Arabic Maqlooba

Clean and cut chicken in big pieces(skin on).

Clean and slice all vegetables in thin round shape.

Heat a pan and dry roast together coriander seeds, cumin seeds, black cardamom, black pepper corns, cinnamon stick, nutmeg and mace.

Grind them together to make fine powder. Keep aside.

Heat 1&1/2 tablespoon of olive oil in a big saucepan.

Splatter 1 cinnamon stick, cloves and some black pepper.

Add 2 chopped onions and fry till light golden brown.

Add ginger-garlic paste and saute for a minute.

Add the chicken pieces and fry for 4-5 minutes.

Add salt and the spice powder prepared before.

Saute and add 1 litre of warm water.

When stock starts boiling, cover and cook in medium heat till chicken cooks completely.

In the meantime heat another non stick pan.

Add little olive oil and fry the sliced vegetable in batches.

Keep the fried vegetables in a big dish.

When chicken are cooked completely, remove the pieces from the stock carefully with a tong.

Now add the soaked rice to the chicken stock. Add hot water if necessary to cook rice.

Cook the rice till done.

Rub cooked chicken pieces with 1 teaspoon of soya sauce and 1 teaspoon of paprika.

Fry the chicken pieces with little oil. Keep aside.

When rice cooks completely, take out half of the rice in a bowl.

Put the chicken and vegetable pieces over the rice in the saucepan.

Now arrange the rice kept in the bowl over the layered chicken and vegetables.

Add 1 tablespoon of ghee and cover the lid.

Cook for 10 minutes in low heat.

At the time of serving, uncover and stir lightly with a flat spoon.

For serving, transfer maqlooba in a greased round bowl and press nicely to set. Try to adjust in such a way that at the bottom of the bowl there should be a layer of veggies.

Take a big serving plate and invert the maqlooba bowl carefully. Slowly remove the bowl.

Garnish with some greens and enjoy with any kind of raita or tomato chutney.