Producer: Priyanka Das Editor: Manuj Yadav
Ingredients 2 cups of soaked Basmati rice Chicken pieces – 500g Half onion – cut in two Black cardamom – 2 pods Whole black peppercorns – 1/2 teaspoon Cloves – 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon – 1 stick Bay leaf – 1 leaf Nutmeg powder – small pinch Garlic – 6 cloves Ginger – 1 stick Coriander seeds – 1 teaspoon Salt as per taste 1 thinly sliced whole onion Ginger garlic paste – 1 and 1/2 teaspoons Chopped tomato – 1 whole Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon Curd 1/2 cup Coriander powder – 1/2 teaspoon Red chilli powder – 1/2 teaspoon Garam masala – 1 teaspoon Ground fennel seeds – 1 teaspoon Ghee – 2 tablespoons
Make a ‘bouquet garni’ or a spice potli, with onion, garlic pods, whole ginger, black cardamom pods, black peppercorns, coriander seeds, cloves, cinnamon stick and nutmeg in a clean muslin cloth.
Add 3 cups water to a saucepan/handi, add the chicken, salt and the bouquet garni and boil it for around 15 minutes. Remove the bouquet garni from the stock. Keep the chicken and stick it aside. The ‘yakhni’ is ready.
In the remaining fried onions, add ginger garlic paste, salt, red chilli powder, cumin seeds, tomatoes, coriander powder and fry for about 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes, add garam masala and green cardamom along with the yoghurt. Cook on low heat till the tomatoes blister and get tender.
Add fennel seeds and chicken pieces to the masala mix and and let it simmer for another 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the soaked & drained rice to the above-prepared yakhni, cook the rice uncovered for about 5 minutes or till the water dries up.
Add 2 tablespoons of ghee to the rice mix and sprinkle the fried onions kept aside. Seal the pot with foil or atta to let the yakhni flavours further penetrate the meat and rice pulao.
Cook the yakhni pulao on low heat for 15-20 minutes or till the rice is done. Serve it with your choice of raita.