Gulf-Style Pasta with Chicken- Quazi Macarona Saleeq

SERVES: 8

PREP TIME: 40 minutes

COOKING TIME: 1 hour 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup (125 ml) oil, plus extra for deep-frying the potatoes
• 2 lbs (1 kg) bone-in chicken pieces
• 4 tablespoons tomato paste, dissolved in 1 cup (250 ml) water
• 1/2 cup (125 g) store-bought or Homemade Plain Yogurt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
• 11/2 teaspoons salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 lb (250 g) ground beef or lamb
• 1 large onion, minced
• 2 potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
• 8 oz (250 g) dried spaghetti, broken into about 2-in (5-cm) pieces
• 2 large hard-boiled eggs, sliced
• 4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander leaves (cilantro), for garnish
• Oil, for deep-frying

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Heat 4 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet with a lid over medium heat.
2. Fry the chicken in the skillet for 8 minutes, uncovered, turning the pieces over once. Add more oil if needed. Remove the skillet from heat.
3. In a small bowl, combine the dissolved tomato paste, yogurt, ground red pepper, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. Pour the yogurt mixture over the chicken in the skillet.
4. Cover the skillet and cook over low heat for 40 minutes, adding water if necessary to maintain a sauce consistency. The chicken should be tender and easily separated from the bones. Remove the chicken pieces and set them aside, keeping the sauce in the skillet.
5. In a medium skillet, heat the remaining 4 tablespoons of oil. Add the ground meat, minced onion, remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, remaining 1/4 teaspoon of cumin, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon. Fry over medium-low heat for 12 minutes or until the meat is cooked and browned. Set aside and keep warm.
6. Cut the potato slices into 1/4-inch (6-mm) wide sticks.
7. In a medium saucepan, pour enough oil (at least 1 1/2 inches or 3.75 cm) to submerge the potato sticks. Set the saucepan over medium-high heat and heat the oil to a temperature between 345°F (175°C) and 375°F (190°C), using a deep-frying or candy thermometer for accuracy.
8. Once the oil reaches the desired temperature, carefully add the potato sticks and fry them until golden brown and crispy. Remove the fried potatoes from the oil and drain on paper towels.
9. Cook the spaghetti according to instructions on the package. Drain and keep warm.
10. Place the spaghetti on a serving platter and arrange the chicken pieces on top. Pour the sauce over the chicken pieces and then decoratively place the meat, potato and egg over top. Sprinkle on the chopped coriander leaves
    and serve.