First, mix some saffron with a little water and leave to soak for a while. Make a spice mix by combining together 1 tsp turmeric,
¼ tsp ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground nutmeg, 1 tsp ground cardamom, ¼ tsp ground cumin, ¼ tsp ground coriander and ¼ tsp chili powder.
Sprinkle some of this over chicken thighs and fry in a little oil until browned on all sides. Set aside, then fry a chopped onion
and a crushed clove of garlic until starting to brown, return the chicken to the pan, add the rest of the spices, a Tbs tomato paste,
half the saffron water and a cup of chicken stock. Season with a little freshly-ground black pepper, bring to a boil and simmer for
about 45 minutes to an hour, until the chicken is done and the sauce has thickened. Meanwhile, cook basmati rice in boiling water.
While the rice is cooking, heat a tsp butter in a small pan, and add a couple of Tbs of dried barberries. Warm these until they plump
up then add the rest of the saffron water. When the rice is cooked, drain it and place 2/3 in a serving dish. Tip the rest of the rice
into the barberry and saffron water, mix well and spread this on top of the first lot of rice. Serve alongside the chicken garnished
with toasted almonds and a little chopped coriander
(Note that the saffron that I had available was quite red in colour, rather than the more usual yellow! Not sure why.
It was given to me and I think it came from India!)