Morog Polao

Polao is a rice dish in which a stock is cooked and spices are added. Morog Polao or Chicken Polao, which is Polao served with chicken, are two further versions of this delectable, mouth-watering delicacy. Although both polao and biryani are made with the same rice, the flavors are distinct due to the varied spices utilized. When you eat Morog Polao, however, you know you're not eating anything conventional. It has a royal flavor and is frequently served at weddings and other important occasions.

Ingredients:

• Chicken/ Cock Meat/ Morog: 2 Kg (cleaned and cut into 4 pieces)
• Rice (Preferebly Chinigura or Basmati): 500g
• Onion: 4
• Ginger Paste: 1 Tbsp.
• Garlic Paste: 1 Tbsp.
• Green Chilli: 8
• Alu Bukhara/ dried plum: 8
• Lemon Juice: 2 Tbsp.
• Poppy Seed: 1 Tbsp.
• Cashewnut: 10
• Oil: 100 ml
• Ghee: 1 Tbsp.
• Mawa: 2 Tbsp.
• Plain Curd: 200 ml
• Mishti Doi/ Sweet Curd: 100 ml
• Milk: ½ cup
• Saffron: 10 strings
• Garam Masala*: 1 Tsp.
• Turmeric Powder: 1 Tsp.
• Red Chili Powder: 1 Tsp.
• Salt: to taste

Instructions

• Cook the Chicken ( Morog)
• Put in Almonds in a small bowl, pour water and soak the almonds for 30 minutes.
• Heat oil and Ghee in your dutch oven over medium heat.
• Reduce the heat to low, add all the whole spices and give a quick stir for a few seconds to release the aroma from the whole spices.
• Add the sliced onion, sprinkle salt and over medium heat fry the onion until developed golden brown colour. Once done, remove about 2-3 tbsp of fried onion from the dutch oven for garnishing and spread it on a kitchen tissue lined plate.
• Next, add marinated chicken in the dutch oven and mix with the onion. Increase the heat to high, cook each side for 2 minutes, then flip the other side of the chicken pieces and cook for another 2 minutes on high heat. This way, chicken pieces will develop a golden brown colour and a crispy texture, but also chicken will release some moisture.
• At this point, add 1 cup of boiling water, give a stir to mix everything well, then over high heat cook for a minute.
• Once the liquid comes to a rolling boil reduce the heat to medium-low, cover with a lid and cook for 10 minutes, then remove the lid and give a stir so that the inner bottom doesn’t stick. Put the lid back and continue cooking or until the chicken is almost cooked through.
• Meanwhile, remove the soaked almond skin, put them in a grinder, add a little bit of water to make a paste.
• Once the chicken is almost cooked, add the almond paste and 1 tsp Kewra water. Mix everything well and over high heat cook for another 3-4 minutes,
• Don’t wash the Dutch oven, start cooking rice in it.
• Cook Rice ( Polao)
• First, drain the soaked rice and place them on a fine sieve.
• Next, add oil and Ghee in the Dutch oven, wait for a few seconds then add all the whole spices. Stir the spices over medium heat till the aroma released from them.
• Then add sliced onion, sprinkle salt and fry over medium-high heat till the onion developed a lightly brown colour.
• Add rice, sprinkle a little bit salt and keep stirring the rice for 3-4 minutes over medium-high heat. Don’t walk away at this point; else you may end up with burnt rice.
• Now, add 3 ½ cups of boiling water, increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Cover the cooking pot with a lid, turn off the heat and set the timer for 5 minutes.
• Layer the Morog Polao
• Uncover the pot, gently remove half of the parboiled or half-cooked rice from the dutch oven to a mixing bowl.
• Add the cooked chicken and all the gravy in the dutch oven and spread it well.
• Next, drizzle milk, Kewra water, raisins, sugar.
• Add the remaining rice, garnish the top with fried onion. Put the lid on and set the dutch oven at the stovetop’s lowest possible setting for 20 minutes.
• After 20 minutes turn off the heat and wait for another 10 to 15 minutes before serving, serve hot with Bengali garden salad.