A Quick Chicken Recipe That Gets the Spice Just Right - WSJ

Heat 3 tablespoons ghee in a wide pot. Add garam masala, cardamom, cloves, mace, bay leaves and dried red chiles, and sauté until they crackle, 1 minute. Add ginger and garlic, and sauté until aromatic, 1 minute. Stir in turmeric and red chile powder and sauté until aroma blooms, about 30 seconds.Add onions and tomatoes and sauté until onions soften, 3 minutes. Stir in chopped green chiles and half the chopped cilantro.In a separate medium pot, heat remaining 1 tablespoon ghee over medium-high heat. Lay in chicken thighs, skin-side down, and sear until skin turns golden, about 4 minutes. Flip and cook until meat whitens and lightly browns in spots, about 3 minutes. Remove partially cooked chicken from pot and set aside. Pour stock into the same pot and bring to a simmer.Add rice to pot with sautéed vegetables and spices. Stir to coat and pour in simmering broth. Nestle chicken into pot and cook over medium heat at a steady simmer, covered, until rice and meat cook through, 15-17 minutes. Season with salt to taste.Garnish rice and chicken with remaining cilantro. Serve with dollops of yogurt and lime wedges alongside each serving.