Chicken Pulao

Chicken pulao is a rice and chicken preparation similar to that of chicken biriyani. It's a quick and easy one pot meal to surprise your guests. Here i used to pressure cooks it; if you want to cook it in normal pot way; do it like that and try to use a non-stick pan.

Ingredients:

1. Chicken- ½ kg
2. Oil - 3tbsp
3. Onion thinly sliced-2
4. Tomato thinly sliced-1
5. Ginger, garlic, green chilly paste- 2tbsp
6. Curd-2tbsp
7. Turmeric powder-1/2tsp
8. Chilly powder-1tsp
9. Pepper powder-1tsp
10. Coriander powder-1tsp
11. Garam masala-1tsp
12. Mint leaves chopped-2tbsp
13. Coriander leaves-2tbsp
14. Lemon juice-2tsp
15. Basmati rice/ jeera rice -1 ½ cup
16. Boiling water-3 ¾ cup
17. Cinnamon stick-2(one inch size)
18. Cloves-4
19. Bay leaves-2
20. Cardamom pods-3
21. Salt-to taste
22. Fried onions-to garnish
23. Fried cashews-to garnish
24. Fried raisins-to garnish

Preparation:

• Soak the rice in water for 30 minutes.
• Clean and cut the chicken pieces;Keep it aside.
• In a pressure cooker heat oil and add whole garam masala pieces.
• Add cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaf and cloves.
• Add onion in to it and sauté until golden brown in color.
• Add ginger, garlic, green chilly paste in to it.
• When the raw smell goes off; add all the powders one by one mixing well after each addition.
• Add curd in to it and mix well.
• Add chopped tomatoes in to it.
• When the tomatoes are sauted and mashed well add chicken pieces, coriander leaves, mint leaves and salt.
• Cover the lid and cook about 15-20 minutes (or until the chicken gets cooked by its ¾ th) in a low-medium flame (open the lid often and stir the chicken).
• After that add drained rice along with 3 cup of boiling water, lemon juice and enough salt in to the chicken masala.
• Pressure cooks it for one whistle on medium–low flame.
• Open the lid only after the pressure releases completely by itself (after 15-20 minutes).
• Then only all the moisture from rice gets absorbed and you will get a nice pearl like rice.
• Give a gentle mix.
• Sprinkle fried onions, cashew nut, raisins, coriander and mint leaves on top.
• Serve it hot along with raitha and pickle.