If God had intended us to follow recipes, he wouldn't have given us Grandmothers and Mothers

There have been times when I have tried to be conventional and follow the Recipe Book (and given up closer to the start than towards the end of that ordeal) and then there have been joyous and incredibly liberating times when I have just experimented and gambled my way right from the Ingredients, to the Cuisine, to the Method of Cooking, to what ends up on the Table... including the Crockery on which the food is served. Oops......PRESENTED! I forgot to mention, I live with 2 Food Critiques:)

Add to that, my inherited liking for looking for Someone to eat and drink with, before looking for Something to eat and drink... and that's how this culinary endeavour morphs into a potpourri of exciting variables.

Very rarely have I gone into the Kitchen knowing what I am going to end up with. And for this I have to thank my 14 year old BIG bundle of joy Yashabh. He singularly deserves the credit for converting this imperfection of mine into an acceptable art form. Having been my experimental guinea pig from the day he started eating solid foods, Yashabh has only three requirements and his expectations are very basic when he is asked what he would like to eat.

His answer is either one out of " SOMETHING NICE or LOTS or SURPRISE ME!! " With this very specific and to-the-point brief to work with, my task is always exciting.

Today was one such day. I felt like making Jamaican Jerk Chicken and I ended up making Zanzibari Biryani and Shahi Gravy. Here is the F.I.R :)

Ingredients
FOR RICE /PILAF

1 Cup premium Long Grain Rice, Chicken Stock Cube, 4 Green Cardamoms, 4 Cloves and 4 Bay Leaves

FOR CHICKEN

3 Chicken Leg Pieces, 1 TBSP Ginger/Garlic Paste, Salt to taste, Pinch of Turmeric, 1 Tsp Coriander and Cumin seed Powder and 2 TBSP Curds

FOR SHAHI GRAVY

8 Cashew Nuts, 1 Cup Milk, 1 Finely Chopped Onion, 1 TBSP Brown Sugar and Oil for sauteing

Method
Soak Rice in Water and add all other ingredients and leave alone for about 20 minutes. Cook Rice in a manner that each grain remains loose.

Marinade the Chicken in a mixture of above ingredients for a few hours. Then preheat a Pan, add Oil and when Oil is heated place the Marinated Chicken Legs and cook them till they are nicely and evenly cooked to the bone and are light brown.

Soak the Cashew Nuts in the Milk right at the beginning. Fry the finely chopped Onions on another Pan till brown and add brown sugar to caramelise the onions and then add the remainder of spices. Once this concoction comes together put it in a blender with the Milk and Cashew Nuts till it becomes a fine gravy of even and smooth consistency.

Take a large plate and place the yummy Chicken Legs. Mainly around it (and a little over it) sprinkle the loose rice which is now richly fragrant. Serve it with the Shahi Gravy in a separate Bowl. BON APPETITE!

(Did I mention that Yashabh rates me on a scale of 1 to 10 for TASTE and then a similar rating for PRESENTATION!!)