Chicken with Chili Vinegar and Pickled Cabbage (Kao Mok Gai)

Ingredients :

1 whole chicken, 1-1.25kg cut into 8 pieces

salt to taste

4 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp red chili powder

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tbsp ground coriander

3 bay leaves

2 medium onions, chopped

2 tsp chopped ginger

1 tbsp chopped garlic

2 tsp ground turmeric

2 cups (300g) jasmine or other long grain rice

1 tbsp cracked black peppercorns

875ml water

2 tbsp chopped

coriander (cilantro) leaves

Chili Vinegar

2 red or green chili peppers, chopped

pinch of salt

pinch of sugar

60ml white vinegar

Method :

Place the chicken in a bowl. Add the salt, 1 tablespoon of the oil, 3 teaspoons of the chili powder, 2 teaspoons of the cumin and 2 teaspoons of the coriander. Coat the chicken thoroughly and leave to marinate for 1 hour. Heat the remaining oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Quickly cook the chicken until browned on all sides. Remove and set aside. Add the bay leaves and onion to the same pan. Saut�ed until the onion is transparent. Add the ginger, garlic and turmeric, and the remaining chili powder, cumin and coriander. Sautee for 1-2 minutes. Add the rice and peppercorns. Cook, stirring, until all the rice is coated with oil. Add the water and bring to a fast boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes. When the water has almost evaporated, add the chicken. Stir through gently, until the chicken is embedded in the rice. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 10-12 minutes, until the rice is done. Remove the lid and turn off the heat. Allow the dish to rest for 10-15 minutes. Before serving, fluff the rice with a chopstick or roasting fork, taking care not to mash the rice. Sprinkle with the coriander leaves. Serve hot with the chili vinegar and Korean pickled cabbage (Kim Chi). Chili vinegar : Combine the chili peppers, salt, sugar and vinegar in a bowl. Set aside until ready to use.

A Thai adaptation of a unique biryani from India. Unlike the Indian version, it is not served with the traditional yoghurt, but with chili vinegar and pickled cabbage. I have used chicken in this recipe, but beef or lamb works equally well.

Serves 4 - 6