CHICKEN MOLE WITH CORIANDER RICE

Chicken mole with coriander rice image

If you're a fan of chilli con carne, you'll love this dark, sweet and spicy South American stew with ancho, ground nuts and chocolate

Provided by Cassie Best

Time 2h30m

Number Of Ingredients 18

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Ingredients

2 ancho chillies
2 tbsp sunflower oil
8 bone-in chicken thighs , skins removed
2 onions , chopped
2 tsp ground cumin
1 ½ tsp cinnamon
3 garlic cloves , roughly chopped
50g raisin
2 tbsp smooth peanut butter
2 tbsp chipotle paste
400g can chopped tomato
25g dark chocolate (look for one with at least 70% cocoa solids)
1 small red onion , sliced into rings
juice 1 lime , plus wedges to serve (optional)
150ml pot soured cream
600g long grain rice
large bunch coriander , finely chopped
zest 2 limes and juice of 1

Steps:

Put the chillies in a bowl and add enough boiling water to just cover. Leave to soften for 20 mins. If you can't find anchos, grill red peppers until they're really blackened and soft. Cool them, then peel and use as needed in the recipe, adding 1 tsp smoked paprika and a little extra chipotle to re-create the sweet, smoky flavour.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a flameproof casserole dish, season the chicken, then brown on all sides. You may have to do this in batches so you don't overcrowd the dish. Remove to a plate. Add the onions to the dish and cook for 5 mins until softened. Add the spices and cook for 1 min until aromatic.
Remove the chillies from their soaking liquid, reserving the liquid, and discard the stalks and seeds. Put in a food processor with 4 tbsp of the soaking liquid, the garlic and raisins. Whizz to a paste, then tip into the dish. Add the peanut butter, chipotle paste, tomatoes and 400ml water (fill up the tomato can and swirl to get all the tomato bits out). Return the chicken to the dish and season. Cover with a lid and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 hr.
Remove the chicken pieces to a plate. Using 2 forks, shred the meat and discard the bones. Return the chicken to the sauce, add the chocolate and continue cooking, uncovered, for 30 mins more. If the sauce looks like it's getting a little too thick, add some of the chilli soaking liquid or some water.
Cook the rice following pack instructions. Meanwhile, put the red onion in a small bowl. Add the lime juice and a pinch of salt. Leave to pickle until ready to serve. When the rice is cooked, add the coriander and lime zest and juice, and fluff up with a fork. Remove the mole from the heat, scatter with the pickled red onion and serve alongside the rice, with soured cream and lime wedges, if you like.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 690 calories, Fat 22 grams fat, SaturatedFat 5 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 93 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 13 grams sugar, Fiber 3 grams fiber, Protein 28 grams protein, Sodium 0.5 milligram of sodium