Chicken pulao is made with rice, chicken, potatoes and a variety of spices. If you want to make chicken pulao at home, learn the steps from my recipe.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Chicken pulao can be made very easily.
- Fresh salad or raita goes well with this dish.
- Chicken pulao offers a mildly spicy taste profile.
- The similar dishes are mutton pulao, paneer pulao, vegetable pulao, and chicken biryani.
The Ingredients:
- 500 grams chicken (cut into regular pieces)
- 500 grams Basmati rice (4 cups, washed and soaked)
- 6 pieces potato (medium size, peeled, cut in half)
- ¾ cup cooking oil
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 3 pieces black cardamom
- 4 pieces cinnamon stick
- 5 pieces green cardamom
- 2 pieces Star Anise
- 4 pieces bay leaves
- 1 tsp caraway seeds
- 2 pieces onion (medium size, sliced)
- 12 pieces green chilies (without stalk and slit vertically)
- 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
- ¼ cup yogurt
- 1 piece tomatoes (medium size, chopped)
- 2 tsp coriander seed powder
- 1 tsp fennel seed powder
- 2 tsp salt
- 6½ cup water
- ½ tsp garam masala powder
- 1 tbsp coriander leaves (finely chopped)
This dish was served to me by a stranger on a train to Assam. We’d chatted for hours about everything—books, food, loss. During dinner time, when she opened her tiffin, she offered me half of it without hesitation. It was rich with memory and the love of home. I loved the taste and especially the perfection of the rice and meat, spices and ingredients.
I noted them all in my brain as we continued talking on different topics over dinner. I never saw her again. But I tried to recreate what I tasted and what I felt. I make it on quiet evenings, usually while reading the same book we discussed. Food as a bridge to the forgotten.
How to Make Chicken Pulao? (Step by Step Guide with Images)
Step 1: Heat ¾ cup of cooking oil on medium flame and put 5 to 6 pieces of medium-sized potatoes, peeled and cut in half, in it. Fry them nicely on a high flame until they turn brown in color.
Step 2: Remove the fried potatoes in a bowl and keep them aside.
Step 3: Now, reduce the flame of the gas stove to medium and add the whole spices in the remaining oil, such as 1 tsp of black pepper, 3 pieces of black cardamom, 3 to 4 pieces of cinnamon sticks, 5 pieces of green cardamom, 2 pieces of star anise, 3 to 4 pieces of bay leaves, and 1 tsp of caraway seeds. Fry them all nicely for a minute or so, until they change color slightly and you can smell the natural flavor.
(Pro tip: If you do not have caraway seeds at home, you can use regular cumin seeds in the recipe. However, caraway seeds are better for enhancing the taste and flavor of the pulao).
Step 4: Now, add 2 pieces of sliced medium-sized onions and 10 to 12 pieces green chilies without stalk and slit vertically. Fry them nicely until the onion slices are translucent.
Step 5: Then, add 2 tbsp of ginger garlic paste to it. Mix and fry nicely until the raw smell of ginger and garlic is gone.
Step 6: Now, add ¼ cup of yogurt, one chopped medium-sized tomato, 2 tsp of coriander seed powder, and 1 tsp of fennel seed powder in it. Mix and fry them nicely on a medium flame until the oil separates and the tomatoes become tender.
Step 7: Now, add 750 gm of chicken pieces along with 1 tsp of salt in it.
Step 8: Mix them very nicely and fry the chicken pieces until they lose their color and turn white. Stir continuously.
Step 9: Now, add ½ cup of water. Mix it nicely. Do not cover. Let it come to boil.
Step 10: When it comes to boil, add the fried potatoes to it. Mix nicely and cover completely to cook it for another 10 to 15 minutes on medium to low flame.
Step 11: Remove the lid and check how far it is done. When you see the chicken pieces almost coming off from the bones, as shown in the figure below, it indicates that it is about 80% cooked.
Step 12: Now, pour 6 cups of water to it. Let it start boiling. Do not cover. It will take a minute or so.
(Pro tip: The amount of water added must be 1.5 times the amount of rice used in the recipe).
