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Wachipa
वाचिप्पा (wachipa): Rai rice cooked with minced chicken and smoky toasted rice, a home version without feather ash
Among the Rai people of Khotang, Bhojpur and the eastern hills, wachipa is a dish of honour, cooked at Sakela and other festivals and for a returning family member: rice cooked together with finely chopped chicken, bones and all, and darkened with the ash of the bird's own feathers, which have been singed and ground. The ash gives a grey-black colour and a smoky, bitter edge that Rai elders say is the soul of the dish. Feather ash is not something we can recommend at home: shop-bought birds come without feathers, and burnt feathers are hard to make clean, gritty and not food-safe. This version gets a close smoky, toasty bitterness from rice that is dry-roasted until dark brown and ground, plus charred chicken skin. A common mistake is making it too wet; wachipa should be a sticky, moist rice, not a porridge. Chef's tip: chop the chicken by hand rather than buying mince, for the authentic coarse, chewy texture.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 1 ⅛ lb boneless chicken thighs with skinskin removed and kept, meat finely chopped by hand
- 4 cm piece fresh gingerfinely grated
- 5 cloves garliccrushed
- 1 /2 tsp timur (Sichuan pepper), ground
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 1 /2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 ½ tsp salt
For the rice
- 10 ½ oz long-grain or local hill ricewashed
- 3 tbsp mustard oil
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 3 green chillieschopped
- 2 ¾ cups hot water
- 3 spring onions (optional)sliced
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Dry-roast 2 tbsp uncooked rice, for the smoky powder in a small heavy pan over a medium heat for 5–6 minutes, shaking, until dark brown and smoky (not black), then grind to a fine powder.
6 minStep 2: Lay the chicken skin in a dry frying pan over a medium-high heat and cook for 5–6 minutes, pressing, until it is crisp and well charred at the edges. Chop it finely.
6 minStep 3: Mix the chopped 1 ⅛ lb boneless chicken thighs with skin with 4 cm piece fresh ginger, 5 cloves garlic, 1 /2 tsp timur (Sichuan pepper), ground, 1 tsp red chilli powder, 1 /2 tsp ground turmeric and 1 ½ tsp salt.
Step 4: Heat 3 tbsp mustard oil in a heavy pot over a high heat until it smokes, lower the heat and fry 1 onion for 4–5 minutes until soft and golden.
5 minStep 5: Add the chicken and fry over a medium-high heat for 5–6 minutes, breaking it up, until it is no longer pink.
6 minStep 6: Add 10 ½ oz long-grain or local hill rice, 3 green chillies, the chopped skin and the toasted rice powder and stir for 2 minutes.
2 minStep 7: Pour in 2 ¾ cups hot water, bring to the boil, then cover and cook over a low heat for 18–20 minutes, stirring once halfway, until the rice is soft and sticky and the chicken reaches 165°F.
20 minStep 8: Rest covered for 5 minutes, then stir, scatter with 3 spring onions and serve hot with a tomato achar.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 30 g
- Carbs
- 66 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does wachipa take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of fresh ginger?
- ¼ tsp ground ginger per tbsp fresh (add it with the spices).
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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