Chicken Tikka Pulao with Cranberries and Dry fruits

 An easy peasy Chicken Tikka Pulao with Cranberries and Dry fruits for dinner. This recipe is inspired from the Persian Pilaf. 

For Chicken Tikka 

Ingredients 

500 grams Boneless Chicken cubes

1/2 cup Curd

1 tsp Garlic paste 

1 tsp Ginger paste 

1/2 tsp Chilli paste 

1 tsp Lemon juice 

Salt to taste 

1 tsp Kashmiri Chilli powder 

1 tsp Cumin powder 

1/2 tsp Pepper powder 

1 tbsp Olive Oil 

1 cube Butter 

Method 

Marinate the chicken cubes with all the above ingredients except butter for 5 to 6 hours. Take a grill pan, apply butter in the pan. Place the chicken cubes into the pan. Cook the chicken from both the sides until the chicken cubes are brown in colour and has cooked well. 

The chicken cubes can be grilled in the pre heated oven at 200 degrees for 15 minutes after applying butter, then turn the chicken cubes, apply butter and grill for another 15 minutes until the chicken cubes are cooked. Remove and keep it aside. 

For the Pulao 

Ingredients 

Chicken Tikka cubes

250 grams Basmati Rice

1 big Onion thinly sliced 

1 Red Dry Chilli 

2 tbsp Dried Cranberries

1 tbsp Almond Flakes

1 tbsp Raisins 

1 tsp Dried Rose Petals 

1/4 cup Hot Milk with a pinch of Saffron 

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Cumin powder 

1 tbsp Sugar

1 tbsp Butter

1 tbsp Olive Oil 

Method 

Wash and soak the rice for 30 minutes. Take a pot, boil 2 cups water. Add little salt and 1/2 tsp oil, once the water boils, add the rice and cook the rice until it’s 75 percent cooked. Drain the water out and keep it aside. Take another pot, add remaining oil and butter, let the butter melt, add sugar, stir until the sugar melts, add the onion and dry red chilli, stir fry the onions until brown in colour. Add the salt to taste and cumin powder, stir for few seconds. Add 1/4 cup water. Stir and let it cook for a few seconds. Add the chicken and the rice. Gently stir, add the saffron milk, cranberries, raisins, rose petals and almond flakes on top, cover the pot. Cook the rice until it’s completely done. Remove the cover of the pot and let it stand for 10 minutes before serving.