Of all the online recipes I've come across, this was the most ambitious one I'd ever taken on. The multitude of spices and number of steps requires you to read the directions carefully. It's important to get the timing right.
But the results are well worth it. One of the most aromatic and flavorful dishes you can ever prepare. Everyone will LOVE IT.
The first time I prepared this dish was in Meridian, Mississippi. This small sleepy town is not known for stocking the more exotic spices, such as Black Cardomon, Black Cumin and Mace.
Fortunately, 90 minutes away was the small college town of Starkville (home of Mississippi State University). We found what was probably the only Indian/Asian grocery store around in those parts. To the owner's credit, he had the balance of spices I needed.
I just recently made the dish again. And it was like I had never made it ever before. Running around the kitchen, trying to do things in parallel and failing at it. The only thing I did that saved my bacon was having all of the spices out and ready to go.
I started at 6pm, naively thinking I could do it all by half past seven.
We finally sat down to eat at 9pm.
Only one other time did a recipe kick my rear-end. It was a Paula Wolfort recipe for couscous and chicken. Ths first time I made it, it took me 8 hours. I was finally able to refine the timing down to 4 hours.
The owners of the website have a helpful youtube video (which I regrettably did not watch!!)
If I made this a couple more time within th next 6 months, I'm sure I can bring the time down to 90 minutes. I'm sure more organized cooks could do this the first time making it!
