INGREDIENTS
1 Kg Chicken or 3 Pkts Paneer (500 gms - 750 gms) - cut in medium sizes
Chicken Marinade
1 Cup Yogurt (any)
1 Pinch of Turmeric, or maybe two pinches ;)
1 Tsp Chili Powder
Masala Paste
Handful Coriander chopped with stalk but without root (1 cup)
Handful Mint leaves (1 cup)
7-10 Garlic Cloves
2 sticks Ginger (2'' inch long each)
Salt and Pepper 1 Tsp each
Almond and Cashew (1 Tbsp each) - or use its powder
3 Green Chilies
Chicken Frying
2 Tbsps Oil
2 Bay Leaves
3 Cinnamon Sticks
6-7 Cloves
7-8 Cardamoms
2 Cups of Rice Cooked (Basmati or any Left over Rice)
Rice Tempering
1 Tbsp Clarified Butter / Ghee
Mint Leaves and Coriander chopped (3/4th of a cup each)
4 Cardamoms (2 green and 2 black) (Black is optional else add all green)
1 Cinnamon Stick
1 Tsp Salt or 1 Cube chicken stock (optional)
2-3 Cloves
Layering
Quarter Cup Saffron Milk (pinch of saffron infused in quarter cup milk)
1 Medium sized Onion sliced length wise and fried till golden brown
METHOD
First marinate chicken (or paneer) and keep to rest overnight, else for an hour at least. Make masala paste by blending everything under that list above. Make sure it blends into a fine paste.
Heat 2 Tbsps oil, and add all ingredients as listed under "CHICKEN FRYING", in medium heat fry till they are golden brown.
Then add masala and fry for a minute. Immediately add the marinated chicken (or paneer) and allow it to cook. Add quarter cup of water only if the masala and chicken are sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Meanwhile in a separate skillet, add ghee to make the tempering for the rice. Once heated, add all ingredients listed under "RICE TEMPERING" above to the skillet. Allow them to fry for 30 seconds to a minute. Now add the left over rice or already cooked basmati rice and give it a good mix. Gently though, as you don't want the rice to break apart. Turn the stove off and keep aside.
For Layering get a good dutch oven kind of vessel with a lid, or a pressure cooker. First layer the rice at the bottom upto an inch or two. Then one tablespoon of saffron milk equally poured over the layer of rice. Sprinkle a few browned onions and then with a layer of chicken and it's gravy. Make this layer by layer till the rice and chicken have bee emptied into the dutch oven.
Place dutch oven on the stove on low flame for 15 mins before serving.
Serve with mint cutney or mint and onion yogurt.
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