Chicken Fry with Green Peas Pulav Rice

Chicken fry inspired by Cinnamon trails

Chicken Fry

After getting inspired by seeing Cinnamon's mouthwatering Chicken fry the other day, I immediately planned the same for my Sunday lunch with green peas pulav. Today we had a treat having the chicken fry with some onion-cilantro-yoghurt's salad/raita with a can of cold diet pepsi. Yeah I have soda when I have something non-veg dish cooking, thats helps with digestion (my funda). Hope you will enjoy this nice, tasty and juicy chicken fry. Keeping it short and sweet though, here is my adapted version of Cinnamon's chicken fry followed by green peas pulav recipe.

Source: Adapted from Cinnamon trails
Cuisine: Andhra, South Indian
Prepration & Marinating time: 30 mins
Cooking time: 30 mins
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
1 pound of chicken thighs
1 medium size onion, sliced
2 green chillies, cut length-wise
2-inch cinnamon sticks (2)
4-5 cloves
2-3 bay leaves
1 tsp turmeric powder
1-2 tsp chilli/cayenne powder(paprika)
freshly greated nutmeg
1 tsp garam masala powder/spice mix
1 tsp jeera/cumin seeds
2 tbsp cooking oil
5-6 cashewnuts, halved and toasted for garnishing
1 tbsp chopped cilantro, for garnishing
salt as per taste
Grind to smooth paste:
1 small onion, roughly chopped
½ tomato, roughly chopped
2 green chillies, roughly chopped
1 inch ginger
2 cloves of garlic

Method:

1. Clean the chicken and cut into bite size pieces or as per your requirements, you can keep the whole chicken thighs as it is.
2. Marinate the chicken with turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt and the prepared paste for at least 15 mins.
3. Heat oil in a large skillet, to this add the bay leaves, jeera/cumin seeds, cinnamon stick and cloves, fry for a minute.
4. Add the sliced onions, green chillies and saute till the onions are translucent. To this add only the chicken pieces and fry them covered till they look cooked or for 10 mins.
5. Afterwards add the remaining marinated paste, mix well and add the garam masala powder/spice mix, grate the nutmeg on top.
6. Saute on medium high till all the moisture evaporates and the chicken pieces starts to caramelize, keep on frying till you get the desired color and flavor. Do check the spice level and salt, add if required.
7. Garnish it with toasted cashew nuts and chopped cilantro.
8. Serve with hot rice or any pulav/biryani.

Note:adjust your spice level accordingly while using green chillies or chilli powder.

Chicken fry served with green peas pulav

Green Peas Pulav

This green pea pulav recipe I learned from my Mother, who has inspired me in lot many ways and is a superb cook. I made a genuine attempt to bring in the same flavors as of my Mother but as is said, "Maa ka haath ka khane main kuch alag hi jaadu hain" But her formula works with ginger-garlic paste. This is a very simple and easy recipe to lay your hands on!

Source: My Mother
Cuisine: Indian
Prepration time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 20 mins
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
2 cups of Basmati rice, wash and soak for 10 mins
1 red onion, sliced
2 green chillies, cut lengthwise
½ cup fresh/frozen green peas
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tsp jeera/cumin seeds
1-inch cinnamon stick
2-3 cloves
2-3 bay leaves
1 tsp garam masala powder/spice mix
1 cup whole milk or 2% milk
pinch of saffron strands (optional)
5-6 cashewnuts, halved
3 cups of water
salt as per taste

Method:

1. Wash and soak the basmati rice for 10 mins approx.
2. Heat oil in a medium size sauce pan, to this add the bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cloves jeera/cumin seeds and cashew nuts. Fry for a minute or till the nuts change to golden color and add the sliced onions, green chillies.
3. Saute and add ginger-garlic paste, season with some salt, garam masala/spice mix, green peas and mix well all the ingredients. Lastly add milk to it.
4. Stir in the rice and add water. For every 1 cup of uncooked basmati rice we have to add 2 cups of water, since we already added 1cup of milk to it we now add the remaining 3 cups of water.
5. Stir, check the salt in it and cook on medium high heat uncovered for 10 mins and then cover and cook for another 5 mins.
6. Once cooked fluff the pulav with fork and serve hot.

Chicken fry served with Green peas pulav, raita and lemon slices