This is my take on traditional rice dish. It tastes really good. It is a must dish for guests. It is a good variation on chicken pulao. The chicken cooked through this dish is appropriate. I feel comfortable with the spices I mostly use in normal chicken dish but you can use whatever you prefer and like to eat. It is supposed to a very spicy and full of flavor rice dish.

INGREDIENTS:

1 large or 2 medium size onion, chopped

6 tbsp of vegetable oil

1 tbsp of red chili powder

¼ tsp of turmeric powder (optional)

1 tsp of salt

6 cloves of garlic

2 inch cube of ginger

1 tsp of coriander seeds

1 medium size fresh tomato, chopped

½  cup of water

1 tsp of garam masala powder

½ kg chicken, washed well

2 cup basmati rice, soaked overnight

1 tsp of salt for rice

2 tbsp of vegetable oil

Water to boil rice

Food color

PROCEDURE:

1) Peel off ginger and garlic and rinse them well. Ground or mince them in a mortar and pestle, also add coriander seeds. Ground them well. Texture should be roughly like a paste. Fill a big heavy bottom pan with water and on medium heat let it comes to a boil.

2) In another heavy bottom pan add vegetable oil and preheat it on medium heat. Add chopped onions in it and cook them until they get golden in color. Add a splash of water to prevent them from over cooking.

3) Add salt, red chili powder and turmeric powder. Stir it for 1 to 2 minutes. Add ginger and garlic paste in the pan and cook it until it gets fully cooked and all the bits turned golden in color. Keep on stirring. Add chopped tomatoes and ¼ cup of water. Stir and close the lid.In the other pot, let tomatoes to fully cook but Keep an eye on them. After they softened try to break down a bit with the back of your spoon. Add garam masala in it and stir it well.

4) Once water boils for rice, add 1 tsp of salt. Strain soaked rice and start adding rice in the pot. Once you added all the rice stir it well. Close the lid let them cook for about 2 to 5 minutes but keep an eye on them. Cook rice until rice half way cooked. Strain cooked rice and set them aside.

5) As tomatoes fully cooked the mixture will start separating from oil. At this stage add your chicken pieces in it. Cook them for about 10 minutes on medium heat. Now turn off the heat, take out half of the chicken pieces and gravy in a plate. Add half of the rice on the chicken left behind in the pot. Then add rest of the chicken that you take out in a plate and add rest of the rice. Sprinkle some powdered food coloring on the top. Cover the lid and let it sit for 15 minutes. Open the lid and mix rice gently then serve.