Serves – 6
Prep time – 30 mins
Cooking time – 45 mins

For chicken
Chicken – 1kg,
Oil – ⅔ cup/150 ml
Pyaz sliced – 2 cups/250 gms
Salt – to taste
Ginger paste – 1 tbsp
Garlic paste (watery) – 2 tbsp,
Cardamom – 4-5no
Cloves – 4-5no
Cinnamon Stick – 1 no
Nutmeg (jaiphal) – ½ no
Chilli powder – 2-3 tsp
Curd – ½ cup /120 gms
Kewra water – 2 tbsp
Milk – ¾ cup/180ml
Mace powder (javitri) – a generous pinch
Cardamom powder – a generous pinch
Saffron dissolved – a generous pinch
Kewra water – 1 tbsp

For rice
Water – 3 ltr
Salt – 3 tbsp
Green chilli – 1-2nos
Cardamom – 3-4nos
Cloves – 3-4 nos
Oil – a dash
Basmati Rice – 500gms
Saffron dissolved – 3 tbsp
Dough for sealing

Method: In a deep vessel add oil and fry sliced onions till they turn brown. Add chicken and cook for 2-3 mins. Now add ginger paste & garlic (watery) and cook for a minute. Stir for 2 mins and then add
cinnamon, cardamon, cloves, smashed nutmeg and salt. Now add red chili powder and saute. Add whisked curd and cook till it gets a boil. Add kewra and cook on low flame till chicken is half cooked and oil surfaces.


Turn off the heat and add milk. Remove the chicken using a tong and keep aside.Strain the curry(jhol). Skim off the oil from this jhol and keep it aside.


Add kewra, meetha attar(optional) to jhol along with javitri elichi powder and dissolved saffron. In a separate vessel boil water and add salt, cardamom, cloves and green chilli. Add a dash of oil and give a good boil for 5mins. Now skim all the spices and add the rice.


Cook rice till ½ done and in a separate handi add the chicken with jhol and add the ¾th cooked rice on top. On top of the rice add skimmed oil that was kept aside and dissolve saffron. Cover with a tight fitting lid and seal with with dough from the sides.

Cook on high heat for a minute, now lower the heat and cook on dum for 12-15min. Remove from heat and let it sit for 10 mins before opening the lid. Serve hot with raita.