Ingredients:

• Chicken – 1 kg
• Basmati Rice – 2 cups
• Ghee as required
• Onion – 4, big
• Ginger – 1 big piece
• Garlic – 8 pods
• Green chilli – 8-9
• Clove – 6
• Cinnamon – 6
• Cardamom – 4
• Pepper – 12
• Aniseed (saunf) – 1 tsp
• Curd – 1 cup
• Tomato – 2, medium
• Coriander leaves – 1 bunch
• Turmeric – 1/2 tsp
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. Half-cook the basmati rice with salt and a little ghee and drain the water. Let it cool.
2. Cut the chicken into big pieces and keep aside.
3. Grind the onions, ginger, garlic, green chillies, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, pepper and aniseed to a smooth paste with very little water.
4. Heat lots of ghee and fry the ground masala on medium flame, stirring frequently until it turns dark brown, smells good and thickens.
5. Add the chopped tomatoes and fry on low flame until the water in the tomatoes separates and the tomatoes shrink.
6. Add the chicken pieces and simmer on low flame, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.
7. When the masala gets well absorbed in the chicken, add curd, turmeric and salt and cook with the lid closed.
8. When chicken gets cooked, turn off the flame. If the gravy is watery, just simmer on low flame with the lid open for some time until it thickens.
9. Garnish with coriander leaves and close the container.
10. Pour the gravy in flat cooking pot, with the chicken pieces in the first layer and the rice and coriander leaves in the second layer.
11. Repeat the layers (two or three in total, depending on the quantity of rice and chicken) and close it airtight.
12. Heat a flat piece of tin or iron on the flame.
13. When it becomes very hot, place the cooking pot on top of it and any heavy object on top of the pot.
14. Reduce the flame to normal and leave it undisturbed for about 12-15 minutes.
15. When steam starts emanating through the circumference of the pot, turn off fire.
16. Serve hot with fresh curd salad containing lots of finely chopped big onions, carrots, green chillies, cucumber, tomato and curry leaves.

Recipe courtesy of Preetha Ajit