Name: Awadhi Chicken Tahari
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: ¾ cup Basmati Rice, soaked for 30 mins; 250 g Chicken, curry cut, bone-in; 1 large Potato, large, peeled and cut into quarters; 1 Onion, finely sliced; 1 Tomato, roughly chopped; ⅛ cup Indian-Style Yogurt, whisked; ¾ tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste; 1½ Green Chili Pepper, slit; ½ tsp Ground Turmeric, crucial for Tahari's yellow color; ½ tsp Red Chilli Powder; ½ tsp Ground Coriander; ½ tsp Garam Masala; ½ Assorted Whole Spices, bay leaf, cinnamon, black cardamom, cloves; 2 tbsp Mustard Oil, or ghee; 1½ cup Water; ¾ tsp Salt, to taste

1 hr 15 mintotal

1 hr hands-on15 min hands-off

Prep 20 min · Cook 40 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Medium
Spice: Medium

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Method

Command a heavy-gauge pot or pressure vessel, driving the mustard oil to a high-heat threshold until slight smoking occurs to neutralize its raw edge. Throtle back the thermal output immediately.
Add the whole spices (bay leaf, cinnamon, black cardamom, cloves). Let them crackle to release their aroma.
Add the thinly sliced onions. Sauté them steadily until they caramelize to a deep golden brown.
Add the ginger-garlic paste and the slit green chillies. Fry for 2 minutes to cook off the raw sharpness.
2 min
Add the raw chicken and the quartered potatoes to the pan. Turn the heat to high and bhuna for 5-7 minutes to brown the chicken and seal in the juices.
5–7 min
Turn the heat down. Add the whisked curd, the roughly chopped tomatoes, the turmeric, red chilli powder, coriander powder and garam masala.
Braise the chicken in this spiced mixture for 10 minutes. Cook until the tomatoes break down completely and the seasoned oil separates out.
10 min
Ruthlessly extract all hydration from the soaked basmati rice. Introduce the desiccated grains to the pot, employing an ultra-gentle stirring action to completely varnish the rice in the vibrant yellow chicken masala.
Pour in the measured water and add the salt. Bring it to a rolling boil.
Instantly throttle the thermal output to its absolute minimum upon boiling. Hermetically seal the pot with a heavy lid. Enforce a strict 15-20 minute blind simmer, mandating total liquid assimilation, protein tenderness, and perfect grain elongation.
15–20 min
Turn off the heat. Let it rest, undisturbed, for 10 minutes. Uncover, fluff it gently and serve piping hot.
10 min

How to tell it's done

A bright yellow, deeply aromatic one-pot dish: long grains of rice, very tender spiced chicken and soft potato throughout.

Getting it right

Tip

Tahari is defined by its yellow colour, so use good turmeric. If you can find it, a little yellow chilli powder in place of the usual red gives an even brighter shade.

What to serve it with

A dish for a slow Sunday. It needs nothing beside it but a well-chilled onion-mint raita, or a plain cucumber raita and a salad.

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Ingredients