanup incredibly easy!

materials needed

• butter: You can use grass-fed butter or ghee for a more authentic flavor.
• Aromatics: We’re creating the flavor base with the classic combination of diced onion and minced garlic.
• cauliflower: You need 1 cup of cauliflower florets. Make sure you chop them to be relatively similar in size so they cook at the same rate.
• chicken: I use a pound of boneless skinless chicken breasts. Chicken thighs are fine too, if preferred. Whatever you use, it should be cut into 1-inch cubes for quick cooking.
• seasoning: Fine Sea Salt, Black Pepper, Ground Ginger, Curry Powder, Cumin, Turmeric, Coriander Powder, Paprika, Cardamom, and Paprika.
• White rice: No need to cook first. The rice was cooked in the sauce!
• diced tomatoes and ketchup: I use a can of diced tomatoes for texture and a bit of tomato paste for depth and richness of flavor.
• chicken soup: Vegetable soup is also available.
• coconut milk: Create the perfect creamy sauce.
• Fresh spinach: A handful of wilted fresh spinach is thrown into the sauce for the perfect pop of color.
• Optional plugins: You can sprinkle a little red pepper flakes on top of your Indian chicken for extra heat and garnish with a little fresh parsley.

spices for indian cooking

• Saffron
• Cumin
• Garam Masala
• turmeric
• nutmeg
• paprika powder
• coriander
• cardamom
• Cinnamon

These are some of the basic spices of Indian cooking and many are used here, adding so much depth and flavor to this dish!

How to Make One Pan Indian Chicken and Rice

This easy one-pot meal is ready in just 10 minutes! Here is a brief summary of the recipe:

1. To cook the cauliflower: Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat, then add onion, garlic, ginger, and cauliflower. Cook, stirring every few minutes, until the cauliflower begins to soften.
2. Add chicken and rice: Add the spices and chicken to the mixture, and fry for a few minutes on each side. Pour in the rice and bake for another minute.
3. To make the sauce: Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, and chicken stock, then cover the mixture and cook for 20-30 minutes or until the rice has absorbed the broth.
4. Complete and serve: Add spinach and coconut milk, let spinach soften, then garnish and serve.

what kind of rice

I recommend white rice for this recipe! The key to one pot meals is using ingredients that can be cooked at the same time! Brown rice in particular takes longer to cook than white rice, so all the times won’t line up correctly. Definitely stick to white rice for the best results in terms of time and more!

Tips and Precautions

• Cut everything evenly. The key to making sure everything cooks perfectly in the same pot is making sure it’s also chopped to roughly the same size. So, make sure the cauliflower florets are all very similar in size, and cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes.
• Toast the rice first. When adding the rice to the pot, let it cook for a minute or so before adding the broth and other liquid ingredients. Toasting the rice brings out some of the natural flavors!
• Check the temperature. Before serving, make sure the chicken is done using an instant-read thermometer. It should be 165ºF.
• Make it vegan. If you want to make this a vegan meal, you can use vegan butter, leave out the chicken, and add vegetable stock.

service suggestion

This plate of Indian chicken and rice is…well…a meal. So, you don’t need to provide it with anything at all! However, you never want to miss a slice of your favorite naan, roti or just a roti of choice!

how to store

Leftover Indian chicken and rice will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. It can also be frozen for 2-3 months, but the texture won’t be as good.

Enjoy again, and if frozen, thaw in the refrigerator, then heat on the stove over low heat until warmed through. If the mixture is a bit dry, add a little chicken broth while heating.

one pot meal

Print

One Pan Indian Spicy Chicken and Cauliflower

this One plate Indian chicken and rice Has your classic chicken and rice dinner just gotten better? This one-pot meal consists of tender chicken, cooked rice, and soft and flavorful cauliflower florets. It’s hearty, delicious, and a perfect easy weeknight meal!

• author: Lexi
• Preparation time: 10 minutes
• Cooking time: 35 minutes
• total time: 45 minutes
• yield: 4 1x

• 2 tbsp grass-fed butter or ghee
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 cup cauliflower florets
• 1 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 tsp Black pepper
• 2 teaspoons minced ginger
• 2 teaspoons Karam Masala
• 1 teaspoon Cumin
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 tsp coriander powder
• 1/4 teaspoon chili
• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
• 1/2 tsp chili
• 1 cup uncooked white rice
• 1 14.5 oz can Tuttorosso diced tomatoes
• 2 tbsp ketchup
• 2 cups chicken soup
• 1/4 cup coconut milk
• 3 cups fresh spinach
• Optional: red pepper flakes, to taste
• Optional: parsley, for garnish

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the diced onion, garlic, minced ginger and cauliflower florets. Cover and cook, stirring every 2-3 minutes, until the onions are translucent and the cauliflower begins to soften.
2. Add all spices and chicken and fry chicken breasts for 2 minutes per side.
3. Pour in the rice and cook for another minute, stirring constantly.
4. Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste and chicken broth. Cover and cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until the chicken stock has soaked into the rice mixture.
5. Add spinach and coconut milk and cook until spinach is tender, stirring, 1 minute.
6. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Garnish and serve hot!

notes

• For vegetarians: omit the chicken and sub-vegetable broth.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: when delivered
• Calories: 536
• sugar: 4.9 grams
• sodium: 859 mg
• fat: 19.2 grams
• Saturated fat: 9.5 grams
• carbohydrate: 48.3 grams
• fiber: 4.1 grams
• protein: 41.4 grams
• cholesterol: 116mg