Recipe: Peruvian Paella

I like to call this dish Peruvian Paella. It is a cross between a paella and a risotto in the way that it is made and presented but has the flavours of Peru.

The mix of flavours gives the dish a very distinctive taste and the spiced yoghurt dip is a nice addition, giving the dish an almost Indian note.

It is very simple to make and a good value meal. With this dish you could serve six people for just over €10. I got the free-range chicken from Dunnes for €2.99 and the vegetables from Supervalu – there are some great deals on vegetables there at the moment. It is a perfect dish for a summers day and can be served hot or cold.

Peruvian Paella

Ingredients:

• 8 chicken drumsticks or chicken pieces
• 160ml of olive oil
• 100g baby spinach
• A bunch of coriander, stems removed
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 50g frozen peas
• 1 tsp of cayenne pepper
• 500g of rice

Spiced yoghurt

• 250g plain Greek yoghurt
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions:

1. Heat half the oil in a frying pan and fry the chicken until it is browned on all sides and nearly cooked. Place chicken on a plate and set aside.
2. Place the coriander leaves, spinach and 125ml of water in a blender to create a puree.
3. Heat the remaining oil in a pan and add the garlic, carrots, peas and peppers and saute for a couple of minutes. Add the cayenne pepper and mix through.
4. Add the coriander and spinach puree and cook for a couple of minutes before adding the chicken. Season with salt and pepper and then add 750ml of water.
5. Bring to the boil, then cover, lower the heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes so the chicken absorbs the flavours.
6. Remove the chicken and set aside on a plate. Add the rice to the pan and 500ml of hot water. Cook uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes until the rice has absorbed most of the water. Lower the heat to an absolute minimum, cover and cook for 15 minutes or until the rice has cooked. Check the seasoning.
7. Make the spiced yoghurt by combining the yoghurt, cumin and olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper.
8. Place the rice on a serving platter and place the chicken on top of the rice. Serve with the yoghurt dip.