Chicken Pulao

Ingredients

• 0.5 cup Oil (for frying)
• 2 Onions (large, sliced)
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds (part of whole spices)
• 4 Cloves (part of whole spices)
• 2 Bay leaves (part of whole spices)
• 1 Cinnamon stick (part of whole spices)
• 10 Black peppercorns (part of whole spices)
• 3.5 tbsp Ginger garlic paste (3-4 tbsp)
• 1 kg Chicken (cut into pieces)
• 0.33 cup Yoghurt
• 1 tbsp Cumin powder
• 1 tbsp Chilli flakes
• 4 tsp Salt (to taste)
• 2.5 Tomatoes (2-3 tomatoes, puréed)
• 2.5 Green chillies (2-3 chillies, puréed with tomatoes)
• 1 kg Rice (washed & soaked; basmati or sella)
• 0.5 tsp Garam masala
• 1.5 Chicken stock cubes (1-2 cubes)
• 5.5 Green chillies (5-6 whole chillies)
• Water (enough to be 1 inch above the rice)

Steps

1. 1

   Heat oil in a large pot and fry the sliced onions until they turn a deep dark brown.

2. 2

   Add the whole spices (cumin seeds, cloves, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, and black peppercorns) and let them sizzle for a few seconds until fragrant.

3. 3

   Stir in the ginger garlic paste and cook for 1–2 minutes to remove the raw smell.

4. 4

   Add the chicken pieces and cook until the meat changes colour from pink to white.

5. 5

   Mix in the yoghurt, cumin powder, chilli flakes, and salt.

6. 6

   Add the tomato and green chilli purée, then cook over medium-high heat until the oil separates from the masala.

7. 7

   Add the washed and soaked rice, chicken stock cubes, garam masala, and whole green chillies.

8. 8

   Pour in enough water so it’s about 1 inch above the level of the rice.

9. 9

   Cook on high heat until the water is almost completely absorbed by the rice.

10. 10

    Cover the pot tightly and steam (dum) on low heat. For basmati rice, steam for 10–15 minutes. If using sella rice, steam for 20–30 minutes on a low flame.

11. 11

    Serve hot.

Notes

The 'dum' (steaming) time depends on the variety of rice used: 10-15 minutes for Basmati and 20-30 minutes for Sella (parboiled) rice. Ensure the rice is soaked before cooking for best results.

Nutrition per serving

• Main Course
• Chicken
• Rice
• Pakistani
• One Pot
• Spicy
• Dinner