Chicken Pulao is a comfort food that can make your taste buds dance. It is made with basmati rice, chicken and some mild spices all cooked together in one pot. It is a pretty straight forward recipe and gets done in under 45 minutes. I make chicken pulao every week and my whole family loves it.
Chicken Pulao or Pilaf is pretty close to biryani yet it varies in many aspects. Biryani is made up of spicy chicken gravy and half cooked basmati rice layered in a pot and then steamed to perfection while pulao is made in one pot and does not require layering. When I have a craving for biryani but do not have the time to make it then I opt for its cousin, that is the pulao. Its simple, easy, less time consuming and taste so close to biryani.
INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED:
- 1 cup oil
- 1 stick cinnamon, 2 cloves, 2 cardamom, 2 star anise
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp pepper corns
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 sliced onions
- 1.5 tsp ginger garlic paste
- 750 g boneless chicken or 1 whole baby chicken cut into pieces
- 1.5 tsp cumin powder
- 1.5 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 3/4 tsp pepper powder
- 3/4 tsp red chilli powder
- Salt to taste
- 1/4 cup yoghurt
- 2 chopped tomatoes
- Handful of chopped coriander and mint leaves
- 2 green chilies
- 3 cups Basmati Rice
- 5 cups water
COOKING THE ONIONS
Heat up the oil in a large pot and sauté the whole spices, cumin seeds, pepper corns, bay leaf for a couple of minutes until they turn automatic. Then we introduce thinly sliced onions and cook until they are soft. Once the onions are soft add ginger garlic paste and cook for a couple of more minutes. The fresh ginger garlic paste is a game changer. This step serves a base to making an amazing chicken pulao.
INTRODUCING THE MEAT AND SPICES
The next step is to introduce meat to the pot and cook until the chicken slightly changes its colour. Now it’s time to add all of the above mentioned spices( cumin powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder, pepper powder, garam masala, salt) and mix it all well. Cook for a couple of more minutes until the spices have roasted and you smell goodness of aroma.
ADDING YOGHURT AND TOMATOES
Once you have done adding meat and spices now it’s time to add yoghurt and tomatoes. Both these ingredients give a tangy flavour to the pulao and make a perfect base. Make sure to add a handful of chopped coriander and mint leaves for the aroma and also a couple of green chilies to add more kick.
COOKING CHICKEN PULAO BY ADDING WATER AND RICE
A very important step in making the perfect chicken pulao is to soak the basmati rice in water for at least 30 minutes before cooking. This reduces the cook time as well as makes the rice fluffy. Now let’s get back to the point, what next? One the base for the chicken pulao is ready we add water and let it to boil. Once the water reaches the boiling point add soaked basmati rice, of course after draining all the water from it. Allow the rice to cook until all the water dries up.
STEAMING CHICKEN PULAO
Once the water has dried up steam the chicken pulao on low flame for about 15 minutes. Turn off the flame but do not open the lid yet. The cooking process will still continue with all the steam in for another 10 minutes. Now you can open the lid and serve it hot with some raita. Enjoy!
MORE CHICKEN RECIPES :
CHICKEN PULAO
Chicken Pulao is a comfort food that can make your taste buds dance. It is made with basmati rice, chicken and some mild spices all cooked together in one pot. It is a pretty straight forward recipe and gets done in under 45 minutes. I make chicken pulao every week and my whole family loves it.
Ingredients
- 1 cup oil
- 1 stick cinnamon, 2 cloves, 2 cardamom, 2 star anise
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp pepper corns
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 sliced onions
- 1.5 tsp ginger garlic paste
- 750 g boneless chicken or 1 whole baby chicken cut into pieces
- 1.5 tsp cumin powder
- 1.5 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 3/4 tsp pepper powder
- 3/4 tsp red chilli powder
- Salt to taste
- 1/4 cup yoghurt
- 2 chopped tomatoes
- Handful of chopped coriander and mint leaves
- 2 green chilies
- 3 cups Basmati Rice
- 5 cups water
Instructions
Soak basmati rice in water and set that aside
Heat oil in a large pot and sauté the whole spices for a couple of minutes(Cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, bay leaf, pepper corns and cumin seeds)
Add the sliced onions and cook until there are soft, then go ahead and add ginger and garlic paste. Sauté for a couple of minutes.
Add Chicken to the pot and cook until it slightly changes its colour, then add all of the spices( cumin powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder, pepper powder, garam masala and salt). Mix the spices well with the chicken and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add yoghurt and tomatoes and mix well. Add a handful of chopped coriander and mint leaves, green chilies.
Add water and allow it to come to a boil. Once the water starts to boil add soaked basmati rice into the pot. Allow it to cook until all the water drains.
Cover the lid and steam the rice on low flame for 15 minutes. Turn off the flame but do not open the lid for another 10 minutes, so that the rice cooks further with the steam inside. Then you serve this chicken pulao hot with some raita. Enjoy!
