Lunch with the Chairman

Today was one of my proudest days.. I had lunch with my company's chairman, Mr. Michael Morris. 


Just the Chairman and I, in his special dining room. What a treat. We had a wonderful lunch prepared specially by corporate Chef Jason. Mr. Morris was such a down to earth person, and we had a wonderful discussion on topics ranging from AEP to India to children to politics. It was one of my best lunches ever.   


You must be wondering what I did, to deserve such a super privilege....


Well, about a month ago, my good friend Meenu Kelawala called me and asked me whether I had submitted a recipe for the "healthy recipe contest" being conducted at my company, American Electric Power. I had not. And the submission deadline was just a few hours later that same day.


After some strong arming from Meenu, I literally "whipped up" the following recipe for Murg Haryali Pulao in about half an hour, and submitted it for the contest. A panel of chefs tried out all the top five submissions and had a panel of experts do the food tasting. As you can very well imagine where I am going with all this... my recipe WON.


All the cafeterias across AEP's service territory featured the dish on their menu last week. Along with bragging rights (thanks to an article on our intranet), the grand prize was ...lunch with the Chairman!!!


Here is the recipe..do let me know how it came out and post your comments.

MURG HARYALI PULAO (Indian Style Spinach & Chicken Rice Pilaf)

Serves:                         4

Cooking time:    Approximately 25 minutes (excluding time for marinating chicken)

1          Cup long-grain Basmati Rice (washed and drained)

½         Cup frozen green peas

½         Cup frozen carrots

5          Cloves

2          Bay leaves

5          Cardamom pods (optional)        

6          Ounces frozen spinach

1          Teaspoon olive oil

1          Tablespoon chopped cilantro (for garnish)

2          Large boneless skinless chicken breasts

            Cooking oil spray (like PAM)

Marinade

2-3       Sprigs fresh Cilantro

1          Small sprig of mint leaves

2          Cloves of garlic

1          Small piece of ginger root (optional)

½         Cup Plain unsweetened plain yogurt

1          Tablespoon Lemon or lime juice

            Salt to taste

Step 1: Score the chicken breasts with a sharp kitchen knife to allow better absorption of the marinade. Wash the cilantro and mint very well. In a blender, blend the marinade ingredients. Pour marinade into a container or zip-loc bag. Add chicken breasts and mix well. Refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours or longer if possible.   

Tip: This can be done earlier during the day so that the chicken will be ready for cooking in the evening.


Step 2: In a medium saucepan, heat oil and add cloves, bay-leaves and cardamom pods. Sauté for about a minute. Add 1¾ cups water and bring to a rolling boil. Lower heat; add rice, salt, green peas, and carrots. Once the water starts boiling again, reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until rice is done and all the water has been absorbed (approx 14-16 minutes). Remove pan from heat; add frozen spinach on top, cover, and let stand for 6-8 minutes. Using a fork, gently fluff rice and mix in the spinach. Remove large pieces of spices (Bayleaf, cloves, cardamom etc) before serving.
Tip: hot rice is very fragile. Therefore, be gentle while fluffing the rice.


Step 3: While rice is cooking, you can prepare the chicken.

• Take out the marinated chicken and discard any excess marinade.
• Lightly coat a large non-stick skillet with cooking oil spray and heat pan over medium-high heat.
• Add chicken and cook until done turning the pieces a few times. If you prefer, the chicken can be grilled also. (Tip: internal temperature for cooked chicken is 165F. It is dangerous to eat undercooked meats and poultry)
• Let the chicken rest for a few minutes, cut into small strips.
• Optional step: for more intense flavor, melt 1-2tesspoons of butter, add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and toss cooked chicken pieces in it before serving. Note: this will increase the fat content of the dish

Step 4: Serve chicken strips over the spinach rice. Serve hot garnished with freshly chopped cilantro and caramelized onions if you have some handy (French fried onions work well).

In India, most rice dishes such as Pulao, Biryani etc are accompanied by raitha (a cilantro flavored yogurt sauce commonly made with onion, tomato, and cucumber)  


This flavorful and appealing recipe provides a balanced source of carbohydrates, fiber, fat and protein. Basmati rice has a lower glycemic index than regular long-grained rice. Using skinless chicken breast helps reduce fat and cholesterol consumption.

Approximate Nutritional Information Per Portion: 230 calories (26% from fat, 24% from protein, 50% from carbohydrates); 14 grams protein; 7 g total fat; 1 g sat fat; 4 g mono fat; 29 g carbs; 2 g fiber; 13 g sugar; 114 mg calcium; 1 mg iron; 142 mg sodium; 27 mg cholesterol.