CHICKEN OR LAMB WITH BASMATI RICE

Basmati/Long Grain Rice - 5 cups (cup = rice cooker cup)
Chicken Breasts - or lamb cubes-meat up to your choice
Mint (Pudina) - 1 bunch
Cilantro (Coriander) - 1 bunch
Onions - 2 large julienned
Yogurt - 2 cups
Juice of lime - 5 tbs

Spices
Bay leaves - 6
Cinnamon Sticks - 4 medium sized
Cloves - 8
Shajeera - 1/2 tsp
Whole Black Cardamoms - 2
Star Anise - 3
Mace - 3
Coriander) powder - 2 tsps
Garam Masala powder - 1 tsp
Ginger Garlic paste - 2 tsps
Salt and Chilly powder - to taste

Wash Chicken and cut them into large cubes. Puree Mint and Cilantro into a paste. ,do the same if you are using mutton ,lamb or beef ..


Marinade Chicken / meat in yogurt, pureed mint & cilantro, ginger garlic paste, dhaniya powder, garam masala powder, juice of lime, salt and chilly powder for about 7 - 8 hours (I leave it overnight).

Julienne 2 large onions. Heat 6 tbs oil in a deep vessel, fry onions until brown. Remove onions. Keep aside.
In the same vessel, add bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon sticks, whole cardamoms, star anise, mace, & shajeera. Saute until bay leaves turn light brownish. Remove the spices. Keep aside.

Wash Basmati Rice, add the fried spices. Add water and cook either in rice cooker or on stove.
In the same deep vessel used previously, add another 5 tbs oil/ghee (clarified butter). Add the marinated chicken or meat pieces along with yogurt etc, cover with lid and cook until chicken turns tender. Remove lid and continue cooking until water evaporates and chicken turns sort of dry. But do leave some gravy with the chicken. Keep aside.

Once the basmati rice is cooked, you can remove the spices if you want to, else keep it. (I prefer to keep them).
In the deep vessel, at the bottom spread a layer of chicken with gravy and top it with some fried onions. Spread some cooked rice over this layer.

Again spread a layer of the remaining chicken or meat with gravy and top it with some more fried onions. Spread the remaining cooked rice over this layer. Top it with the remaining fried onions.
Cover tightly with lid. Do not let any steam escape. (I usually wet a cotton cloth & tie it tightly around the lid of the vessel). Cook on very low flame for 10 minutes. Remove from flame.