Afghani Pilao
Afghani Pilao
Ingredients for Whole Spice
- Black pepper powder 1 tsp
- Cardamom powder ¼ tsp
- Cinnamon powder ¼ tsp
- Garam masala powder ¼ tsp
- Roasted ground cumin seeds 1 tbsp
- Roasted ground coriander seeds 1 tbsp
Ingredients for Pilao
- Chicken 1 kg
- Oil ½ cup
- Green chilies, halved 4 – 5
- Ginger paste 1 tbsp
- Garlic paste 1 tbsp
- Onions, finely sliced 5
- Rice 3 cups
- White vinegar 1 tbsp
- Salt to taste
For the garnish
Method
- Grind the ingredients for whole spices and keep aside.Heat the oil in a pan, fry the onions until golden. Remove and drain the fried onions, reserve half of them and crush the other half. In the same pan, add the chicken, ginger and garlic pastes and half tsp salt. Fry the chicken on high heat on both sides until the meat changes color, about 5 minutes. Add the crushed onions and 1 tbsp from the powdered spices. Add 1 cup of water. Lower the heat and let the chicken simmer gently, covered on low heat until the chicken is tender. In a big pan of water, add some salt and the vinegar plus the green chilies. Once the water comes to a boil, drain the pre-soaked rice and cook it in the boiling water until it is about three-quarters done. Drain away the excess water from the rice. When the chicken is done, turn off the heat.
- Now take a big pan, pour in half the cooked rice. Then layer the chicken with its masala over the rice, sprinkle the reserved half of the fried onions and the remaining powdered spices. Layer the remaining rice on top of the chicken. Cover the pan with a tight lid. Place on low heat and simmer for about 15 minutes for the garnish, heat the butter then lightly fry the raisins and grated carrots for about a minute. When the pilao is ready, serve it in a dish and pour the carrot/raisins garnish over it. You can serve with raita on the side and the tomato chutney.
Comments