Description
Bone-in chicken marinated in yogurt and garam masala, layered under parboiled basmati and saffron milk, then sealed and steamed on the lowest heat for 25 minutes. Serves six.
Ingredients
Units
- 2 lbs bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks
- 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 cups aged basmati rice, soaked 30 minutes and drained
- 4 tablespoons ghee
- 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
- 4 green cardamom pods
- 4 whole cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, soaked in 3 tablespoons warm milk
- 2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken in yogurt, garam masala, turmeric, chili powder, and salt for at least 1 hour, or overnight in the refrigerator.
- Parboil the soaked and drained rice in a large pot of heavily salted boiling water for 5 minutes — the rice should be about 70 percent cooked, still firm in the center. Drain and set aside.
- Heat the ghee in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Fry the sliced onions, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 18 minutes until deep golden brown and crispy. Remove half the onions and reserve for garnish.
- Add the cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and bay leaves to the remaining onions. Cook 30 seconds. Add garlic and ginger, cook 1 minute. Add the marinated chicken with all the marinade. Cook 8 minutes, turning once.
- Layer the parboiled rice evenly over the chicken. Drizzle the saffron milk over the rice. Scatter the mint leaves on top.
- Seal the pot tightly with foil, then place the lid on top. Cook on the lowest possible heat for 25 minutes. Do not open the lid during this time.
- Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Gently fluff the rice and fold the layers together. Garnish with reserved fried onions, cilantro, and a squeeze of lemon.
Notes
- Parboil the soaked rice for exactly 5 minutes. It should still have a firm center, because it finishes cooking in the sealed pot.
- Fry the onions the full 15 to 18 minutes, until deep golden and crisp. Half go into the pot and half are the garnish.
- Press foil under the lid and keep the heat as low as it will go for the 25 minutes. Opening the lid lets the steam out.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 80 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Indian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 560
- Sugar: 5
- Sodium: 740
- Fat: 22
- Carbohydrates: 58
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 34
- Cholesterol: 110