Chop the bird's eye chilies, garlic, mature ginger, and shallots into small pieces. Roughly chop the parsley and cilantro.

Place everything into a blender cup, add 2-3 tablespoons of vegetable oil, and blend until smooth. Set aside. (You can use any blender as long as it blends finely.)

Pour the milk into a bowl, add the lemon juice, and stir to combine. Let it sit for about 5-10 minutes, then set aside. The milk will curdle. (You can use yogurt instead, but it might be too thick.)

Clean the chicken thighs and place them in a mixing bowl. Add all the dry spices from the chicken marinade and the blended mixture. Mix and knead until well combined.

Add the milk and lemon juice mixture, knead again until combined, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to cook, heat a pan with 4 tablespoons of oil and add the sliced shallots. Cook over low heat until golden brown, then remove and drain the oil. Set aside. (If you like shallots, you can add more.)

Using the same oil with the shallot aroma, heat a pan or pot (preferably non-stick) over medium heat. Remove the chicken thighs from the marinade, scraping off excess marinade, and fry until golden on both sides.

Once the outside is colored, add the butter and remaining marinade, sugar, and salt. Stir to combine, cover, and cook over low heat for 10-15 minutes until the chicken is cooked. Stir occasionally to prevent the sauce from burning.

While waiting for the chicken, bring 1 liter of water to a boil in a pot, enough to cover the rice. Add the bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, and cloves. Once boiling, add the washed rice and stir. This step is called parboiling.

Wait for the water to boil again. Parboil the rice until about 50-60% cooked, observing that the center is opaque white and the edges are slightly translucent (refer to the picture). It takes about 6-7 minutes, but it's better to observe the rice as cooking times vary.

Once the chicken is done, add the parboiled rice and spices (without the water) to cover the chicken completely. Cover and cook for another 7-10 minutes or until the rice is fully cooked.

When the rice is cooked, remove the chicken and set aside. Stir the rice to mix with the spices. You can remove the spices for easier eating, but it's not necessary. Add the fried shallots, reserving some for garnish, and mix well.

To make the sauce, blend all the sauce ingredients until smooth. Taste and adjust to your liking. I prefer a sweet, sour, and slightly spicy sauce. Pour into a bowl and set aside.

When ready to eat, serve the rice on a plate, arrange the chicken on top, and sprinkle with the remaining fried shallots. Garnish with cucumber or salad greens if desired. Enjoy with the sauce we made. It's very aromatic.