Mum Dump
Cardamom Chicken
Recipe by Nicola Scruby
Ok, pre-kids this was my favourite meal (inspired by Ottolenghi's Caramelised Onion & Chicken). I've adapted his recipe to make it fast and mum dump proof!! I wasn't sure it would work but it turned out so well and my kids also ate it (had to have yoghurt as a condiment). If your children don't like cranberries you can swap them for currants or raisins.
Why this one is on repeat
Rice, onion, garlic, cranberries and spices go into the dish dry, bone broth goes over the top, chicken thighs sit on top of that. The oven does the rest and it comes out looking like it took far longer than it did.
Chicken thighs bring protein, iron and zinc and stay juicy through a long bake. Cooking the rice in bone broth instead of water adds body and extra protein, cardamom and cinnamon do the flavour heavy lifting without any chilli, and the yoghurt and lemon at the end keep it fresh (and kid-approved).
Looking for more dinners like this? Browse our recipes for the whole family.
Ingredients
Chicken and rice
- 1 kg boneless chicken thighs
- 2 cups basmati rice, rinsed and well drained
- 1 brown onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- ½ cup dried cranberries (or sultanas / currants)
- 3 cups (750 ml) chicken bone broth
- 1 tbsp ground cardamom
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1½ tsp salt
- 1 to 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp ghee (or butter)
To serve
- Large handful fresh dill, roughly chopped
- ½ cup Greek yoghurt
- 1 lemon
- Handful of pistachios, chopped (optional)
Method
- 01 Preheat the oven to 190°C fan-forced.
- 02 Add the rinsed rice, onion, garlic, cranberries, cardamom, cinnamon and salt to a large baking dish.
- 03 Pour the bone broth over and give it a good stir, making sure the rice is evenly spread out and submerged. Dot the ghee (or butter) over the top.
- 04 Lay the chicken thighs over the rice so they're about three-quarters submerged. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- 05 Cover the dish tightly with foil (or use an oven-proof cast iron pot with a lid) and bake for 45 minutes.
- 06 Remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes, until the chicken is golden and cooked through and the rice is tender.
- 07 Rest for 5 to 10 minutes, then fluff the rice around the chicken.
- 08 Finish with the fresh dill, chopped pistachios, a squeeze of lemon and a dollop of yoghurt on each plate.
