Grilled Chicken With Cardamom Rose Rice

Grilled Chicken is an absolute favourite in my house, I try to make grilled chicken with different flavours all the time.

Talking about flavours, I love Middle eastern and Mediterranean flavours, I reckon if they are carefully paired, it can create something absolutely wonderful.

If you follow me on social media, you would know I cook a lot of chicken and I try to come with new recipes all the time. A few weeks ago my cousin was visiting me from Bahrain and he brought some delicious spice blends like Bahraini masala, Black Lemon powder and many other amazing spice blends.  I was quite keen to use to them in my cooking, the result was this flavourful grilled chicken!

I wanted to pair the grilled chicken with something different rather than the samey naan and then I found this Cardamom Rice recipe by Chef Yotam Ottolenghi.  I instantly liked the idea, albeit the recipe is inspired by him I made the rice according to our taste. It’s fragrant, it’s packed with flavours and it’s an absolute cracking dish!

Check this healthy Chicken recipe.

Do give this recipe a try!

Ingredients (Grilled Chicken):

• 4 chicken thighs or legs with skin and bone
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp garlic paste
• ½ tsp black lemon powder
• ¼ tsp nutmeg powder
• 1 tsp chopped thyme
• 1 tbsp freshly chopped lemon balm
• 1 tsp apple sauce or grated apple
• 1 pickled lemon crushed
• 1 tsp or to taste red chilli powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• Salt to taste

Instructions:

Mix all the ingredients with butter and oil, whisk it well and rub the chicken pieces well with it. Marinate the chicken for minimum 30 minutes up to 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.

Grill the chicken for 20-25 minutes or completely cooked and charred from outside. In the halftime, turn the tray around and baste the chicken.

Serve hot over the rice.

Ingredients (Rice):

• 1 ½ cup long grain basmati rice
• 1 onion finely sliced
• 1 tsp garlic paste
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 5-6 cardamom pods
• ½ tsp crushed cardamom or powder
• A few saffron strands mixed in 1 tbsp warm milk
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp oil
• Water to cook rice
• Salt to taste
• Coriander for garnishing
• A few rose buds for garnishing (optional)
• 1 tsp rose water (optional)

Instructions:

Heat water with salt and oil and add rice, stirring occasionally cook the rice without breaking the grain. Wash the rice to stop from carryover cooking. Keep it in the colander to strain it.

Heat butter, add all the whole spices and onion. Sauté the onion till golden, add in the garlic and cook till the onion is brown. Add the cooked rice, saffron milk, cardamom powder, rose water  and salt. Mix it without breaking the rice grain.

Garnish with fresh coriander.