Murgh Pulao Or Bengali Style Chicken Pulao

  Take the chicken pieces, wash under tap water, drain the excess water very well by putting into a large strainer for 15minutes.

  In the meantime take a large bowl, beat the curd with a fork, add turmeric, red chili, cumin, coriander powder and 1 tablespoon mustard oil and mix well. Now add the chicken pieces

  into the bowl and marinate with the curd mixture. Put the marinated chicken into the refrigerator for overnight or at least 4 hours. Remove the chicken before 30 minutes of cooking.

  Now take a Earthen handi or a normal handi, heat oil in it, add sliced onion and fry till golden brown, take the fried onion and put on a paper towel.

  Now add ghee into the handi, temper the oil and ghee with whole garam masala like cinnamon, cardamom, javetry, jaifal, bay leaf and fry till a nice aroma comes from it.

  Add the grated ginger garlic & chili and fry for few seconds. In the meantime make a paste of poppy seeds & cashew using little water. Add the paste into the handi and some salt, sugar and fry for 30 seconds. sprinkle some water to prevent the spices from burning.

  Now add marinated chicken pieces along with half of the total quantity of fried onion, rest will be used for garnishing. Keep stirring and mixing the chicken with the spices.

  Cover the handi for 5 minutes and lower the heat to get the chicken cooked. After 5minutes open the lid and see lots of water has come out from the chicken.

  Let's evaporate the excess water. Now add the soaked rice into the handi and 3 1/2 cups of warm water, check the salt & sugar, add if needed some, cover the handi and leave it for 15minutes on medium heat.

  After 15 minutes open the lid and the rice will be cooked perfectly.

  Serve hot with raita and slices cucumber onion salad, garnished with fried onion and chopped green chili if you like.