Boneless & skinless chicken thighs – 500 gms, cut into small bite-size pieces
Cashew nuts – ½ cup, roughly chopped
2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil – 4 tbsp
Onion – 2, medium, chopped
Garlic – 4 to 6 cloves, minced
Basmati rice or long-grain white rice – 1 cup
Cumin powder – 1 tsp
Ground allspice – 1 tsp
Cinnamon powder – ½ tsp
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh coriander leaves – ¼ cup, chopped
Instructions
Cook the Basmati rice in heavily salted boiling water until ¾ done which will take about 10 minutes. Drain the rice and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside and let the rice cool down.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large non-stick wok or skillet and fry the chicken pieces until golden and cooked through. Season with salt to taste. Once done, take them out and set aside in a bowl.
In the same wok, sauté the cashew nuts until golden brown. Set them aside too!
Heat the remaining oil in the same wok and add the chopped onion and garlic. Sauté them on medium heat until soft. This will take about 6 to 8 minutes.
Now add the cumin powder, cinnamon powder and ground allspice. Season with salt and pepper to taste and give the spices few quick stir.
Add the rice, fried cashew nuts and fried chicken with all the chicken juices which might have accumulated at the bottom of the bowl.
Now using 2 forks, mix everything together making sure that all the rice get coated with the spices and seasonings. Don’t stir the rice vigorously as that may break the long rice grains.
Once all the ingredients mix together well and are heated through, remove the wok from flame. Sprinkle some freshly chopped coriander leaves and serve the cashew & chicken pilaf hot with some spicy home-style Indian curry! Enjoy!
Recipe by Flavor Quotient at http://www.flavorquotient.com/2015/10/cashew-chicken-pilaf/