Chicken leg tikka with lentil and pistachio rice

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1.2 kg chicken leg(s)
• ½ tsp cumin
• ½ tsp coriander seeds
• 300 g yogurt
• 1 ½ tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp chili
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 3 tbsp lime juice
• 2 garlic cloves, finely diced
• 20 g ginger, finely chopped
• 4 tomatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• Salt
• Coriander leaves or mint leaves
• 200 g basmati rice
• 3 kaffir lime leaves
• 100 g lentils, red
• 600 ml salt water
• 4 tbsp pistachios
• 3 limes

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 2 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 40 minutes; Total time approx. 3 hours 10 minutes

Roast the cumin and coriander seeds in a pan without oil until they begin to smell. Crush them in a mortar and pestle. Add them to the yogurt along with the turmeric, chili, starch, lime juice, diced ginger, and garlic and mix. Rub the mixture all over the chicken thighs and marinate, covered, for at least 2 hours. Oil a baking dish. Scrape the marinade off the chicken thighs, place them skin-side up in the baking dish, and season with salt. Bake in an oven preheated to 225°C for 15 minutes on the middle rack. Mix the marinade with the diced tomatoes and 0.5 teaspoon of salt and spread it on the chicken thighs. Reduce the temperature to 180°C for another 20 minutes. Wash the rice. Peel the zest from one lime and juice all of it. Simmer the rice, red lentils, and lime leaves in salted water over low heat until the liquid is completely absorbed. Stir in the roasted pistachios, lime zest, and lime juice, and season with salt. Serve the rice with the chicken thighs and garnish with coriander or mint leaves.