Upside Down Rice Cake

Upside Down Rice Cake

An Original Recipe by Not Quite Nigella

Serves 6

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 60 minutes (45 of which are unattended)

Resting time: 20 minutes

• 1/2 head of cauliflower

• 4 long, thin Japanese eggplants

• 2 large onions

• 2 cloves garlic

• 800g/28.2ozs chicken pieces on the bone, skin on

• 2.5 cups basmati rice

• 1/2 cup currants or sultanas

• oil for frying

• 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts

Chicken spices:

• 3-4 green cardamom seeds, crushed

• 1 teaspoons coriander seeds, crushed

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon seven spices mix or Baharat

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon paprika

Rice spices:

• 1 teaspoon mixed spice

• 1 teaspoon turmeric

• 1/2-1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

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Step 1 - Cut cauliflower into small florets and slice eggplants on the diagonal. Chop onions and garlic cloves finely and set aside. Prepare the first spice mix and put a kettle full of water on the boil. Heat a large saucepan with some oil and fry the cauliflower, browning it and remove from the pan. Add more oil and fry the eggplant and remove from pan.

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Step 2 - Add some more oil and fry the onion and garlic. Then brown the chicken skin side down and then turn over. Add the chicken spice mixture lot to the chicken turning well, it will smell fantastic. Add enough water to just cover the chicken and simmer this for 15 minutes.

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Step 3 - While it is simmering, soak the rice in water and measure out the rice spice mix. After 15 minutes, drain the rice and mix in the second spice mix and the currants coating the rice well with the colourful spices and distributing the currants.

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Step 4 -  Heat the pot in which you're going to make the dish in, it needs to have high edges as it is quite a high "cake." Add some more oil onto the bottom and sprinkle a thin layer of the rice on the bottom. Remove the chicken from the other saucepan and place skin down on the rice and then layer with cauliflower and eggplant pieces (everything gets tipped upside down so just keep that in mind). Place the rest of the rice on top flattening it gently but firmly-the firmer packed it is, the better. Add the chicken simmering liquid and all of the spices in it on top and pat down again. Secure the lid tightly and cook on low for 45-60 minutes - do not boil.

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Step 5 - After it has been cooked (the rice on the bottom cooks faster than the one at the top) then remove from the heat and allow to rest for about 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pot to loosen any bits. Clamp a large platter to the pot with your hands and gently upend the pot-pray a little that it works and gently lift the pot. There will be some rice that sticks to the pot but that was just so the chicken doesn't stick and that's your cook's treat. Sprinkle with the toasted pine nuts (don't forget them like I did! ;) ). Serve with bread and a yogurt dip or salad.

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