Spicy One Pot Burrito Bowl

In most cases when you’re of desi (south asian) origin a lifetime of eating spicy food means that you automatically lean towards other cuisines that are spicy – Mexican, Thai, other East Asian foods. If they aren’t ‘naturally’ spicy foods then you make changes – my bechamel sauce for my lasagna has green chillies in it. True story.

Am I embarrassed to admit it to all you wonderful foodies out there? Only a little 😉

Meals like this lovely spicy one pot burrito bowl really hit the spot on many fronts. First of all it’s spicy (you can always dial down the spice if you wish), second of all it comes together fairly quickly and in one pot (hooray for less washing up), and thirdly it is so good for you with it’s healthy combination of lean chicken, beans, and brown rice. The best part is that because of all the flavor that gets worked into the dish you don’t miss white rice at all. Trust me in my household that’s an accomplishment.

A few quick notes before we go on to the recipe. First of all I used the chilli flavored canned tomatoes which helped give this dish an extra layer of hearty smokiness and second of all I used this brand of brown rice and my cooking time reflects that. If you use a brand that takes longer to cook then add in a half cup of extra water and let it cook on low heat. Also, if you want to make this a vegetarian dish then omit the chicken and sub the broth with vegetable broth or water.

One Pot Burrito Bowl
6 generous servings

1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 red pepper (or green) diced
1-2 jalapeno peppers – minced
1 tsp salt (omit if your broth is salty)
1 boneless chicken breast (just shy of a pound), cut into bite sized pieces
2 tsp cumin powder
1 1/2 – 2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 small can corn or 1 1/2 cup frozen corn – thawed, drained, rinsed
1 540 ml can of chilli flavored tomatoes (or equivalent amount of fresh)
2 1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup brown rice (if you sub white rice then please decrease broth)
2 tbsp olive oil
For serving, any or all of the following: chopped scallions, half a cup shredded cheese of choice, sour cream, lime wedges, diced tomatoes and even crispy tortilla strips (cut, toast, sprinkle on top)

Warm your olive oil in a large pot (5-6 qt) and saute onions, red pepper, and jalapenos until softened. While the onions are cooking sprinkle a little salt, pepper and chilli powder if you wish on top of the diced chicken. Saute the chicken till lightly browned and then move the onion to side of the pan and add the rice. Cook the rice a little for a minute or two, then add the rest of the ingredients. Cover the pot, bring to a boil on high heat, reduce to medium-low heat then check on the rice in 15-20 minutes. Since rice cooking time varies by brand here is what you need to do:

* If the liquid has mostly dried up and the rice is done perfect, sprinkle cheese over top and call it a day.

* If the rice is underdone and there is no liquid left then then add half a cup of water and cook on low for another 10 minutes, then check for doneness.

* If there is too much liquid crank up the heat and leave the pot uncovered till most of the liquid dries up.

Top with your toppings of choice and enjoy!