Tahira's pilau rice

Pilau rice is a South Asian rice dish; it gets its delicious flavouring from the fried onions and light spices.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSmAUlRlvtc

½ onion (thinly sliced)
2 cups of raw basmati rice
2 cups water
5 tbsp olive oil
1 ½ tsp garam masala
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chilli powder

1. Preheat the oven to 250°F/120°C.

2. Put the sliced onions into a large ovenproof pot. Add the oil and fry until the onions are really dark and almost black.
(5 minutes)

3. Add in 1 cup of water and boil.
(1 minute)

4. Add salt, garam masala and chilli powder to the pot and mix.
(2 minutes)

5. Wash the raw rice thoroughly and add it into the pot, add 1 cup of water, should be at least ½ cm above the rice. Mix well.

6. Leave the rice on a high heat until the water dries up very slightly. There should still be enough water bubbling above the surface.
(5 minutes)

7. Place the whole pot with the lid in a preheated oven. After exactly 25 minutes check and mix gently.
(25 minutes)

(Approximate cooking time 40 minutes)

Tahira's chicken karai

A tasty chicken curry marinated in spices, tomatoes and sauteed onions.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ehc-BaUBrao

½ to 1 kg chicken boneless (cubed)
Marinade
3 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp garlic paste
2 tsp fresh coriander (finely chopped)
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp salt
½ tsp chilli powder
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp cumin


Vegetables
1 large onion (quartered)
1 cup crushed tomatos
3 fresh green chillies (sliced in half down the middle)
5 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp tomato paste
½ cup of water

Marinate the raw chicken with the lemon juice, garam masala, chilli powder, garlic paste, turmeric, cumin, coriander and salt then leave to marinate.
(5 minutes)

Heat some oil in a deep pan. Add in the green chillies first, and then the onions and fry till slightly cooked.
(5 minutes)

Remove the green chillies and disregard if required. Take the cooked onions out of the pan and set aside.

In the same heated pan put in the marinated chicken and stir-fry until chicken is cooked through.
(2 minutes)

Add the crushed tomato and tomato paste with the cooked chicken and mix.
(5 minutes)

Add the cooked onions and leave on a low heat until the tomatoes are soft and break apart.
(10 minutes)

(Approximate cooking time 30 Minutes)