INGREDIENTS
Chicken Marinade (the real MVP):
- 500g chicken (on the bone, trust me—it’s juicier)
- ½ cup curd (plain ol’ yogurt)
- 1 big spoon ginger-garlic paste
- 1 tsp red chili powder (more if you like it fiery)
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp garam masala
- Good pinch of salt
- Squeeze of half a lemon
- Handful of chopped coriander and mint (don’t be stingy)
For the Rice:
- 2 cups basmati rice (get the good stuff, soak it for 30 mins)
- 1 bay leaf, 4 cloves, 2 green cardamoms, 1 fat cinnamon stick
- Salt (obviously)
- Water (enough to make the rice swim)
Other stuff you’ll need:
- 2 onions, sliced thin and fried till golden (the darker, the better—don’t burn ‘em though)
- 2 tbsp ghee (don’t skip this, it’s the flavor bomb)
- Saffron in 2 tbsp warm milk (if you’re feeling fancy)
- More mint & coriander for the drama
INSTRUCTIONS
Step 1: Marinate Like You Mean It
Dump the chicken into a bowl. Toss in the yogurt, ginger-garlic, all those spices, lemon juice, and herbs. Get your hands messy and coat everything. Cover and chuck it in the fridge for at least an hour—overnight if you can wait. Patience pays off.
Step 2: Rice Time
Boil up a big pot of water. Throw in those whole spices and salt. Add the soaked rice. Keep an eye on it—pull it out when it’s about 70% cooked (just a bit firm when you bite). Drain it. Don’t rinse, just set it aside.
Step 3: The Layer Game
In your heaviest pot (or handi, if you wanna go old-school), lay down the marinated chicken. Scatter half your fried onions over that. Dump all the rice on top. Finish strong with the rest of the onions, mint, coriander, drizzle that ghee, and saffron milk if you’re using it. Looks gorgeous already.
Step 4: Dum It Up
Seal the pot tight—lid or dough, whatever works. Cook it low and slow for 25-30 minutes. If you’re paranoid about burning, stick the pot on a tawa (flat pan) over the flame. After cooking, let it chill for 10 mins before you break that seal. The smell—oh man.
HOW TO SERVE
Scoop it out, show off those layers. Serve with raita (just mix yogurt with chopped cucumber and onion), a spicy salan if you can be bothered, and some lemon wedges and onion rings on the side. Grab a big spoon and dig in.
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