Mild in chilli but mighty in flavour, this one-pot chicken and rice dish is a brilliant autumn evening meal. Looks much lengthier and complicated than it actually is! Feeds 2 generously
- 160g basmati rice
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 black cardamom pods
- 4 cloves
- 4 black peppercorns
- 1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cm piece of ginger, minced
- 3 green birdseye chillis
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 2 tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp salt
- 400g chicken thigh, diced into small pieces [or paneer or chickpeas instead if you like]
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp crispy fried onions
- Juice of ½ a lemon
- 250ml boiling water
- Handful flaked almonds, toasted
- Handful fresh coriander, chopped
- Yoghurt, mango chutney, green chutney
- Rinse the basmati rice thoroughly under cold water, soak it in water for 10 mins, then drain well
- Put the tip of a sharp knife through each of the chillis without fully splitting them lengthways
- Heat the veg oil in a deep, lidded frying pan over medium heat
- Put the cinnamon stick, cumin seeds, black cardamom pods, cloves and peppercorns into the pan
- Fry and stir about for a minute until aromatic
- Tip in the onions, then stir well and cook for 8-10 mins until completely soft and golden brown
- Add the bay leaf, ginger, garlic and chillis. Stir together and cook for a couple of mins
- Then add the turmeric, garam masala and salt to the pan and stir to combine
- Add the diced chicken, butter, wet rice, crispy onions and lemon juice, and stir well to coat everything in the spices
- Pour in 250ml boiling water, stir into the rice and turn the heat up to bring back to the boil
- Put on the lid, reduce the heat to low and cook for 5 mins
- Then lift the lid, cover the pot with a tea towel, place the lid tightly back on top (flipping the tea towel edges onto the top of the lid so you don’t set fire to them) and cook for a further 10 mins
- Turn off the heat and leave to steam for another 5 mins without lifting the lid, then open up and fluff well
- Serve sprinkled with fresh coriander and flaked almonds – with plain yoghurt, mango chutney and green chutney on the side or just dolloped in an artistic manner on top
Sophie cooks 