Mandhi Rice - Chicken

അമ്മച്ചി എന്ന് അല്പം മന്ദി റൈസ് ഉണ്ടാക്കി നോക്കി..സത്യം പറയുവ ആണെങ്കിൽ ഇവിടുത്തെ Afgan Brothers resturantil നിന്ന്‌ കഴിച്ചതിലും നല്ലതാരുന്നു ഞാൻ ഉണ്ടാക്കിയത് 

Mandhi Rice - Chicken
Recipe By : Viju Varghese
Ingredients
Chicken, either 1 whole or split into four is best
1 tsp. Hawaij spice mix (I made this at home)
1/4 tsp. Turmeric powder
2 tbsp. melted butter for the chicken marinade
A pinch of saffron threads soaked in 1-2 tbsp. water
3 cups of rice
Water for rice 2 1/2 cups (you need less water than usual)
salt to taste
2-5 green chilis (to taste)
1 onion, chopped
Cardamom pods -5 Cardamom’s
Whole cloves -1 Tbsp
Whole peppercorns – 1 Tbsp
2 tbsp. oil for the rice
Cinnamon stick – 2inches broken
Bay leaves – 5nos
A piece of natural coal

How to:
1. The night before (or several hours) place the saffron threads in a couple tablespoon or so of warm water. Let this sit until the water turns deep orange.
2. Mix together the Hawaij spice mix, turmeric, salt and melted butter. Spread this generously over the chicken, cover and marinate for a couple of hours.
3. In a large pot, sautee the onions in oil over medium heat until soft. Turn off the heat and add the rice, cardamom, cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, chilies, salt, and water.
4. Place a wire rack over the pot of rice and then place the chicken on top of the wire rack, making sure that the pot is larger in diameter than the chicken. Place both in the oven at 425 F.
5. Start off cooking the chicken/rice for 20-25 minutes so that the outside of the chicken starts the browning process. Take the rice pot n chicken out and cover it with Aluminum foil nicely, then lower heat to 325F to cook it through nice and slowly which will give the chicken a nice texture and fall off the bone. Cook it until the juices run clear or internal chicken temp is 165 F. Mine whole chicken took about 1 hr. 45 min.
6. Remove the rice and chicken and let sit for a few minutes. Fluff the rice. Now is also the time to add the saffron and/or food colouring to the rice.
7. Cut the chicken and place it in the rice pot. Place a small ramekin in the middle with vegetable oil / Olive oil inside. Then add the red hot coal inside the oil and cover the pot with a lid. It should smoke, giving the rice a smoky flavor.

Serve hot with Satha sauce n green salads...