This is our family recipe and one that mum would make so often when we grew up. The smell of onions caramelising, the spices infused with rice in a big handi (steel cooking pot) and the smell of homemade ghee is something I will always remember.
Chicken Pulao is one of the popular and most loved rice dishes from India. Pulao also known as pilaf is a one pot rice dish similar to chicken biryani but is milder in taste. Easy and quick to make chicken pulao recipe needs basmati rice, chicken, yogurt and whole spices. In this recipe I have shared chicken pulao recipe made stove top, in pressure cooker and using an Instant pot. Serve chicken pulao with raita, kurma.
Chicken Pulao is one of the simplest rice preparations you could ever make with chicken. It just needs only 45 minutes to cook. The only thing which takes time is marinating the chicken. Other than that everything is so simple. This chicken pulav is flavour packed; you could make it spicy or milder as per your wish by increasing the green chillies. If you are a vegetarian you could make it with paneer, tofu or cauliflower.
Caramelised onions, whole spices and moist chicken pieces peeping through fluffy basmati rice that clings to the pieces. The layers of flavours in this comforting dish make it so special.
Indian pulaos are one pot dishes and something cooked as a meal in itself. My mother would also serve pulao at dinner parties after most guests would have finished eating Indian bread with the main curries.
Every stage of making chicken pulao was carefully done. With onions thinly sliced, spices spluttering in ghee. The laborious task of cooking the onions which is really what yields the colour in the resultant dish, cooking the chicken and adding the long grain rice simmering until it was just done making sure the grains do not break.
Mum would give the pulao a DUM and turn heat off to let the dish rest before serving.
Taking the lid off the pot with the steam wafting through when she served it out. Oh my! And just for that it is worth slaving on the stove to make this recipe.
Unlike Biryani there is no layering of the meat with the rice. In Pulao, the rice is cooked together with meat or vegetables. This recipe includes whole spices, chillies and onions mainly. Most of the ingredients in this dish are easy to find. What takes long is cooking the onions; make sure to give that some time as it makes all the difference. Simply served as a one pot meal with some raita and salad or onions it is a reminder of what home cooking is!
Ingredients for Simple Chicken Pulao
Steps for Simple Chicken Pulao
Simple Chicken Pulao
Ingredients
4 to 5 tablespoon Oil
2 Bay Leaves
3 to 4 Dried Red Chilli
3 Cardamoms
4 Cloves
1 Star Anise
2 small piece Cinnamon Stick
2 Black Cardamoms
1 teaspoon Caraway Seeds- Shah jeera
2 medium Onions
500 grams Chicken
One and half teaspoon Ginger-Garlic Paste
5 Green Chillies
1 teaspoon Salt
1/4th Cup Water
1 teaspoon Coriander Seeds
Half teaspoon Cumin Seeds
1 teaspoon Fennel Seeds
1 small piece Mace
Small piece of Nutmeg
Half teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
Half cup Curd
Half litre Water
Fresh Coriander
1 teaspoon Salt
300 grams Basmati Rice
Steps
Wash and soak 300 grams basmati rice in water for 30 minutes.
Heat 4 to 5 tablespoon oil in a big pot in which you can cook the pulao, then add 2 bay leaves, 3 to 4 dry red chilli ,3 cardamom, 4 cloves,one star Anise,2 small piece cinnamon stick, 2 black cardamom, one teaspoon caraway seeds- Shah jeera, cook the spices for half a minute so that all the flavours of the spices can be infused in the oil.
Then add 2 medium size sliced onions fry them till little soft, then add 500 grams chicken one and half teaspoon ginger garlic paste, 5 slit green chillies, 1 teaspoon salt, then stir fry the chicken pieces with the ginger-garlic paste for 4 to 5 minutes.
Then add 1/4th cup water cover and cook it for 10 to 12 minutes till the chicken is done.
Take 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, half teaspoon cumin seeds, one teaspoon fennel seeds, one small piece Mace, small piece of nutmeg ,grind them into fine powder then add half teaspoon garam masala powder mix it and keep aside.
Check the chicken if 80% done then add half cup curd and the powdered masala mix it well with the chicken, cook it on low flame for a minute, then add half litre water, fresh chopped coriander, 1 teaspoon salt mix it well and let it come to a boil.
When it starts boiling, add basmati rice and mix it with light hands and cook it on high flame for 4 to 5 minutes.
Mix the rice with light hands and then cover and cook on low flame for 12 to 15 minutes.
Place any heavy object on the lid so the pulao gets a nice DUM flavour.
After 15 minutes open the lid and check the pulao, if done off the flame and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes and then serve hot with raita.
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Tips; * Use high quality basmati rice which is aromatic for making pulao and biryani. *Wash basmati rice at least 2 to 3 minutes, soak rice for at least 30 minutes prior cooking for longer non-sticky rice. * Use chicken with bone-in for maximum flavour. Bone-in chicken stays juicy and moist once cooked where as chicken breast tends to dry out. Also chicken bones impart lots of chicken flavour to the dish. *Use good quality ghee, preferably desi ghee for making biryani and pulao. Ghee adds aroma and flavour to the dish. *If you do not have much time on hand, then you can make chicken pulao in a pressure cooker in less than 30 to 40 minutes.
