Muttar Pilau and Baked Chicken Tikka

Happy Sunday! Brighten up the cold unforgiving week to come by planning to make this for dinner this week.

I forgot how much I love rice. I haven’t properly cooked rice in months (microwaveable rice is really useful for quick dinners but it sure doesn’t taste as good as freshly boiled rice.

I saw this recipe in the newspaper ages ago and it piqued my interest. We’re talking an Indian spiced fried rice. I love rice, I love peas, and I love spices. Sign me up. I didn’t want to cover it in sauces, so I went with a delicately spiced oven baked chicken. You could also have this as a veggie main on its own.

Now, the rice has a lot of steps, but it’s surprisingly quick to whip up, I made enough rice for 4 and enough chicken for two, and that maths means that I’m going to live off the leftovers of my rice now. Thinking ahead!

Serves 4

Ingredients for the Chicken

• 4 chicken breasts, diced into approx. 6-8 pieces
• 3 tbsp plain yogurt
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 2 tsp ginger, cumin
• 1 tsp coriander, chilli powder, turmeric, garam masala
• Salt and pepper

Ingredients for the rice

• 1 cup (200g) basmati rice
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 tbsp oil
• Cinnamon bark
• 6 cardamom pods
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 cloves
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 tsp brown mustard seeds
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp red curry paste (or 1 minced red chilli and a thumb of ginger, minced)
• Salt and pepper

Method

Begin with the chicken, it's super easy. Place the diced chicken in a food bag with all of the other ingredients and smush them all around. Allow to marinate for at least an hour, up to overnight.

Rinse out the basmati rice and then soak for 30 minutes.

Put the peas in a bowl and cover with water.

When you’re ready to start cooking everything, heat the oven to 220 degrees.

Heat the oil and fry off the whole spices – cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and bay leaf, for a few minutes until the air is full of yummy smells.

Remove the whole spices to a plate, and add in the onion to the pan.

Fry the onion for a few minutes until golden and verging on crispy. Again, set aside onto the plate the spices are on.

Add the mustard seeds to the now empty (apart from oil) pan and turn the heat up. When they start popping, turn down the heat, and add in the garlic and curry paste.

Stir for a minute or two and then add in the rice, stir and season.

Pour in 500ml boiling water, add in the spices and onions and bring to a simmer.

Cook uncovered for 5 minutes, then put a lid on and cook for another 8 minutes.

Place the chicken on a baking tray and bake in the hot oven for 15-20 minutes.

Take the rice off the heat and remove the whole spices. Drain the peas and add to the rice. Place the lid back on and let sit for a few minutes.

Give a gentle mix and fluff up the rice.

Serve with the cooked chicken.