Kanthari Al Faham Mandi

FOR THE AL FAHAM CHICKEN:

1. Rinse and pat dry the butterflied full chicken or thigh-leg portions of chicken. Reserve the neck and central bones as well as wingtips when preparing the chicken, along with some of the skin. We will use this for preparing the chicken stock.
2. Using a kitchen mallet, pound the chicken firmly to flatten and tenderize. Be careful not to smash the delicate bone sections. (I keep each piece in a large ziplock/bag to avoid any splatter on my kitchen countertop) .
3. If using butterflied full chicken, Make a few diagonal gashes in the pieces, so that the marinade will penetrate better.
4. Add to a large bowl for marinating along with Ginger-Garlic paste(5Tbsp), Black pepper(1tsp), and Lime juice(1Tbsp). Rub this initial marinade into the pieces well. Set this aside for 30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, prepare the second marinade. First, add the ingredients for the special spice blend (coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cinnamon, green cardamom, cloves, Black peppercorn) to a dry pan and dry-roast / grill them for just about a minute, till they are aromatic.
6. Grind the dry spices ( using a grinder jar ) to a powder first. Then add the (onion, tomato, kanthari chilies, mint, and coriander leaves (listed under the second marinade). Grind once again.
7. Add this ground paste along with all the remaining ingredients under 'second marinade' together in a bowl. Mix well till incorporated.
8. Once the chicken has marinated for 30 minutes, pour this second marinade over and rub well into the pieces.
9.  Set aside for a minimum of 3 hours and for best results - overnight in the fridge. ( Bring up to room temperature, before grilling time ).
10. Cooking options: 1: BBQ-Grill over the charcoal BBQ till both sides are lightly charred and the chicken is cooked through. It took me about 15-18 minutes total. When the chicken is just about done, brush it with 3 Tbsp melted butter. I used the disposable instant BBQ kit, which I found very useful. Check the Video on this Chicken Alfaham Recipe for that! 2: Cook on the Stovetop using the method in the video. Here we need 1/2 cup of sunflower oil poured into a heavy-based pot or pan with a high lid.  Once the oil is moderately hot, place the chicken pieces in a single layer and cook covered on low heat. This causes the chicken to fry and steam at the same time. flip over a few times, till you get a nice brown color similar to the BBQ. Be cautious towards the end of cooking, as you don't want the chicken to burn on the bottom. 3: Oven You can also bake/broil in the oven using the same method as my Tandoori Chicken recipe. 
11. Once you have started cooking the chicken, also start cooking the Fragrant Mandi Rice.

FOR THE FRAGRANT MANDI RICE:

1. Once the marinated chicken is removed from the fridge, to come back to room temperature - wash and soak the rice and prepare the stock.
   
2. Rinse the rice well till the water runs clear. Pour fresh water over it and soak for 20 minutes, no more. Afterward, keep drained in a colander.
3. Pour the water for the stock into a stockpot, along with the reserved chicken scraps, spring onion, crushed garlic, and ginger. Bring this to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat. Keep covered and aside till ready to cook the rice. (at least 20 minutes, resting).
4. Heat the oil in a rice cooker (best) or a pot with a tight lid.
5. Add the finely chopped ginger, garlic, and spring onion. Sauté till softened. Add the diced capsicum and the chicken stock cube. Mash this well into the sautéed ingredients. Once, everything is sautéed well and fragrant, without any browning, strain the prepared stock and add. Bring to a simmer.
6. Tip in the thoroughly drained rice. Also, add salt to taste (about 2 tsp) and dried lime.
7. Cover, and cook till the rice cooker indicator turns off.
8. If using a pot with a lid, lower the heat, and cook,  covered until water is entirely absorbed. (About 10 minutes). It is best not to stir the rice in between. Just check that the water is gone, towards the end. Also be careful that the rice does not stick to the bottom of the pot, from overcooking.
9. Once done, immediately fluff up the rice with a fork/ladle.
10. Place the grilled/stove-cooked chicken over the rice. Drizzle some of the oil from cooking (If the stovetop method was followed). Place a steel tumbler containing a red hot piece of charcoal. Pour oil over this to create smoke. Immediately cover with a tight lid, placing a 'weight' on top if needed, to prevent smoke from escaping. Keep covered 10 minutes.
11. Serve the rice while hot, with Garlic sauce and Salata hara.
12. Enjoy and let me know if you try!