• 2 cups raw basmati rice (450gm)
• 5 chicken thigh fillets (475gm)
• 4 medium tomatoes
• 1 tsp whole cumin
• 1 inch cinnamon
• 1 large bay leaf
• 2 black cardamoms
• Half teaspoon chilli powder
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 cup frozen peas
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

Chop the chicken into small bite-sized pieces and roughly chop up the tomatoes. In a sieve, wash the rice with cold water until the water runs dry.

In a large pot, bring the oil to heat on high. When it’s hot, drop in the whole spices and as they sizzle up, toss in the chicken pieces.

Brown the chicken for a couple of minutes, then mix in the tomatoes and the powdered spices. Fry for two minutes until the tomatoes start disintegrating.

Next, stir in the rice and seal it in the chicken mixture for a minute. You will see the grains turning less translucent. Finally, mix in 3.5 cups of boiling water.

Bring back to boil, then mix in the peas, cover and cook on a gentle simmer for 20 minutes until the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked. Resist the temptation to stir the rice while it’s cooking or you will get mushy rice.

This is lovely served with thick natural yoghurt. My kids almost always eat the chicken and peas first, then make a yoghurt rice mix to spoon messily into their mouths! I follow suit… with some chilli pickle of course

by Pak101.com (few years ago!) / 1578 views