Serves 6-8
Tumeric Chicken
8 pieces of chicken (drumsticks / thighs)
1 tbsp ground tumeric (or more – make sure the chicken has a nice colour)
1 tsp salt
1)Season chicken pieces with salt and tumeric.
2)Mix well and leave to marinate while preparing the rice.
Basmati Pilaf
4 cups basmati rice
1½ medium yellow onions, finely diced
5 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tsp ground tumeric
1 tsp cumin
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground black pepper
salt for seasoning
½ cup dried fruit (chopped dried apricot / cranberries / raisins) *Optional
½ cup toasted almond slivers. *Optional
oil
3 tbsp unsalted butter (more or less)
water or chicken stock to cook the rice (sorry, can't give a quantity as I eyeballed it – basically I used the same amount of water to cook normal Jasmine rice)
1)Preheat oven to 180 C.
2)Wash basmati rice until water runs clear. Drain well and set aside. (I put into a strainer and leave it to drain while I prepare the rest of the ingredients.
3)Heat oil into a pot/pan and brown the chicken, skin side down first.
4)When skin is golden brown, brown the other side. Chicken does not have to be fully cooked, since it will continue cooking in the oven.
5)Take out chicken pieces and set aside.
6)Lower heat and add butter to oil.
7)Fry the onion till fragrant and translucent.
8)Add the garlic, tumeric, cumin and cinnamon and fry till fragrant. (maybe half a minute)
9)Add rice, salt and pepper and mix well. (To be honest, I didn't add any salt at all.)
10)Add water or stock. (I used up some leftover stock, but didn't have enough, so topped up with water.)
11)Arrange chicken pieces on top of rice.
12)Cover pot and place in oven for about 30 minutes.
13)Remove lid and bake for about 10 more minutes if you wish to for more colour.
14)Remove from oven and serve.
15)Enjoy!
Note: The dried fruit and nuts can be added to the rice at the table, after removing the chicken, then mixed in. I didn't as my children don't like it, but they were available for others at the table.