Masala Chicken Rajma Rice Bowl

by divy

A one-pot bowl of spiced chicken, kidney beans, and basmati rice served with yogurt, salad, hot sauce

Source: Personal — made it up

lunchdinnerindian

3 servingseasyPrep: 10 minCook: 25 minRest: 5 min

Servings:

Scale by ingredient:

Ingredients

200 g Chicken fillet cubes, cut into small cubes
150 g Basmati rice
200 g Red kidney beans (canned), drained
1 pcs Onion, diced
3 clove Garlic clove, minced
2 tbsp Tomato puree
1 tbsp Olive Oil
○400 ml Water, 300 ml initially, plus up to 100 ml for contingencies
1.75 tsp Everest chicken masala, 1.5 tsp initially, plus 0.25 tsp optional at the end
2.5 tsp Paprika powder, 0.5 tsp for chicken and 2 tsp for rice
1.25 tsp Salt, plus more to taste
0.5 tsp Coriander powder
0.5 tsp Chili flakes

Tools

Deep pot with lid

1.Prep ingredients

Dice the onion, mince the garlic clove, cut the chicken fillet cubes, measure the spices, and rinse the basmati rice 2-3 times. Drain the rice well.

2.Season chicken

Toss the chicken with 1 tsp of everest chicken masala, 1 tsp of paprika powder, and 0 tsp of salt.

3.Brown chicken

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat in the Deep pot with lid. Add the chicken in one layer. Leave it untouched for about , then turn it and cook for another until lightly browned. It does not need to be fully cooked yet. Remove it onto a plate.

4.Cook onion

Reduce to medium heat. Add the diced onion to the same pot. Cook for , stirring and scraping up the browned bits from the bottom.

5.Add garlic

Add the minced garlic and stir for .

6.Bloom spices

Reduce the heat to low-medium and add 2 tsp of paprika powder, 1 tsp of everest chicken masala, 0.5 tsp coriander powder, and 0.5 tsp chili flakes. Stir for about . If the spices start sticking, immediately add 1 tbsp water and scrape the bottom.

7.Cook tomato

Add 2 tbsp tomato puree. Stir for about until it darkens slightly.

8.Add rice

Add the drained basmati rice. Stir for about , coating the grains in the tomato-spice mixture.

9.Add water

Pour in 300 ml water and add 1 tsp salt. Stir once, making sure nothing is stuck to the bottom. Bring it to a boil.

10.Start rice

As soon as it boils, put the lid on and reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Cook for .

11.Add chicken

Open the lid and place the chicken over the rice. Do not stir everything around. If the rice already looks extremely dry, add 30-50 ml water around the edges.

12.Finish cooking

Put the lid back on. Cook on the lowest heat for another .

13.Rest rice

Turn the heat completely off. Keep the lid on and leave it alone for .

14.Check doneness

Taste a few grains of rice. They should be tender. Check a thick chicken piece to make sure it is cooked through. If the rice is still firm, sprinkle in 30-50 ml hot water, cover again, and leave it for another .

15.Add beans

Gently fold in 200 g red kidney beans (canned). Taste the rice. Add more salt if needed. This dish needs enough salt for the spices to actually come through.

16.Warm beans

Put the lid back on and cook on low for . Turn the heat off.

17.Final taste

Taste again. If you want a stronger masala flavor, add 0 tsp chicken masala and gently fold it through.

18.Build bowl

Add the chicken-rajma rice to a bowl and top with salad_mix.name, a generous spoon of greek_yogurt.name, hot_sauce.name, and gouda.name if you want. Finish with just a tiny splash of white_vinegar.name if you want that sharpness.