Ingredients
- 1 kg bone in chicken ( I used drumsticks, but you can use boneless chicken as well)
- 1/4 cup oil
- 3-4 small cinnamon sticks (bark)
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp or to taste crushed red pepper flakes
- 5-6 cardamom pods
- 8-10 whole peppercorn
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 green chillies chopped
- 2 small tomatoes diced
- 1 heaping tbsp garlic paste
- 1 heaping tbsp ginger paste
- 1.5 cups fried onion
- 3 cups of water total
- 2 cups rice (washed several times, soaked for 30 minutes then drained)
- Handful of fresh coriander leaves chopped
Method
- Heat a large pot on med heat with the oil.
- Add whole spices and sauté for a minute (do not burn)
- Increase heat to med high.
- Add chicken and cook until light golden.
- Add in ginger and garlic paste and cook for a few minutes until fragrant.
- Add in powdered spices and green chilies and mix. Cook for a couple of minutes.
- Add in tomatoes and sauté.
- Add 1/2 cup water and cover and cook for 5-6 minutes.
- Add fried onions and chopped cilantro.
- Cover and cook for 3 minutes- add 1 tbsp of water each time if sticking to the bottom.
- Add rice + 2.5 cups of water. Taste the water for salt, should be salty.
- Let water come to a boil, then decrease the heat to low and cover. Let cook for 20 minutes- check if rice is cooked and water evaporated.
- Place the pot covered in a preheated oven at 250F for 10 minutes. garnish with additional cilantro and fried onions ( optional) enjoy!