Vietnamese Chicken with Brown Rice

Steps

1. Cook rice Combine rice, 2¼ cups of water and a pinch of salt in a pot and bring to the boil with the lid on. As soon as it boils, reduce to lowest heat to cook for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and leave to steam, still covered, for a further 8 minutes. Do not lift lid during cooking.
2. Prep chicken and veggies Pat chicken dry and toss in a bowl with half the Vietnamese paste and season. Set aside to marinate for a few minutes. Thinly slice spring onion, carrot and capsicum. Set all aside.
3. Cook chicken Heat a drizzle of oil in a fry-pan on medium-high heat. Stir-fry chicken, in two batches, for 3–4 minutes, until cooked through. Add more oil between batches, if needed. Set chicken aside, covered, to rest.
4. Cook veggies Return pan to medium-high heat and stir-fry spring onion and carrot for 2 minutes, until starting to soften. Add capsicum, sugar snap peas, ½ cup water and remaining Vietnamese paste. Stir-fry for a further 2 minutes, until vegetables are tender.
5. Finish stir-fry Return chicken, any resting juices, cooked rice and fish sauce to pan and stir to combine. Cook for about 1 minute, until heated through. Season to taste.
6. Serve chicken and rice topped with crispy shallots.