In India and Pakistan, chicken pulao is one of the most common rice dishes. Pulao is a tasty rice dish with meat or vegetables, spices, and herbs. This Chicken Pulao recipe is quick and easy to prepare for a weeknight meal. It’s not as spicy as chicken Biryani and isn’t as filling.
Biryani is traditionally made by layering marinated meat with partially cooked rice. To seal in the flavors, the pot is then sealed and dum fried. Planning and cooking a decent chicken pulao takes a significant amount of time.
Making chicken pulao is one of my favorite things to do because it needs very little effort, particularly if you use frozen pre-made garlic/ginger and chop the onions in a food processor. It’s ideal for hectic weekdays.
A Chicken Pulao can be prepared in a variety of ways. Some people cook the dish with stock, while others in the south use coconut milk. This is also a kid-friendly meal since it only uses a few spices. The best way to serve chicken pulao is with raita or salad.
Restaurant Style Pakistani Chicken Pulao Recipe
Chicken Pulao Ingredients
- 2 tbsp. Coriander Seeds
- 2 big Cinnamon Sticks
- 2 Black Cardamom
- 6 Green Cardamom
- 10 Cloves
- 2 tbsp. Black Peppercorns
- 2 Star Anise, 2 Bay Leaves
- 1 tbsp. Red Chili Flakes
- 4 inch Ginger Grated
- 6 Garlic Cloves
- 1 Onion roughly chopped
- 1 Whole Chicken divided into 8 or 8 pieces Chicken thighs/legs mixed skin off
- 2 tbsp. oil
- 1 tbsp. ghee
- 1 tbsp. cumin seeds
- 1 tsp. fennel seeds
- 2 cardamom pods
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 10 black peppercorns
- 5 cloves
- 2 big onions finely sliced
- 2-inch ginger crushed
- 6 garlic cloves crushed
- 3 green chilies slit
- 3 cups rice
- 6 cups chicken stock or water
- 3 flat tsp. salt
Tips
The cooking of the rice is the most important part of this recipe. If you go too far, you’ll end up with mushy rice that clumps together. After cooking, the rice grains should be separated.
Pulao is normally made with basmati rice. Long-grained rice can be used. The best basmati is aged basmati.
Pre-Seak the rice – If you have the time, soak the rice for 20 to 30 minutes before cooking it. Soaking the rice eliminates extra starch, cuts down on cooking time, and results in a lighter overall dish.
Add just the right amount of water – it’s very likely to over-water rice. So, particularly if you’ve pre-soaked the rice, make sure you don’t add too much.
Step by Step Method of Chicken Pulao
Step#1
1st phase Garlic and ginger should be crushed, and the chicken should be chopped.
Any occasion or party benefits from the addition of chicken pulao. This classic dish is a delectable combination of spiced chicken, rice, and aromatic herbs that requires no introduction. This dish can be prepared in a variety of ways, and we have the simplest recipe for you.
Here’s how to make it at home using ingredients that are readily available. Wash and peel the vegetables, then crush the garlic and ginger in a mortar pestle. To make a paste, coarsely crush them. Take the chicken and cut it into bite-sized bits.
Step#2
Add garam masala, red chili powder, salt, turmeric powder, and half of the ginger-garlic paste to a cup. The marinade is now ready to use. Set aside for 20 minutes to marinate the chicken parts in a prepared marinade paste.
Step#3
In a nonstick pan, heat the oil over medium heat and add the bay leaves, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, green chilies, and star anise. In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients and add the sliced onions. Cook over medium heat until the onions are shiny and translucent.
Step#4
Add the marinated chicken and cook until all of the ingredients have been absorbed by the chicken. Cook for 3-4 minutes after adding the yogurt.
Step#5
Rice, 5 cups water, turmeric powder, and the remaining ginger-garlic paste are added to the pot. Season with salt and toss thoroughly. Allow the rice to finish cooking. Stir once in a while.
Step#6
Switch the homemade Chicken Pulao to a serving plate and squeeze lemon over it once it’s done cooking. Serve hot, garnished with coriander leaves.
Nutrition
- Calories: 460g
- Fat 9g
- Saturated fat 2g
- Carbohydrates 88g
- Fiber 6g
Additional tips
- The first thing to remember when making Chicken 65 is that the longer you marinate the chicken, the more flavorful it will be. The chicken can be marinated for up to two days.
- When making the marinade, you can use either rice flour or cornflour to get the crispiness.
- If the yogurt’s sourness isn’t high enough, add a teaspoon of rice vinegar. This will give the dish the much-needed sour flavor.
- Always use chicken thighs for this dish because they are juicy and have a higher fat content.
Serving suggesting with this delicious pulao
- Raita Cucumber or red onion raita are my favorites. Simply grate or chop half a cucumber, cover in a towel and squeeze out excess water, then combine with 1 cup yogurt, chopped mint leaves or chutney, salt, and chopped green chili to produce.
- With pickle and poppadum: Since this is a delicate dish, it pairs well with pickle and roasted or fried poppadum.
- Red onions, sliced, steeped in lemon or lime juice with a pinch of sugar
Variations of Chicken Pulao
A pulao recipe can be changed in a variety of ways. Adding various foods, using stock instead of water, and spicing with special spices are all options.
- In replacement of chicken, you can use lamb, mutton, or beef.
- You can make a vegetarian version by replacing the meat with your favorite vegetables.
- Yogurt or Coconut Milk may be added to the dish.
- To go with it, make a Green Chutney (coriander leaves/stems, green chili, ginger, and garlic). This is how I make it on occasion.
- Tomatoes may be added to the mix.
- You may use Pulao or Biryani spiced box mixes instead of the entire Garam Masala.
- You can cook the rice in stock instead of water.
- Spices and herbs can be modified to suit your preferences.
- You can top the pulao with some crispy golden fried onions as a garnish.
- Saffron strands may also be added to the pulao while it’s cooking.
- A Muslin Cloth can be used to bind the Garam Masala spices. When I use Lamb, I do this.
