Chicken cooked with its liver and blood mixed into rice — the sacred celebratory preparation of the Rai and Magar communities of eastern Sikkim, made for festivals and rituals.
Ingredients
1 whole chicken — jointed into pieces (reserve the liver and any blood collected)
2 cups rice — washed
1 medium onion — finely chopped
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
2 green chillies — chopped
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp oil
3 cups water
Salt to taste
Fresh coriander and spring onion to garnish
Method
Heat oil in a heavy pot. Add finely chopped onion.
Cook 6 minutes until golden. Add ginger-garlic paste and chopped green chillies. Cook 2 minutes.
Add chicken pieces. Brown on medium-high heat for 5 minutes turning.
Add turmeric, black pepper and salt. Stir.
Add 3 cups water. Bring to a boil. Add the chicken liver.
Reduce to medium. Cover and cook 20 minutes until chicken is almost cooked through.
Add washed rice. Stir everything together.
The rice will cook in the chicken broth absorbing all its flavour.
If chicken blood is available (collected at slaughter): add it now, stirring it into the rice-broth mixture.
The blood cooks into the rice giving it a characteristic deep colour and flavour that defines wachipa in its traditional form. Omit if blood is not available.
Reduce to low heat. Cover tightly. Cook 18 to 20 minutes until rice is cooked through.
Garnish with coriander and spring onion. Serve as a complete one-pot meal.