Step 13: Now, when the water starts boiling, add 750 gm or 4 cups of soaked basmati rice to it along with 1 tsp of salt. Mix them and let it cook on a high flame for 5 minutes.
Step 14: Finally, add ½ tsp of garam masala powder and 1 tbsp of finely chopped fresh coriander leaves to it. Mix them all nicely. Cover it completely and cook it on a low flame for about 10 to 15 minutes more.
Step 15: Remove the cover. Check.
Step 16: Your homemade, spicy and tasty chicken pulao is ready to serve. Transfer it into a plate and serve hot along with fresh salad or dahi raita.
Recipe Card
Chicken Pulao
Ingredients
- 500 grams chicken cut into regular pieces
- 500 grams Basmati rice 4 cups, washed and soaked
- 6 pieces potato medium size, peeled, cut in half
- ¾ cup cooking oil
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 3 pieces black cardamom
- 4 pieces cinnamon stick
- 5 pieces green cardamom
- 2 pieces Star Anise
- 4 pieces bay leaves
- 1 tsp caraway seeds
- 2 pieces onion medium size, sliced
- 12 pieces green chilies without stalk and slit vertically
- 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
- ¼ cup yogurt
- 1 piece tomatoes medium size, chopped
- 2 tsp coriander seed powder
- 1 tsp fennel seed powder
- 2 tsp salt
- 6½ cup water
- ½ tsp garam masala powder
- 1 tbsp coriander leaves finely chopped
Instructions
- Heat ¾ cup of cooking oil on medium flame and put 5 to 6 pieces of medium-sized potatoes, peeled and cut in half, in it. Fry them nicely on a high flame until they turn brown in color.
- Remove the fried potatoes in a bowl and keep them aside.
- Now, reduce the flame of the gas stove to medium and add the whole spices in the remaining oil, such as 1 tsp of black pepper, 3 pieces of black cardamom, 3 to 4 pieces of cinnamon sticks, 5 pieces of green cardamom, 2 pieces of star anise, 3 to 4 pieces of bay leaves, and 1 tsp of caraway seeds. Fry them all nicely for a minute or so, until they change color slightly and you can smell the natural flavor. (Pro tip: If you do not have caraway seeds at home, you can use regular cumin seeds in the recipe. However, caraway seeds are better for enhancing the taste and flavor of the pulao).
- Now, add 2 pieces of sliced medium-sized onions and 10 to 12 pieces green chilies without stalk and slit vertically. Fry them nicely until the onion slices are translucent.
- Then, add 2 tbsp of ginger garlic paste to it. Mix and fry nicely until the raw smell of ginger and garlic is gone.
- Now, add ¼ cup of yogurt, one chopped medium-sized tomato, 2 tsp of coriander seed powder, and 1 tsp of fennel seed powder in it. Mix and fry them nicely on a medium flame until the oil separates and the tomatoes become tender.
- Now, add 750 gm of chicken pieces along with 1 tsp of salt in it.
- Mix them very nicely and fry the chicken pieces until they lose their color and turn white. Stir continuously.
- Now, add ½ cup of water. Mix it nicely. Do not cover. Let it come to boil.
- When it comes to boil, add the fried potatoes to it. Mix nicely and cover completely to cook it for another 10 to 15 minutes on medium to low flame.
- Remove the lid and check how far it is done. When you see the chicken pieces almost coming off from the bones, as shown in the figure below, it indicates that it is about 80% cooked.
- Now, pour 6 cups of water to it. Let it start boiling. Do not cover. It will take a minute or so. (Pro tip: The amount of water added must be 1.5 times the amount of rice used in the recipe).
- Now, when the water starts boiling, add 750 gm or 4 cups of soaked basmati rice to it along with 1 tsp of salt. Mix them and let it cook on a high flame for 5 minutes.
- Finally, add ½ tsp of garam masala powder and 1 tbsp of finely chopped fresh coriander leaves to it. Mix them all nicely. Cover it completely and cook it on a low flame for about 10 to 15 minutes more.
- Remove the cover. Check.
- Your homemade, spicy and tasty chicken pulao is ready to serve. Transfer it into a plate and serve hot along with fresh salad or dahi raita.
