Chicken pilau

Name: Chicken pilau
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: India
Ingredients: 275 g/10 oz/⅓ cups basmati rice; 2.5 ml/½ tsp salt, or to taste; 2 star anise; 15 ml/1 tbsp toasted flaked (sliced) almonds, to garnish; 10 black peppercorns; 1-3 dried red chillies, chopped; 5 ml/1 tsp cumin seeds; 10 ml/2 tsp coriander seeds; 45 ml/3 tbsp sunflower oil or olive oil; 30 ml/2 tbsp white poppy seeds; 15 ml/1 tbsp sesame seeds; 10 ml/2 tsp garlic purée; 2.5 ml/½ tsp ground turmeric; 1 medium onion, finely sliced; 10 ml/2 tsp ginger purée; 5 ml/1 tsp salt, or to taste; 15 ml/1 tbsp ghee or unsalted butter; 450 g/1 lb skinned, halved chicken thigh fillets; 75 g/3 oz/⅓ cup thick set natural (plain) yogurt, whisked; 6 green cardamom pods, bruised; 6 cloves; 2.5 cm/1 in piece of cinnamon stick

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

The Complete Indian Regional Cookbook

By Mridula Baljekar

Published 2017

About

Added to Bengali cuisine by the Mughals, this moist chicken dish has a long list of ingredients, but it is easy to make and the final result is well worth the effort. Murgir Pulao tastes best when served hot and sprinkled with crunchy toasted almonds, which add flavour and texture as well as looking attractive.

Ingredients

275 g/10 oz/⅓ cups basmati rice
10

Asia
India
West Bengal
Main course
Gluten-free

Method

Wash the rice in several changes of water and soak it for 20 minutes. Leave to drain.
Preheat a small, heavy pan over a medium heat and add the coriander and cumin seeds. Dry-roast for 25-30 seconds.
Add the chillies, peppercorns, poppy and sesame seeds to the pan. Stir them for 25-30 seconds, then transfer to a bowl. When cooled, gri