What differentiates this chicken and rice Sephardi-style hamin is its aromatic blend of spices. Living on the trade routes of the Spice Road, the Cochini Jews of Kerala used a wide array of flavors in their cooking. I adapted this recipe from the book “Spice & Kosher: Exotic Cuisine of the Cochin Jews” by Essie Sassoon, Bala Menon, and Kenny Salem. They say that many members of the community don’t include any legumes, but I think adding them in brings out this stew’s Indian character.
Ingredients
3 large onions, chopped
3 Tbsp. oil
5 cardamom pods, or 1 tsp. ground cardamom
½ tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. turmeric
1½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
4 medium carrots, grated
2” ginger, grated
4 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 medium potatoes, diced
1 medium chicken, cut into 8-10 pieces
2 cups brown lentils or split peas
2 cups long grain rice
6 whole eggs
Directions
- Sautee the onions in the oil over high heat until they soften, but don’t let them turn brown.
- Lower the heat to medium.
- Sprinkle the cardamom, cloves, turmeric, salt, and pepper over the onions. If using whole cardamom pods, remove the seeds from the husks, and chop/crush the seeds, discarding the husks.
- Stir and continue cooking for a few minutes.
- Transfer the onions and spices to your slow cooker.
- Add the carrots, ginger, tomatoes, and potatoes.
- Place the chicken parts around the other ingredients.
- Rinse the lentils or peas and rice and add to the slow cooker.
- Add enough water to cover the contents of the pot by about a half an inch.
- Slide the eggs into the top, at least partially submerging them.
- Heat on high for 1-2 hours, then switch to low for the remainder of the night.
- Before serving, carefully remove the eggs and rinse them under cold water until they are cool enough to handle.
- Remove the shells. The eggs, which will now have turned a brownish color, can be put back into the pot, served in a separate serving bowl, or placed in individual bowls for each person.
