Revving rice

Eid is just around the corner, and you know what that means; friends and family coming over for a lunch or dinner together. And despite the many various dishes prepped, one thing unfortunately remains constant, typical rice dishes like polau. Why not change things up this Eid with these special rice recipes, courtesy of Md. Bilal Hossain, Chef of Qatar Airways.

CHICKEN MANDI

Ingredients

Mandi Spices

½ tsp Cinnamon powder

½ tsp Cloves powder

½ tsp Ginger powder

1 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp Nutmeg powder

1 tbsp Coriander powder

1 tbsp Cumin powder

Mix all the spices and keep aside

For the rice:

500g Basmati rice

1/3 cup ghee

1 piece chicken Maggi cube

2 Onions finely chopped

4/8 Green cardamom

4 Green chilli, chopped

Salt to taste

1 tomato, dice cut

2 tbsp mandi spices

1 tsp black pepper powder

2 pieces coal

900ml hot water

2 pieces cinnamon sticks

3 bay leaves, 6 cloves

Wash the rice and keep aside. Use fried onion, Almond slice, fried raisin and coriander leaf for garnish.

For Marinating

800g chicken, with skin, cut into 8 pieces

1 tbsp garlic and ginger paste

2 lemons, juiced

2 tbsp paprika powder

2 tbsp mandi spices heaped

Salt to taste

Oil for frying

Method

Marinate the chicken with mandi spice, salt, garlic and ginger paste, lemon juice. Mix well, cover, and keep in the fridge for two hours. After two hours, heat oil and fry the chicken pieces till golden on both sides on high flame and then keep aside. Now heat the ghee, and add onions, cloves, bay leaves, green cardamom, and cinnamon stick. Fry till light golden on high flame. Then add tomatoes, green chilli mix, and cook till soft on high flame. Now add black pepper, salt, and place the fried chicken pieces, mandi spice, water and chicken Maggi cube. Make sure that the chicken pieces are covered, and then wait for a boil on high flame. Now cover the pot and cook for 20 minutes on medium flame to make the stock. Then remove the chicken pieces, wash the rice and add to the stock and mix well. Cover and cook on high flame till the stock dries. Heat the coal till red hot. Once the stock dries, cover the lid and simmer for 10 minutes and close the flame. Then place the chicken pieces on the rice and add the hot coal on foil with 1 teaspoon of oil, cover till the smoke settles-- for few minutes. Serve hot.

SPICY LAMB ORIENTAL RICE

Ingredients

500g minced lamb

500g long grain white rice, washed and drained

4 medium onions, finely chopped

¼ cup raisins

Fried onions

1½ tsp ground cinnamon

5 tbsp olive or vegetable oil

1 tsp ground allspice

½ tsp ground black pepper

4 whole cardamom pods

2 bay leaves

1 cube Maggi Chicken Bouillon

4 cups hot water

2 cups mixed fried nuts, for garnish

5 pieces green chilli

1 tbsp garlic and ginger paste

Method

Heat oil in a pot and fry the onions for 5-8 minutes until golden brown. Add garlic and ginger paste. Add lamb, raisins, cinnamon, allspice, pepper, cardamom and bay leaves. Cook until the meat is golden brown and then add green chillies. Add the rice and mix well with meat and spices. Add the Maggi Chicken Bouillon and water, mix well, bring to boil, cover and cook on low heat for 20-25 minutes or until rice is cooked. Serve the rice on a serving plate and garnish with the fried nuts and fried onion.

Photo: Collected