One Pot Indian Lemon Rice with Chicken Recipe -- Gluten Free, Allergy Freindly, and Easy

I was tired. My kids were going away for the weekend. I wanted a nice meal but I didn't want to have to work too had to make it. I thought to make a one pot chicken and rice dish. I like chicken thighs and drumsticks all ways, but my kids only like them with crispy skin, so I haven't made this type of dish recently, but it really appealed to me. However, when making this type of dish, cooking the chicken together with rice, you need to have a lot of seasoning in the dish, otherwise your chicken will come out bland. 

I had the idea to make this chicken and rice in the style of my Indian lemon rice. Originally I was remembering this lemon rice recipe incorrectly and I thought I had peas in it, so decided to include defrosted frozen veggies in the dish. It was an experiment that I was pretty sure would work, but couldn't be certain until it finished cooking, and I was very pleased with how it came out. The dish is bursting with flavor, and unlike what I was worried about, the chicken also came out flavorful and even with crispy skin.

I made this dish in my large Dutch oven since it started on the stove top then ended in the oven. But if you don't have something that can also go on the stove top and in the oven, start in a frying pan and then move it to an oven friendly dish.

This dish is naturally gluten free, and if you are allergic to almonds you can easily remove that for it to be free of the top 8 allergens out there.

One Pot Indian Lemon Rice with Chicken Recipe -- Gluten Free, Allergy Freindly, and Easy

Ingredients 

1/4 cup oil
2 medium onions or 1 extra large onion
8 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 cup whole almonds (optional but recommended)
2 cups defrosted frozen vegetables
4 cups basmati rice
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3/4 cup lemon juice

7 1/4 cups boiling water 

1 package (approximately 2-3 lbs) chicken, either thighs, drumsticks, wings, or a mix

Instructions:

1. Defrost your frozen vegetables.

2. Dice onion and mince garlic. Saute in oil on the stove top in the Dutch oven until translucent.

3. Add the mustard seeds, cumin, and turmeric. Saute until getting slightly fragrant. 

4. Roughly chop your almonds and add them to the pan, and cook for a few minutes.

5. Add the rest of the ingredients other than the chicken, and mix well so that the spices get mixed well into the water and aren't beneath the rice.

6. Place the chicken on top of the rice underneath the water, either somewhat submerged in the rice or not, depending on how crispy you like your chicken skin to be.

7. Bake at 350 degrees, covered, for an hour. After an hour, check to make sure the rice is fully cooked and soft. If desired, uncover the Dutch oven and bake uncovered for another 20 minutes to crisp up the chicken.

 

Enjoy!

Are you a fan of Indian food? Ever have lemon rice? Do you cook one pan chicken and rice, and if so, how do you season it? Does this look like a recipe you'd try?