The flavours of India dominate this chicken salad. Again, it's a warm salad but it could be tossed together and served cold at a picnic.

Ingredients

• ¼ cup chopped parsley
• ¼ cup chopped fresh coriander
• grated rind of one lemon
• ½ teaspoon each cumin, coriander, ginger and garam masala
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• about ¼ cup olive oil, for marinade
• 2 double breasts of chicken, skin removed
• ½ cup basmati and wild rice mix
• ¼ cup brown lentils
• ¼ cup red lentils
• 250 grams green beans, trimmed
• 2 red onions, peeled
• ½ cup vinaigrette
• ¼ cup olive oil for frying
• fresh coriander to garnish

Method

1. In a food processor or blender, mix the parsley, coriander, lemon rind, spices and oil. If you do not have a blender or processor, mix the ingredients by hand.
2. Cut the chicken into pieces and toss them in the marinade. Cover and set aside overnight or for at least 4 hours.
3. Cook the basmati and wild rice for 12 minutes. Strain and set aside.
4. Cook the brown lentils in boiling salted water with a bayleaf for 10-15 minutes, until almost cooked. Add the red lentils and cook a further 5 minutes or until all the lentils are cooked. Do not let them become mushy if you can help it. Strain well and stop the cooking by running under cold water.
5. Blanch the trimmed green beans for about 5 minutes. Drain and refresh under cold water. Toss the beans and half the vinaigrette through the rice and lentils and place on a serving plate.
6. Slice the onion into 1cm-thick slices and press out the slices so that the rings in the onion fall out loosely. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy pan and cook the onion rings over a high heat until crispy and golden.
7. Heat the remaining oil in the pan and cook the chicken pieces over a fairly high heat. They should be golden brown on the outside and tender inside. Arrange on top of the rice and pour the remaining dressing over the top. Sprinkle the onions on top and garnish with coriander. If you wish, top with a few chopped red chillies.