Roasted Chicken with Rice

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken
• 1 onion, sliced into rings
• bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon seven-spice
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1 tablespoon chicken kabsa spice blend
• 2 tablespoons yogurt
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Rice:
• 3 cups basmati rice
• 6 cups water
• nuts and raisins, optional
• 1 finely chopped onion
• oil or ghee
• 1 tablespoon of the spice mixture mentioned above
• Dagous Sauce:
• 3 red tomatoes
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• a pinch of dried mint
• a pinch of oregano
• 1/4 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon sweet pepper paste
• salt, to taste
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1/2 cup water
• Rice Method:
• In a little oil or ghee, sauté the nuts until lightly golden.
• Remove them from the pot, and in the same pot sauté the finely chopped onion until it starts to color.
• Dagous Sauce Method:
• Cook the onion and garlic in a little oil until softened, then add the peeled tomatoes cut into small cubes, the sweet pepper paste, tomato paste, spices, vinegar, dried mint, and 1/2 cup water.
• Let them boil over medium heat until slightly reduced, then blend until smooth.
• Return the dagous sauce to the pot over the heat and boil it for 1 minute before serving alongside the roasted chicken with rice.
• This delicious recipe is from a friend and cook at the Sho Tabkhin Today website
• Ruwida Al-Haj Rifai
• Click on Ruwida's name to visit her profile on our website and discover all her delicious recipes
• For more wonderful chicken recipes from Ruwida, here is Chicken Couscous
• Click the link to make Delicious Chicken Fatteh in Ruwida's style as well

Method

1. Rub the whole chicken with salt and lemon, then wash it well with water and let it drain completely.
2. Mix all the spices together, then take out 1 tablespoon to use later for the rice.
3. Add the yogurt, oil, and butter to the remaining spices and mix well.
4. Pat the chicken dry on the outside with paper towels to remove any moisture, then rub it inside, outside, and under the skin with this spice, yogurt, oil, and butter mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight.
   Timers: 180 min
5. In a baking tray, place the onion rings and bay leaves, then place the chicken on top after marinating it long enough.
6. Add 1 cup of water to the bottom of the tray, then cover it with baking paper moistened with a little water, followed by aluminum foil, and seal well.
7. Place the tray in an oven preheated from the top and bottom on the first rack and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes (on high heat for the first half hour, then medium heat for the remaining time).
   Timers: 60 min, 15 min
8. Remove the foil and baking paper and brown the chicken well from the top.
9. Add the tablespoon of spices we set aside and stir. Add the raisins at this stage if desired, and stir for only 2 minutes before adding the washed and drained rice.
   Timers: 2 min
10. Add the required amount of water for the rice and adjust the salt. Bring the water to a boil over high heat until it reaches the level of the rice.
11. Reduce the heat and cook the rice until done, about 20 minutes.
    Timers: 20 min
12. When serving, garnish the chicken and rice with the fried nuts.