Ingredients:

• For Pulao:
• Basmati Rice – 2 cups
• Ghee – 1/3 cup
• Onion – 1 cup, sliced
• Garlic – 2 tsp, minced
• Cloves – 6
• Cardamoms – 6
• Cinnamon – 2 sticks, 5 cm each
• Mace – 2 blades
• Saffron – a big pinch (soaked in little milk)
• Raisins – 2 tbsp
• Almonds – 2 tbsp (blanched and sliced)
• For chicken:
• Chicken – 1 small, about 750 gm
• Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
• chilli powder – 1 tsp
• coriander powder – one and a half tsp
• black pepper powder – 1/2 tsp
• Poppy Seeds – 1 tbsp
• Almonds – 1 tbsp
• curds – 1/2 cup
• oil or Ghee – 5 to 6 tbsp
• Onion – 1/2 cup, sliced
• Garlic – 4 flakes, chopped
• salt to taste

Method:

1. For Pulao:
2. Wash the rice well. Drain completely.
3. Add 4 cups of water and soak for 1/2 hour.
4. Heat the Ghee in a thick bottomed pan.
5. Add all the ingredients from onion to mace.
6. Fry till the onion is golden brown.
7. Add the rice with the soaking water. Add salt.
8. Crush the soaked saffron in milk and add to rice.
9. When the water begins to boil, cover the pan tightly and lower the flame.
10. Leave undisturbed till the water is absorbed and rice is cooked.
11. Fry the raisins and almonds in a table spoon of Ghee (extra) and mix gently in the rice without breaking the grains.
12. For chicken:
13. Clean the chicken and wipe dry. Prick all over with a fork.
14. Powder poppy seeds and almonds together. Mix them with rest of the Masala, curd and salt.
15. Rub some of this paste inside the chicken.
16. Fill the chicken with some of the Pulao and truss securely.
17. Rub some of the curd mixture over it.
18. Heat the Ghee or oil in a Kadai. Fry onion and garlic. Add the chicken and fry, turning the birds carefully a couple of time.
19. When the chicken is browned, add the remaining curd mixture.
20. Cover and simmer till the chicken is cooked.
21. To serve, arrange the Pulao on a serving dish.
22. Untruss the chicken and place over the Pulao.
23. Pour the gravy from the Kadai over it.