Honey Chicken and Saffron Rice

This is the perfect meal to make when, for a very good reason*, you forget that you are supposed to have people over for dinner in 3 hours. This recipe is not only delightfully tasty, and different, the aroma wafting out of your kitchen will make you want to close all the windows so your house can smell like that permanently. Pure heaven!

Saffron Rice

Ingredients
2 cups of basmati rice, washed
Pinch of saffron, soaked in 1/4 cup of water
1/4 teaspoon of ground cardamom
1 Knorr double stock cube
Pinch of ground cumin
2 cloves of garlic, pounded
1 red onion, diced
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of salt

Method
In a pot on medium-low heat, pour olive oil. Add onion, garlic, cumin, cardamom, and salt. Stir well and reduce heat to low. Leave to cook for 2 minutes. Add the stock cube, the 1/4 cup of water with the saffron, and 5 cups of water. Stir and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the rice, stir, cover and cook till rice is done. Remove from heat, and fluff the rice with a fork.


Honey Chicken

Ingredients
1 kg, chicken, cut into pieces
3 tablespoons, olive oil
6 cloves, garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon, freshly grated ginger
2 teaspoons, curry powder
2 teaspoons, turmeric
2 tablespoons, honey
4 tablespoons, ketchup
2 tablespoons, freshly blended habanero (atarodo)
1 large red onion, sliced
1 teaspoon, salt
Oil for deep frying

Method
In a bowl, add olive oil, turmeric, salt, 1 tablespoon of habanero and curry powder. Mix to combine. Wash the chicken, pat dry and put in the bowl. Toss chicken, making sure the marinade coats each piece. Refrigerate the chicken for an hour.
Remove the chicken from the bowl and deep fry in a wok at 350 for 6 minutes. Drain the oil from the wok, but reserve 2 tablespoons.
Pound the ginger and garlic and sauté in the reserved oil. Add ketchup, the remaining habanero and honey, and stir to combine. Add a little water to the wok. Add salt to taste, then add the chicken pieces and mix well. Leave to cook for 5 minutes and serve with Saffron Rice.

If I can, you can,

Deema

*reason being that you have a resolution to re-watch all the seasons of 24 because you love Jack Bauer/Kiefer Sutherland.