Method
- 1
1. Clean and cut the chicken; marinate briefly with salt, turmeric and a little oil.
- 2
2. Rinse and soak basmati rice 20–30 minutes.
- 3
3. In a large pot, heat ghee/oil. Fry chopped onion until golden. Add minced garlic and green chillies and fry 1–2 min.
- 4
4. Add whole spices (cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves) and ground spices (coriander, cumin). Stir until fragrant.
- 5
5. Add chicken pieces, brown lightly and add enough water/chicken stock to cover. Simmer until chicken is nearly cooked.
- 6
6. Remove chicken; measure remaining liquid and add soaked rice. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and cook rice until almost done.
- 7
7. Return the chicken to the rice pot on top, cover tightly and steam on low for 10–15 min so flavors meld.
- 8
8. (Optional) For authentic smoky aroma: heat a small charcoal until red hot, place it on a small foil cup in the centre of the pot, add a tsp of butter/oil on the coal then cover immediately to trap smoke for 5–10 minutes. Remove coal.
- 9
9. Garnish with fried onions, chopped coriander and serve with chutney or raita.
