Ingredients:
600 gm chicken (with or without bone)
2 cups basmati rice
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp cashewnuts (optional)
2 bay leaves
6-8 cloves
2″ piece cinnamon
6 green cardamoms
2 medium size onion sliced
3-4 medium tomatoes finely chopped
1 tbsp red chilli powder or to taste
1 tsp garam masala (optional)
4 tbsp oil or ghee

For marinating chicken:
1/2 cup thick yogurt
2 tbsp ginger paste
2 tbsp garlic paste
Salt to taste

Method:
In a bowl mix yogurt, ginger paste, garlic paste and salt to marinate the chicken. Add the chicken pieces to this and make sure the chicken pieces are well coated with the marination. Keep aside for half an hour.

Pick, wash and soak the rice in water for 15-20 mins. Drain the water and keep aside.

Heat a thick bottomed pan with oil or ghee in it. Once the oil or ghee is hot, add cumin seeds. Once they start spluttering, add the cashewnuts. As they begin to turn golden, add the cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaves. Saute for a min. Add in the sliced onions and fry them till they are golden brown.

Now, add the tomatoes, red chilli powder and garam masala to the onions. Stir on high heat for about 3-4 minutes. The tomatoes should form a kind of pulp and should leave the sides of the utensil.

Once that is done, add the marinated chicken along with the leftover marinade. Stir on high heat for 5 mins. Then let the chicken cook on medium heat for about 10-15 mins or till the chicken is almost done.

Add in the rice and mix well. Stir the mixture for about 2 mins. Add salt. Now, add 3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Once the water evaporates and rice comes up lower the heat. Cook covered on sim for about 10 minutes. Turn off the flame and let it stand for 5 minutes. Then with a fork fluff up the pulao.

Serve hot!! Raita is optional!!

Butter chicken is a dish that all of us have at least tried once whenever we have dined in a non-veg restaurant. For people who do not like spicy dishes, this is a favorite :)! So, no wonder I was excited when I saw the recipe on Aayi’s Recipes after a lot of search. I wanted to try and see how close I can get to the restaurant taste, and I must say it was very close!

Ingredients:

For the marination: 
300g chicken
1/2 cup thick or hung yogurt
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste

For the gravy:
2 big onions finely chopped
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
3 tomatoes pureed
10-15 cashewnuts ground into a smooth paste
1/2 -1 tsp kasoori methi
2-3 tbsp butter
Oil
1/4 cup fresh cream
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves for garnishing

Method:
Marinate the chicken with the ingredients mentioned for marination. Keep the marinated chicken aside for an hour or so. You can also keep it in the fridge if you don’t want the marinade to get watery.

Now, heat 1 tbsp butter and a tsp of oil. Add the marinated chicken and shallow fry the chicken till its 80% done. Be sure not to turn the butter in the pan to ghee in the frying process :D. Keep aside.

Heat the remaining butter. Add the ginger garlic paste. Fry for a minute and then add the onions. Fry till the onions are translucent. Now, add the chilli powder, garam masala and kasoori methi. Fry the masala till its fried and the raw smell is gone.

Add in the chicken pieces, tomato puree and cashewnut paste. Mix well. Once the gravy comes to a boil, simmer the flame. Cook covered for 10 mins or till the gravy thickens to desired consistency. Now add in the cream and mix well. Continue boiling for 2 mins and turn off the flame.

Garnish with coriander leaves and cream. Serve hot with chapati/roti/naan/bread :)!!

Ingredients:
500gm chicken (cleaned)
1 cup coriander leaves (cilantro)
8-10 green chillies
1 cup grated coconut
7-8 black peppercorns
1” ginger knob
8 garlic flakes
2 onions
2 tbsp oil
salt to taste

Method:
Grind together coriander leaves, green chillies, ginger, garlic, pepper into a fine paste and keep aside. Grind the coconut into a fine paste separately and keep aside.

Heat oil. Add onion and fry till golden brown. Now add the green paste and fry for a min. Add in the chicken piece and fry on high flame for 2 minutes. Add half cup of water and cook covered till done or cook it in the pressure cooker for about 10 mins or till the chicken is cooked  and  tender. Optionally you can cook the chicken pieces separately and then add it to the onion.

Once the chicken is cooked, add the coconut paste and salt to it. You can increase the quantity of coconut if you like more gravy. Add water if required and bring to boil. Let the gravy simmer for 5 mins and the chicken in green gravy is ready to serve!!

Serve hot with bread or chapatti or anything you like :D!

Ingredients:
500gm boneless chicken
8 medium sized onions finely chopped
2 tomatoes finely chopped
2 green chilli
1-2 garlic flakes finely chopped
1 tsp coriander powder (dhaniya powder)
1/2 tsp jeera powder (cumin powder)
1/2 – 1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
1-2 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 tbsp soya sauce
2 tsp chilli sauce
Coriander leaves finely chopped (Cilantro leaves)
1 tsp lime juice
Salt to taste

Method:
Clean and wash the chicken, keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan. Add the green chilli and chopped garlic. Stir for a minute. Add the onions. Fry till the onions are golden brown. Now, add the coriander powder, jeera powder, garam masala powder, ginger garlic paste, red chilli powder. Stir fry till the masala separates from oil. Add the tomatoes and fry on high flame till the tomato fries. Add the chicken pieces. Fry on high flame for a couple of minutes. Then cook covered on low flame for 20-30 mins or till the chicken is cooked and tender. Can add a little water if needed. Alternately you can shallow fry the chicken first till it is almost cooked or cook it in the pressure cooker and then add it to the fried onion. You can add more water if you need some gravy.

Once the chicken is cooked, add the tomato sauce, soya sauce, chilli sauce and mix well. Add salt to taste. Let the mixture simmer for about 5-10 mins. Add the coriander leaves and stir for a minute. Turn off the flame. Add the lime juice and mix well.

Serve hot!!