Chicken Mandi

Preparing rice:

Heat oil in a large nonstick pot. Add onion and sauté until soft. Add garlic and chili and cook for an additional minute.

Add cardamom, bay leaves, black peppercorns, cumin, cloves, coriander powder, and dried lime powder and chicken and cook for 4-5 mins.

Add 2 cubes MAGGI® Chicken Bouillon and water, simmer over medium heat until chicken is fully cooked and tender.

Gently remove chicken and place on an oven tray with skin-side up. Add rice to the stock, cook over medium-low heat until rice is fully cooked and tender.

Meanwhile, prepare glaze for chicken by mixing tomato paste, yogurt, turmeric and black pepper in a small bowl and brush over the cooked chicken skin. Grill the glazed chicken in a preheated oven at 180°C oven until skin is roasted.

To add smoke flavour to the rice:

Once the rice is fully cooked, remove cover and place a small ceramic bowl in the center. Pour vegetable oil in the bowl and place hot/red charcoal over the oil and quickly cover the rice to prevent the smoke from escaping the pot. Leave cover on for 2-3 mins until rice is infused with smoke.

To assemble the dish, gently fluff the rice and pour into a large serving plate. Arrange roasted chicken pieces over the top and serve.

Pickles and hot sauce are a great accompaniment to Mandi.