Tahta Dajaj or chicken with saffron rice

Name: Tahta Dajaj or chicken with saffron rice
Prep time: 15m
Cook time: 1h:30m
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Arabic

Baked chicken in a saffron-rose water gravy, with steamed rice, cashew nuts, raisins and fried onions

Cuisine:Arabic

Cook time:1h:30m

Prep time:15m

Servings:4

2 local baby chickens cut into 4 pieces each

2 tsp local bzar mix (finely ground peppercorns, cumin, coriander, cloves, cardamom, chillies, cinnamon and nutmeg, mixed with ginger and turmeric)

1 pinch saffron

5 tsp rose water

1/2 cup of sunflower oil

2 red onions

2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste

3 green cardamom pods

3 cloves

1/2 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

3 green chillies

3 dry limes

5 tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cup toasted cashew nuts

1/2 cup golden raisins

1kg basmati rice

1/2 cup fried onions

1. Preheat oven to 200ºC.

2. To prepare the chicken, season with bzar.

3. Roast it in the oven at for around 30 minutes and remove. Reset oven to 150ºC.

4. To make the gravy, soak saffron in rose water and set aside.

5. Sauté the onion, ginger-garlic paste and whole spices.

6. Add the powdered spices and stir.

7. Add the chillies, dried limes, fresh tomato, cashew and raisins. Cook well and season.

8. Add the saffron rose water and then add the cooked chicken.

9. Boil the rice and cook for 12 minutes, until less than well done.

10. In a serving pot add the chicken with gravy then add the steamed rice. Place cashew nuts, raisins and fried onions on top.

11. Bake dish for 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe courtesy: Al Mashowa

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