Ingredients
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1 baby chicken
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1 cinnamon stick
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salt
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3 cardamom pods
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1/2 lemon
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2 tablespoons rice flour (to be gluten free)
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2 whole cloves
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1/2 teaspoon turmeric
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4 black peppercorns
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2 cups basmati rice
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1/4 cup golden raisin, soaked in water
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3 tablespoons olive oil
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1/2 teaspoon dried lime powder, Loomi
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1 teaspoon middle eastern mixed spice (Baharat Aka Middle East Mixed Spices - the Real Mix)
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1 teaspoon brown sugar
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2 cups pureed canned tomatoes
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2 tablespoons water
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2 garlic cloves, crushed
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1 tablespoon tomato paste
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1/4 cup pine nuts
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sliced blanched almond
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2 large yellow onions, finely chopped
Instructions
- Rinse chicken inside and out.
- Place in a stockpot with enough water to cover. Add cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, cloves, peppercorns, juice of 1/2 lemon and salt to taste.
- Bring to a boil skimming as required, continue to simmer partially covered until chicken is done (approximately 40 minutes).
- Remove and drain the chicken, reserving broth though a strainer.
- Prepare basmati rice according to it's package directions, using broth from chicken instead of water. Add turmeric for colour and salt to taste.
- While the rice is cooking, cook the onions in a skillet over medium heat, with 2 tablespoons olive oil, until soft.
- Sprinkle with a little water and stir quickly until onions are brown and the water has evaporated. Stir in drained raisins, pine nuts, sliced blanched almonds if using, ½ teaspoons bahrat and loomi powder. Cook for one minute. Remove mixture from skillet and set aside.
- Lightly dust the boiled, drained chicken with flour. In a clean skillet over medium-high heat, brown the chicken in 1 Tbs. olive oil, turning, until the outside is crispy and brown.
- For the tomato sauce, add water, chopped tomatoes, crushed garlic, tomato paste, salt, sugar and the rest of bahrat in a small saucepan, sauté until tomatoes are soft and the sauce is well blended.
- When the rice is done, spread it on a serving platter. Sprinkle the onion mixture over the rice, and place the chicken on top. Pass the tomato garlic sauce to spoon onto individual plates.