One-Pot Chicken Rice

This One-Pot Chicken Rice is a hearty & filling meal you can prepare for your next family gathering. The chicken legs in this dish are succulent and the rice is so flavourful and fluffy that you’ll be making this again and again.

We prepared ours using Zaara Premium Basmati Rice, which we got from one of our partners Sosun Fihaara. This medium-grain rice is aromatic and fluffy when cooked. It also soaked up all the flavours of the chicken, the spices and the sauces, making this dish a truly satisfying one.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

For the chicken

• 4 large chicken drumsticks
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp chilli powder
• 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 3 tbsp olive oil

For the rice

• 1 medium onion
• 1 large bell pepper
• 1 large tomato
• ½ scotch bonnet pepper
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/3 cups Zaara Premium Basmati Rice
• 2 ½ cups water
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• ½ tsp chicken stock cube

For the topping

• 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

Instructions:

1. Score every drumstick in 3 places and pat them dry with tissue paper.
2. Add the chicken legs to a bowl. Add the salt, ground black pepper, cumin, chilli powder and ginger garlic paste. Mix to combine.
3. Heat olive oil to a large pot. Add the chicken legs and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes or until you get a crispy outside on the chicken. The chicken doesn’t have to be cooked all the way. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside.
4. Dice the onion, chop the bell pepper and tomato in to cubes, and finely chop the scotch bonnet.
5. In to the same pot that you cooked the chicken (without washing), add in a tbsp of oil, the onion, bay leaf and scotch bonnet. Sauté on medium heat for 2 minutes or until the onion becomes soft and lightly brown.
6. Then add in the tomato and the bell pepper. Sauté until they are soft and lightly brown in color.
7. Add the garlic ginger paste, chili flakes, and salt. Mix well.
8. Add in the Zaara Premium Basmati Rice (washed and drained) and mix to combine.
9. Then add in the water and the soy sauce and oyster sauce. Stir until well combined.
10. Add in ½ tsp of a chicken stock cube and mix to combine.
11. Lastly, place the chicken on top of the rice. Put a lid on top and cook on medium low heat for 25-27 minutes or until the chicken is all the way cooked and the rice is soft and fluffy.
12. When it’s done, add the chopped coriander leaves on top.