Rice Dishes Recipes - Hyderabad-style Chicken Pulao Rice Recipe

Ingredients

• 900g/2 lb chicken breast and legs

• 45ml/3 tbsp oil

• 1 onion, chopped

• 5 cloves garlic, chopped

• 2.5cm/1 in ginger root, chopped

• 8 cardamom pods

• 12 cloves

• 4 bay leaves

• 2.5cm/1/2 tsp black peppercorns

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 1.5ml/1/4 tsp grated nutmeg

• 15ml/1 tbsp ground coriander (cilantro)

• 1.5ml/1/4 tsp ground red chili

• 45ml/3 tbsp soured (dairy sour) cream

• 150ml/8 fl oz natural (plain) yoghurt

• salt

Rice

• 450g/1 lb long-grain rice, soaked

• 45ml/3 tbsp oil

• 1 onion, chopped

• 25g/1 oz blanched almonds

• 50g/2 oz raisins

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Method:

1. Remove the skin from the chicken. Heat the oil and fry the onion, garlic and ginger over a medium heat until browned. Add the cardamom, cloves, bay leaves, peppercorns and cinnamon and fry for 3 minutes. Add the nutmeg, coriander and chili and cook for 2 minutes. Lightly whisk the soured cream and yoghurt, pour over the spices and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring. Mix the chicken pieces and salt. Cover and simmer gently for 20-25 minutes until the chicken is tender, stirring occasionally.

2. Cook the rice in boiling water for about 10 minutes then drain. Heat the oil and fry the onion over a medium heat until browned and crisp then remove and drain. Add the almonds and raisins to the pan and fry until the almonds are golden. Remove and drain. Place the chicken in a casserole dish and spread the rice over the top.

3. Garnish with the onions, almonds and raisins, cover tightly with foil and the lid and bake in a preheated oven at 150C/300F/gas mark 3 for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the casserole in the oven for a further 10 minutes. Serve hot with vegetables, mint chutney and papadums.