← Nouns Cooking · Indian

Ingredients

• 750 g bone-in chicken thighs or drumsticks, skin removed
• 150 g Plain yogurt
• 1 tbsp Ginger, finely grated
• 5 cloves Garlic, crushed
• 2 tsp garam masala or biryani masala
• 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• ¼ tsp Ground turmeric
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 Green chilli, slit
• 400 g Basmati rice, rinsed until the water runs clear
• 2 Bay leaves
• 4 green cardamom pods
• 5 whole cloves
• 1 Cinnamon stick
• 1 Star anise (optional)
• 1½ tbsp salt, for the rice water
• 2 large onions, very thinly sliced
• 100 ml oil, for frying the onions
• 1 handful mint leaves
• 1 handful Coriander (cilantro), chopped
• 1 pinch Saffron, soaked in 3 tbsp warm milk
• 3 tbsp warm milk, for the saffron
• 2 tbsp Ghee, melted

Method

1. Mix the chicken with the yogurt, ginger, garlic, spices, salt, lemon juice, green chilli and half the mint and coriander. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour. Soak the rinsed rice in cold water for 30 min.
2. Heat the oil in a wide, heavy pot that has a tight lid. Fry the onions over medium heat, stirring often, for 15–20 min until deep golden brown. Lift them out onto kitchen paper; they crisp as they cool.
3. Pour off all but about 3 tbsp of the onion oil. Add the chicken and its marinade with half the fried onions. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 15 min, stirring once, until the chicken is mostly cooked and sitting in a thick sauce.
4. Meanwhile, bring a big pan of water to a rolling boil with the whole spices and the salt (it should taste like the sea). Drain the rice, add it and boil for 5–6 min, until the grains are long but still have a firm core. Drain well.
5. Spread the rice over the chicken in an even layer without stirring. Scatter over the rest of the onions, mint and coriander, drizzle with the saffron milk and ghee.
6. Cover tightly (seal with foil under the lid if it’s loose) and cook on the lowest heat for 20 min. Turn off the heat and leave it closed for 5 min.
7. Check that the chicken is cooked through (75°C / 165°F near the bone). Serve by scooping down through the layers, with raita on the side.

Tips

• Leftover rice should be cooled quickly, refrigerated within 1–2 hours and reheated until piping hot.
• A heavy pot and very low heat stop the bottom from burning; a flat tawa or heat diffuser under the pot helps on strong burners.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Swasthi's Recipes RecipeTin Eats BBC Good Food