Chicken Pulao
Chicken Pulao is a delicious one-pot meal made with fragrant Basmati rice, tender chicken pieces, and aromatic spices. It's a flavorful, satisfying weeknight meal that can be made in just 30 minutes.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 lb Chicken bone-in, cut into pieces
- 1 cup Basmati Rice washed and soaked for 20 minutes
- 2 tablespoon Oil
- 1 tablespoon Ghee
- 1 Onion thinly sliced, about 170 grams
- 1/2 tablespoon Ginger freshly grated or finely chopped
- 1/2 tablespoon Garlic minced
- 1-2 Green chili pepper
- 1 Tomato small, chopped
- 2 tablespoon Mint leaves chopped, optional
- 1 teaspoon Salt adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
- 2 tablespoon Plain Yogurt I used full-fat
- 1 1/4 cup Water use 1 cup for Instant Pot method
Whole Spices
- 1 stick Cinnamon (Dalchini)
- 2 Bay leaf (Tej Patta)
- 5 Green Cardamom (Elaichi)
- 1/2 teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
- 1/2 teaspoon Black Peppercorns
- 4 Cloves (Laung)
Finishing ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Lime or Lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon Cilantro leaves chopped
Instructions
- Heat oil and ghee in a heavy bottom pan or Dutch oven on medium-high heat. Add in the sliced onions. Cook them for about 10-12 minutes until onions caramelize. Stir frequently so they don't stick to the bottom.
- Add the whole spices, ginger and garlic. Saute for a minute until the raw smell is gone.
- Add the chicken. Mix well and saute for about 3-4 minutes minutes until the chicken changes color.
- Add the green chili, tomato, mint leaves, salt, garam masala, and yogurt. Sauté until the oil starts to separate in about 2-3 minutes. Keep stirring continuously until the yogurt is incorporated.
- Add the water to the pot. Stir and bring to a boil.
- Drain the rice and add it to the pot. Stir and bring to a boil.
- Now reduce the heat to low, and cover with a lid for 10-15 minutes until all the water is soaked and the rice is cooked.
- Turn off the heat and gently fluff the rice. Add the lime juice and gently stir with a rice paddle.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro leaves. Serve chicken pulao with raita.
Instant Pot Method
- For this method, use boneless chicken cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Or if using bone-in chicken, make sure the pieces are cut small. For larger pieces, first pressure cook the chicken for 4 minutes, then add the rice and cook it along.
- Follow the same steps as the stovetop to make this pulao in the instant pot until the step of adding the rice and water to the pot. Pressure cook for 4 minutes on high pressure. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then release the pressure manually.
- Then, add the lime juice and fluff the rice gently. Serve and garnish with cilantro leaves. Enjoy with riata.
Video
Notes
Use good quality aged long-grain basmati rice: I highly recommend using long-grain basmati rice for the best results in this pulao.
Green Chili Pepper: You can use Thai, Serrano, or Birdseye chili pepper. Make sure to adjust the amount to your taste.
Perfectly cooked rice in pulao: Make sure to rinse the rice well before you use it for Chicken Pulao so all the starches are removed, and it is perfectly cooked and not sticky. A 20-minute soak in water before cooking helps the grains stay separate and fluffy.
Double the recipe: Double the amount if you're cooking for more people or want leftovers for another meal.
Nutrition
Calories: 453kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 752mg | Potassium: 736mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 371IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 112mg | Iron: 2mg