Gaurav Anand, chef, caterer and owner of three critically acclaimed and internationally recognized New York City restaurants
INGREDIENTS
6 tbsps pure ghee
4 tbsps vegetable oil
A handful of whole spices (green cardamom, bay leaves, cloves)
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
1 cup yogurt (whipped)
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp black cardamom powder
½ tsp nutmeg powder
1 tsp green cardamom powder
½ tsp yellow chilli powder
¼ tsp saffron
¼ tsp kewra water (optional)
Salt to taste
2 tbsps fresh ginger (juliennes)
Fresh green chillies (cut thin and long) to taste
6-8 mint leaves
2 cups basmati rice
16 ounces chicken (boneless pieces or thighs and leg pieces)
PREPARATION
Soak the rice in water for about one hour, while the sauce and chicken cooks.
Heat the ghee and vegetable oil in a pan, add the whole spice, and wait till they crackle. Add the chicken and salt to taste, cook for four to five minutes.
Add the ginger-garlic paste and nutmeg powder; add half a cup of water to avoid burning, add yellow chilli powder and sauté for one minute.
Once the chicken is cooked, strain and remove from the above sauce. Keep the chicken aside.
Add the whipped yogurt, powdered spices and one cup of water to the gravy and cook for five minutes.
Add the cooked chicken back to the sauce, ginger juliennes, green chillies, and mint leaves.
Cook the soaked rice separately in another pot with the whole spices, salt and kewra water (optional) till the rice is about 75 per cent done.
Place the cooked rice over the cooked chicken, top with a dash of the kewra water and seal the pot tightly with a lid (no steam should escape). Cook for about 20 minutes on medium flame
Serve hot with raita (yogurt).
