Chicken Tomato Pulao

Place 2 cups high-quality basmati rice (such as Daawat, Zebra, or Zafrani Reserve) in a medium bowl and pour in cold water to cover. Using your hands, agitate rice, then pour off water, leaving rice behind. Repeat process until water runs almost clear, about 3 times. Pour in more cold water to cover rice by 2". Let soak at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours; rice should swell. (Soaking softens the rice and reduces cooking time.)

Remove skin from 1½ lb. skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (4–6), using a paper towel to help grip the skin if needed. Place chicken in a small bowl; set aside. Discard skin.

Using a chef’s knife, thinly slice ½ medium red or yellow onion. Smash, peel, and finely chop 2 garlic cloves. Scrape skin from one 2" piece ginger with a spoon. Slice ginger into planks; stack 2 at a time and cut into matchsticks; line up matchsticks and cut crosswise into tiny squares.

Using kitchen shears, cut one 28-oz. can peeled whole tomatoes into pieces right in the can (it’s less messy this way). Alternatively, you can chop up tomatoes, then place in a bowl with their juices.

Heat ¼ cup grapeseed or vegetable oil in a wide heavy pot over medium-high. Cook onion, stirring, until golden, 7–9 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, until golden and fragrant, 2 minutes. Be careful not to burn the garlic.

Add 1 tsp. ground cumin, ½ tsp. hot smoked Spanish paprika, and ¼ tsp. turmeric to pot and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant and blended, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, bring to a simmer, and cook, stirring constantly, until sauce darkens and thickens, about 5 minutes. Sauce should look jammy but not reduced and dried out.

Bring a kettle or small saucepan of about 4 cups water to a boil. Add chicken thighs to pot with tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally and scraping bottom, until thighs start to turn opaque, about 5 minutes. Add 1 cup boiling water to loosen tomato sauce, then add 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, 1 bay leaf, one 3" cinnamon stick, and 1 lemon omani (dried black limes), or ½ lime, halved (if using lime, squeeze in juice, then add wedges). Cover pot and reduce heat to low; simmer chicken turning halfway through, 20 minutes.

Drain soaked rice and add to same pot along with 2½ cups boiling water and remaining 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt. Stir well. Cover pot with a kitchen towel, place lid on top, and securely tie corners of towel to lid handle with kitchen twine. (This ensures the towel traps condensation, preventing water from dripping back into the pot.) Reduce heat to low and cook, undisturbed, 15 minutes. (You’ll see steam coming out the pot—that’s a great sign! Though you may be tempted to remove the lid and check on the rice, please don’t: The steam will escape and the rice will remain raw.) Remove pot from heat and let sit 10 minutes before removing lid.

Meanwhile, coarsely chop leaves and tender stems from ¼ bunch cilantro.

Remove lid and gently scoop rice and chicken onto a platter with a slotted spoon, starting from edge to ensure less breakage of delicate grains. Top with cilantro.