Chicken Mandi

Ingredients

• 1 kilogram whole chicken with the skin, cleaned and vertically halved
• 2 cups Basmati rice, washed, soaked for 20 minutes and drained 
• 3-4 fresh red chillies
• Olive oil to drizzle
• Fried raisins for garnish
• 8-10 almonds, blanched, peeled and deep fried for garnish
• Mandi masala
• 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
• 5-6 green cardamoms
• 5-6 cloves
• 2 star anise
• 8-10 black peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 inch cinnamon 
• 1 dried lemon, broken
• 3 dried red chillies
• Salt to taste
• Stock
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 3-4 green cardamoms
• 5-6 black peppercorns
• 3-4 cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 inch cinnamon 
• 3 medium white onions, sliced
• 1 dried lemon
• Salt to taste

• Marinade

• A large pinch of saffron
• 1 tablespoon olive oil + for drizzling
• Salt to taste

Method

1. To make the mandi masala, heat a pan, add coriander seeds, cumin seeds, green cardamoms, cloves, star anise, black peppercorns, bay leaves, cinnamon, dried lemon and dried red chillies, mix and dry roast. Take the pan off the heat and allow to cool.
2. Put the roasted spices in a grinder jar, add salt and grind to a fine powder.
3. To make the stock, heat oil in a deep wide non-stick pan, add cumin seeds, coriander seeds, green cardamoms, black peppercorns, cloves, bay leaves and cinnamon, mix and sauté till fragrant.
4. Add onions, mix and sauté till translucent. Add dried lemon, 1 teaspoon mandi masala and mix well. Add 4-5 cups water and mix. Add salt, mix and bring the mixture to a boil. 
5. Gently slide in the chicken, mix, cover and cook on medium heat for 20-25 minutes. Drain the chicken and place it on a plate. Discard the lemon.
6. Strain half the stock and reserve it.
7. Add rice to the stock remaining in the pan and mix well. Cook till the mixture comes to a boil.
8. Meanwhile, to make the marinade, take 1½ tablespoons mandi masala in a small bowl. Add saffron, olive oil, 2-3 tablespoons of the reserved stock and mix well. Apply this mixture thoroughly all over the chicken.
9. Place fresh red chillies and chicken over the rice mixture, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 8-10 minutes.
10. Take some hot charcoal pieces in a small stainless steel bowl, place it over the rice, drizzle some olive oil over it, cover immediately and let the smoke infuse for 1-2 minutes.
11. Remove the steel bowl, and transfer the rice onto a large serving plate and place the chicken on top. Garnish with fried raisins, fried almonds and serve hot with the reserved stock.