This Parsi recipe is super special for two reasons; I learned it during my recent trip to India and I’m cooking it for one of my very good friends.
Serves 6-8 people.
Ingredients
4 brown onions, thinly sliced
sunflower/vegetable/rapeseed
1 tbsp fenugreek seeds
1 tbsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp cloves
2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
kashmiri chilli powder
3 tbsp sesame seed oil
1 whole chicken, chopped into large pieces and rinsed
1 ½ tsp salt
2″ fresh ginger, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
10 cardamom pods
2 cinnamon sticks
4-5 bay leaves
2 brown onions, finely chopped
3 large tomatoes, roughly chopped
saffron
500g basmati rice, washed
Method
– Add 5 tbsp of oil to a hot pan. Add the thinly sliced onions and cook for 10-15 minutes until golden.
– Once golden, drain the onions through a sieve and collect the excess oil in a bowl underneath.
– To prepare the spice mix add the fenugreek seeds to a dry pan, and cook them on high heat until lightly toasted. Transfer the seeds to a pestle and mortar. Repeat this process with the black mustard seed, black peppercorns, and cloves all separately. Then crush all the spices to a coarse powder. Transfer the spices to a bowl, and add 1 tsp turmeric powder, ground cinnamon, and 2 tbsp kashmiri chilli powder. Mix well.
– In a small pan, add the sesame seed oil and heat until it becomes smokey. Pour this onto the spices and mix well.
– Add the chicken to a large bowl. Add the salt, spice mix, 1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder, 1 tsp turmeric powder, and 1 tbsp oil of your choice. Massage the spices into the chicken thoroughly. Allow it to marinate for 30 minutes or overnight if possible.
– Transfer the oil from the fried onion to a hot pan. Add the cinnamon sticks, 6 cardamom pods, and bay leaves, and let them sizzle. Add the garlic and ginger and cook on medium heat for 2 minutes.
– Add the onions, increase the heat, and cook for 6-8 minutes until golden.
– Add the marinated chicken and a handful of the fried onions, stir through, and continue to cook on high heat for 10 minutes.
– Add the tomatoes, stir through, cover, and cook on low heat for 45 minutes.
– Meanwhile prepare the rice by filling a pan halfway with water, add 4 cardamom pods, a pinch of saffron, and basmati rice. Cook until 70% done and then drain.
– Preheat the oven to 200°C / 180°C with a fan.
– In a large, oven-proof pan add a layer of cooked rice, then a layer of chicken curry. Then, add another layer of rice, and chicken curry, and top with rice and the fried onions. Cover, and place in the oven for 30 minutes.
Option to serve with some raita on the side. Time to tuck in!