Biryani

Method

De-seed the chile pods. Place the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, chile pods and black peppercorns in a medium-hot frying pan. Heat and stir the spices until the mixture evolves whiff of smoke. (Do not burn!) Transfer the spices to a coffee grinder and process into a fine powder. Add the cardamom powder and turmeric and pulse to combine.

Dice the onions. Smash the garlic into a paste.

If desired, remove the skin from the legs and thighs. With a cleaver, chop the legs and thighs in half. Heat-up a Dutch Oven, add the clarified butter and sear the chicken until both sides are golden-brown. Remove the chicken and de-grease the pan.

Rinse the Basmati rice three times with water and drain in a fine mesh collander. In the Dutch Oven, melt the clarified butter and fry the broken up cinnamon stick for a few seconds. Add onions and fry until slightly golden. Place the drained Basmati rice in the pan and toast (while turning) for a few minutes. Throw the contents of the coffee grinder, garlic, chicken and water into the pan. Adjust salt to taste. Bring the contents of the pan to a hard-boil, cover tightly and simmer slowly for 20 minutes. Allow the dish to rest - off heat - for 10 minutes before serving.