Ingredients

• 200g/7¼oz basmati rice
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 8 shallots
• chopped
• 2 medium onions
• chopped
• 4 garlic cloves
• finely chopped
• 2 tsp fresh root ginger
• grated
• 6 chicken breast fillets or 2 chicken breasts
• thinly sliced into strips (chicken breast fillets are the small
• tender fillets on the underside of the chicken breast
• available in some supermarkets)
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• generous pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• ¾ cup plain yoghurt
• 2 tsp caster sugar
• 4 or 5 handfuls raisins

Directions

• Wash the rice in several changes of water until the water runs clear
• then leave to soak in tepid water with the salt for 30 minutes.
• Drain the rice and place in a pan with enough cold water to come about 2cm/¾inch above the top of the rice.
• Bring the water to the boil
• then reduce the heat to as low as possible
• cover and cook for about ten minutes
• or until 'holes' begin to appear on the top of the rice and all the water has been absorbed.
• Heat the oil in a frying pan
• add the shallots
• onions
• garlic and ginger and fry for a couple of minutes
• until golden-brown. Remove a tablespoonful and set aside for garnishing.
• Add the chicken and stir fry for four minutes.
• Add the spices and stir for one minute
• then stir in the yoghurt and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Add the sugar
• raisins and part-cooked rice. Cover the pan with a clean tea towel and cover with a lid (this will hold in all the steam).
• Place over a very low heat and cook for ten minutes.
• Remove from the heat and leave to rest for five minutes.
• Serve large spoonfuls garnished with the reserved shallot and onion mixture.