Chicken Pilau

Ingredients

Basmati rice – 2 cups
Boneless chicken pieces – 1 lb
Onion (medium) – 2 (chopped)
Tomatoes (medium) – 2 (chopped)
Chopped ginger – 1 tbsp
Chopped garlic – 1 tbsp
Yoghurt – 4 tbsp
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Garam masala – 1 tsp
Red chilly powder – 1 tsp
Cloves – 4 Nos
Green cardamom – 4 Nos
Cinnamon stick – 1” piece
Bay leaves - 2
Butter – 2 tbsp
Cashew nuts & raisins – few
Water – 4 cups
Salt to taste

Directions

1. Soak the rice for an hour. Drain and keep aside.
2. In a bowl, mix the yoghurt, half of the chopped ginger and garlic and salt. Rub this marinade onto the chicken pieces. Keep aside for an hour.
3. Heat the butter in a heavy- bottomed pan and splutter the cumin seeds. Add the cinnamon, cloves, cardamoms, cashew nuts, raisins and bay leaves. Fry for a few seconds.
4. Add the remaining chopped ginger, garlic. Then add red chilly powder and garam masala powder and stir fry.
5. Add chopped onion to that and sauté till it is medium brown. Add the chopped tomatoes and sauté.
6. Add the marinated chicken pieces and fry on high flame for a few seconds.
7. Lower the flame and sauté the chicken on medium flame till it is half cooked.
8. Add the water, rice and salt and bring to a boil.
9. Cover and cook on low flame till the rice is fully cooked and all the water has evaporated.