Chilli Salt Crispy Chickpea Rice Bowls with Charred Corn and Lime Tahini

Difficulty: Easy | Prep: 15 min | Cook: 30 min | Total: 45 min | Serves: 4 | Dietary: Vegan, Gluten-Free

Chickpeas roasted hard in Chooki's Chilli Chicken Salt go crunchy like a bar snack, and they make a weeknight rice bowl feel like you actually tried. Charred corn, cold cucumber and a sharp lime tahini do the rest. It's a proper dinner with no meat in it, and nobody at the table will notice.

Step 1: Roast the Chickpeas

Heat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan-forced). Get the chickpeas as dry as you can with a tea towel, because wet chickpeas steam instead of crisp. Toss them on a lined tray with 2 tablespoons of the oil and 2 teaspoons of Chooki's Chilli Chicken Salt, spread them out in one layer and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, shaking the tray halfway. They're done when they rattle when you shake the tray.

Step 2: Cook the Rice and Char the Corn

While the chickpeas roast, cook the rice by the absorption method, about 12 minutes covered, then 5 minutes resting off the heat. Heat the last tablespoon of oil in a big frying pan over high heat, add the corn and leave it alone for 2 minutes so it picks up black spots, then toss and cook another 3 to 4 minutes. Hit it with a pinch of the chilli salt.

Step 3: Shake Up the Lime Tahini

Whisk the tahini and lime juice together. It'll go thick and claggy at first, which is normal. Keep adding cold water a spoonful at a time until it pours like thickened cream.

Step 4: Build the Bowls

Spoon rice into four bowls and pile on the chickpeas, corn, cucumber and avocado. Drizzle over the lime tahini, scatter the coriander and finish with a light pinch of chilli salt straight onto the avocado. Squeeze over the lime at the table.

Tip: Add the chickpeas right before you eat. They go soft fast once the dressing hits them, and leftovers crisp back up in a hot oven for 5 minutes.