Chicken pollicha choru

Here is a classic Kerala recipe for a sumptuous meal for when you have guests over. Or just enjoy it with your family on a relaxed Sunday.

Read in Malayalam

Ingredients
4 cups Basmati rice
1 kg chicken
2 onions
250 gms shallots
4 tomatoes
2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
4 green chillies
3 lemons
Curry leaves
Coriander leaves
Coconut oil, as required
Salt to taste
2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tbsp chilli powder
1 tbsp coriander powder
Whole garam masala €“ cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, bay leaf etc.
5 tbsp coconut (chopped)

Preparation
Marinate the chicken with turmeric powder, black pepper powder, salt, and one table spoon lemon juice for 40 to 60 minutes
Wash and drain the rice
Bring 8 cups of water to boil
Add 4 cloves, 4 cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaf, black pepper, salt, and lemon juice (juice from 2 lemons). Add the rice and bring it to boil. Lower the flame and cook until water is drained.
Shallow fry the chicken with less oil and bring to 90% cook
Heat the oil and add cloves, cardamoms, bay leaves, and cinnamon
Add curry leaves
Saute for a minute and add chopped onion, shallots, garlic, ginger, and green chillies
Saute until onion becomes brown
Add chopped tomatoes
After it becomes a paste add turmeric, chilli powder, and coriander powder.
Add fried coconut pieces
Heat the banana leaf to make it tender
Layer the masala, chicken, rice, chopped coriander leaves in that order on the banana leaf
If required you can add lemon juice, pineapple essence, and rosewater for taste
Cover it, tie with a small long piece of the leaf (as shown in the picture)
Heat the tava and bake it for 10 minutes
Serve as it is with the banana leaf!