1. Crush ginger and garlic coarsely.

2. Marinate the chicken pieces with red chilli powder, garam masala powder, turmeric powder, salt and half the paste of crushed ginger and garlic.Keep it aside.

3. Take oil in a pan. When it is hot, add bay leaf, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, star anise. Then add the green chillies and onions and fry till the onions are transparent. Now add the marinated chicken pieces and fry them for sometime. Add 2 tsps of curd and cook till the chicken is half cooked.

4. Add rice and 2 1/2 cups of water and a pinch of turmeric powder, the rest of the crushed ginger and garlic paste and salt. Cook till the rice is cooked stirring a little in between.

v 1 1/2cups of Basmati rice
Chicken cut into small pieces
1 1/2 "piece of ginger
6-7 flakes of garlic
1 onion cut into slits
3-4 elaichis/cardamom
3 cloves
2-3 bayleaf
2-3 star anise
cinnamon
3-4 green chillies
garam masala powder
red chilli powder
turmeric powder
2 tsps of curd/yogurt
salt to taste