The Pish-Pash has Anglo Indian genes. The dish came up in a recent conversation with my mother and her eyes lit up on hearing about the Pish-Pash. She told me her mother, my grandmother used to make the Pish-Pash when my mother was young in her home in Cuttack, Odisha. So in away the Pish-Pash is also in my lineage. This is a comfort and nourishing dish often had when one is under the weather or in recovery mode. The amazing thing about this dish is that it combines few, simple ingredients and is also easy to cook. It is a one pot meal so can be whipped up in a hurry with minimum fuss. The key ingredients in the Pish-Pash are rice, potato and chicken. I also add some additional vegetables to spruce up the dish to make it more nourishing. You will need a lot of water while cooking this dish, so you may keep some hot water ready and available. The rice needs to be boiled to a mushy, soft texture and therefore you may need to pour in extra hot water. You may replace the extra water with chicken stock or milk to add more flavour to your dish. Don’t forget to add a dollop of butter at the end to provide a nice flavour to the Pish-Pash. The dish is usually served with a boiled egg. The British connection is evident in the ingredients i.e. Potato, Boiled Egg, chicken, all of which are part of traditional English meals. The name Pish-Pash is derived from the messy look of the final dish which combines the soft rice, potato and chicken in a semi liquid form. The taste however is far from messy, it’s simply outstanding. So try this unique recipe this winter.
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Anglo Indian Mish-Mash
Ingredients
- 1 cup Gobindobhog or Basmati Rice
- 300 gms boneless Chicken, cut into medium sized pieces
- 5–6 small sized Potatoes (or 3–4 large potatoes, halved)
- 4–5 small sized Onions
- 1 Carrot, cut into large pieces (Optional)
- 2–3 tbsp Oil
- 1–2 Bay leaves
- 4–5 Green Cardamoms
- 1/2 inch Cinnamon stick, broken into half
- 10–12 whole Black Peppercorns
- 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
- 1 large Onion, sliced
- 2 green chillies, chopped
- 1 tbsp coarsely grated Ginger
- 5 tsp crushed and coarsely chopped Garlic
- 1 tbsp Lemon juice
- 1 heaped tbsp Butter
- Freshly grounded Black pepper to season
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl soak the rice for 30 mins. Drain and keep aside.
- In the meantime season the chicken with salt and black pepper powder and let it marinate for 15 -20 mins.
- Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan. When hot, sear the chicken pieces over high heat for 3-4 mins. Take off and keep them aside.
- Lower the heat to a medium and add 1-2 tbsp more oil. Add the bay leaves, green cardamom, cinnamon stick (broken into half), whole black peppercorns, cumin seeds.
- Once they start to splutter, add 1 large onion and the finely chopped green chillies. Saute for a bit before adding the crushed and coarsely chopped garlic and coarsely grated ginger.
- Stir till onions turn translucent. Next add the potatoes and carrots. You may add 1 tbsp more of the oil, if required out here as well. Saute for 3-4 minutes.
- Transfer the rice, salt to taste and mix all the ingredients well together.
- Pour 4 cups of hot water and allow to cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes before adding in the chicken pieces.
- Continue to cook till the rice is overdone, mushy and soft. You will most probably require to add more warm water if the rice starts to stick to the bottom of the pan.
- At the very add the lemon juice and butter. Give it a good stir. Switch off the flame and cover. Serve hot.
Notes
The rice needs to be boiled to a mushy, soft consistency and therefore you will need to pour in extra hot water. You may replace the extra water with chicken stock or milk to add more flavour to your dish.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2
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