Rustic Chicken Pulao

Bengali New Year is knocking the door. Get ready to make authentic Bengali dishes.......

Recipe: Reem Khan

Rustic Chicken Pulao...Ingredients for Rustic Chicken Pulao

2 c rice, washed and soaked for half an hour
700-800 gm chicken, cleaned, washed and cut into 2-3" pieces
250 gms curd
3 big onions, finely sliced
1 potato, peeled and quartered
6-7 garlic cloves, coarsely ground
1 tbsp ginger, ground or grated
2-3 big green chillies
1 1/2 tsp jeera
5 green elaichi
2 badi elaichi
7-8 cloves
10-15 peppercorns
2" cinnamon stick
2-3 bay leaves
3-4 whole dry chillies (I used both long and boriya, or round. You may use any one kind)
1 tsp saunf
1 tbsp whole dhania
1-2 tbsp raisins (depending on how much you like them. Not in the picture)
1/8 tsp shah jeera (the very thin, blackish variety)
Salt to taste
4 tbsp oil
1 lemon, cut in thick slices.

Procedure:

Heat oil in a big, nonstick or thick bottomed pan.
Add jeera and let it turn brown.Add all the whole spices
Sauté for half a minute.

Add onions and sauté till light brown.Add ginger and garlic.Now add whole dhaniya and saunf.Fry the onions, and all the masalas till you get this rich brown colour (but be very careful, as there's a very thin line between browned and burnt. Also, onions will fry some more with chicken. So judge properly)
This is very important to give the pulao a nice colour, otherwise it will turn out quite pale.

Now add chicken pieces n raisins.Add salt (for chicken) and sauté on high flame so that chicken pieces get singed and the juices get sealed inside.
This is a tip to make your chicken tender, and flavourful.

Keep stirring and turning them around till they become nicely brown all over.Now add potatoes and green chillies.
Mix and cook for 2-3 minutes, so the potatoes get fried and absorb the flavours.

Add curd and mix well and fast so it doesn't curdle.
After a couple of minutes, you'll see oil oozing out.

Now add drained rice n salt.Stir lightly and carefully.
Cook for 3-4 minutes.Add water

EXACTLY DOUBLE THE AMOUNT OF RICE
Here, 4 cups.

Add lemon slices.
Mix everything.
Taste, adjust seasoning.

Cook the pulao uncovered on medium flame, till all the water is almost absorbed.
Stir once in between, but towards the end, don't shuffle things a lot.
All these things that come and settle on the top, add to the beauty. Now SPRINKLE some shahjeera on top. Cover the pan.

Meanwhile, I preheated my nonstick tava.
Transfer the pan on the tava.
Let it cook on dum for 5-8 minutes.
Open the lid and carefully insert a flat spatula in the centre and create a slight gap.
There should be no moisture at the bottom of the pan.
Check the rice grain, it should have cooked through and through, ek ek dana khila hona chahiye.
If you see it needs some more time, then sprinkle a couple of tbsp water evenly, and cover it again (though I doubt that will happen)

When its done, open the pan and it remain uncovered for 3-4 minutes.
By doing this, each grain will separate.

Transfer to a serving dish.