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Gold satay-style chickpeas with spiced fried rice and a chickpea crumb

Creamy coconut milk, smooth peanut butter, lime and Chinese five-spice build a rich, punchy satay sauce. Fragrant spiced fried rice and a crispy roasted chickpea crumb add texture. Finished with Thai basil and crispy chilli oil, this healthy, plant-based dinner is big on flavour and even bigger on feel-good factor.

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Prep:less than 30 mins
Cook:30 mins to 1 hour
Serves:Serves 4
Dietary:Healthy, Pregnancy-friendly, Vegetarian
A headshot of plant-based food creator Calum Harris smiling in a kitchen, holding a freshly prepared vegan dish on a plateBy Calum Harris
From BBC Saturday Kitchen Live

nutri-score b

Chickpeas, wholegrain brown rice, edamame and peas pack this plant-based dish with plant protein and fibre, earning it a Nutri-Score of B. The peanut butter, tahini and coconut milk bring mainly unsaturated fats, while the agave and soy sauce add a touch of sugar and salt to watch.

Estimated nutrition per serving (approx.): 750 kcal | Fat 42g | Carbs 62g | Sugars 12g | Fibre 14g | Protein 25g

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The kit that makes this recipe easy:

Air fryer – ESSENTIAL for success – it crisps the chickpea crumb in just 15 minutes with less oil than the oven, and it’s a workhorse for countless other recipes.

  • Large Frying pan – for simmering the creamy satay sauce and frying the spiced rice, two pans running side by side.
  • Large Baking tray – great for roasting the chickpea crumb if you choose the oven route.
  • Large Mixing bowl – ideal for mashing and seasoning the chickpeas with the spices.
  • Microplane grater – a must for finely chopping-free grating of the fresh root ginger.
  • Small saucepan – not needed here, but handy for reheating rice pouches if you go that route.

Ingredients

For the chickpea crumb

  • 2 x 400g chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 tbsp dried mixed herbs
  • 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

For the gold satay-style chickpeas

  • 2 x 400g cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 2 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
  • 4 tbsp tamari (or light soy sauce)
  • 4 tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • 1 x 400g can coconut milk
  • 6 tbsp smooth peanut butter
  • 1 lime, juice only
  • 2 tbsp agave syrup

For the fried rice

  • 4 spring onions, finely sliced
  • 1 red pepper, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 2cm/¾in piece fresh root ginger, finely chopped
  • 2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
  • 4 tbsp soy sauce
  • 4 tbsp tahini
  • 250g/9oz cooked wholegrain brown rice (or 1 microwave pouch)
  • 80g/3oz frozen edamame beans
  • 50g/1¾oz frozen peas
  • 15g/½oz fresh coriander, chopped
  • 1 lime, juice only
  • neutral oil, for frying

To serve

  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh Thai basil or coriander
  • crispy chilli oil, to taste
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper, for seasoning

Customise

Ingredient swaps that hold up:

  • Use light soy sauce instead of tamari if that’s what’s in the cupboard.
  • Swap the smooth peanut butter for almond or cashew butter – just as creamy, slightly different character.
  • Replace the agave syrup with honey or maple syrup for the same sweet balance.
  • Use basil or parsley instead of Thai basil or coriander if herbs are hard to find.
  • No rice wine vinegar? White wine vinegar or a squeeze of extra lime works well.
  • Swap the edamame and peas for frozen sweetcorn or green beans.

Method

Get Ready (5 minutes)

  1. Preheat your equipment to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6 – whether that’s the oven or an air fryer. Both routes give you a brilliantly crispy chickpea crumb, so choose whichever suits your kitchen that day.

Make the Chickpea Crumb (20–25 minutes, hands-off while you cook the rest)

  1. Dry the chickpeas thoroughly. Tip the drained chickpeas onto a clean tea towel, cover and pat them dry. This little step matters more than you’d think – dry chickpeas crisp up beautifully, while wet ones steam and sulk.
  2. Mash and season. Transfer the chickpeas to a large mixing bowl and roughly mash with a fork until crumbly but not completely mashed together – you want texture, not paste. Add the smoked paprika, fennel seeds and dried mixed herbs, season with salt and pepper, and mix gently with your hands. There’s something rather satisfying about this bit.
  3. Roast or air fry. If using the oven, spread the chickpeas over a baking tray lined with baking paper, drizzle over the olive oil and roast for 20 minutes until crispy. If using the air fryer, mix the olive oil into the chickpeas first, then spread them in the basket and air fry for 15 minutes. Either way, they come out golden, crunchy and smelling wonderful.

Simmer the Gold Satay Sauce (15 minutes, overlaps with the crumb)

  1. Dry off the second batch of chickpeas. Put the drained chickpeas in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Season with salt and pepper and cook until any excess water has evaporated – that quick dry-fry concentrates their nutty flavour before anything else joins the party.
  2. Toast in the spices. Add the sesame oil and turn the heat down, then stir in the Chinese five-spice, tamari or soy sauce and rice wine vinegar. Fry for just 1 minute – the pan should smell instantly aromatic and inviting.
  3. Build the creamy sauce. Pour in the coconut milk and add the peanut butter, stirring until everything combines into a gorgeous golden sauce. Simmer gently for 7–9 minutes until it thickens enough to coat a spoon. If it gets too thick, don’t panic – a splash of hot water loosens it right up.
  4. Balance the flavours. Stir in the lime juice and agave syrup at the end. That final sweet-sour hit is what makes this satay sauce sing, so have a taste and adjust to your liking.
  5. Finish with freshness. Scatter over the chopped Thai basil or coriander, season with salt and pepper, and finish with a drizzle of crispy chilli oil. You can hold it at a low simmer while you finish the rice.

Fry the Spiced Rice (12–15 minutes, runs alongside the sauce)

  1. Get the pan hot. Heat a little neutral oil in a second large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the spring onions and red pepper and fry for a few minutes until starting to turn golden at the edges – a little colour here means big flavour later.
  2. Add the aromatics. Grate or finely chop the garlic and ginger (a microplane grater makes light work of the ginger), then add both to the pan with the Chinese five-spice. Stir for a minute or so – your kitchen will smell incredible at this point.
  3. Mix the tahini sauce. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, tahini and 2 tablespoons of hot water until smooth and pourable. Tahini can be stubborn, so whisk with conviction.
  4. Bring it all together. Add the cooked rice, edamame beans, frozen peas, a splash of hot water and the tahini sauce to the pan. Stir everything together and cook until the rice is piping hot and the vegetables are cooked through. Keep the pan moving so nothing catches on the bottom.
  5. Herb it up. Stir half the chopped coriander through the rice, then finish with a squeeze of lime juice and scatter over the rest. That double hit of lime at the end keeps everything bright and fresh.

Serve (2 minutes)

  1. Plate with pride. Serve the gold satay-style chickpeas alongside the spiced fried rice, then scatter the crispy chickpea crumb generously over the top. That final crunch against the creamy sauce is what makes this dish so moreish – add extra crispy chilli oil at the table for those who like it fiery.

Additional Notes

  • The chickpea crumb keeps well in an airtight container for up to 3 days, so make extra and sprinkle it over salads and soups.
  • Cook the brown rice a day ahead, or use a microwave pouch, to make this a genuinely quick midweek dinner.
  • The satay sauce thickens as it cools – loosen with a splash of hot water when reheating.
  • For extra heat, add a spoonful of the crispy chilli oil to the satay sauce itself, not just the finish.

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