Chicken Pulao Recipe

This Chicken Pulao has so many flavorings in this recipe that after all, finally creates one fine pot of Pulao that stands out to become the most flavourful, backed by its difference of chicken flavors for people at large to share for the occasion as well as a dinner luxury while relishing a variety of dishes from such a flavorful dish because of which almost all other countries cultivate also.

Chicken Pulao is one of the relatively lesser complicated cousins, but no less flavorful, whereas chicken Biryani is a layered dish prepared in yogurt and fried onions. Cooked all together, this chicken and that rice with its spices are fast and delicious at busy times of the day. The beauty in it lies within its simplicity and using fresh, whole ingredients with minimal effort, creating flavor and satisfaction.

We will guide you on how to make Chicken Pulao from scratch, along with some tips on how you can get the perfect dish for you.

Ingredients for Chicken Pulao:

The ingredients for this irresistible Chicken Pulao are as follows:

**For the Chicken Marinade:**
– 500g chicken preferably bone-in pieces like chicken thighs or drumsticks
– 1/2 cup plain yogurt
– 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
– 1 teaspoon red chili powder
– 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
– 1/2 tsp garam masala powder
– Salt as per taste
– 1 tbsp lemon juice

**Pulao**
– 1 1/2 cups basmati rice, soaked for 20-30 minutes and drained
– 2 tbsp ghee or vegetable oil
– 1 medium onion, finely sliced
– 2-3 green cardamom pods
– 4-5 cloves
– 1-2 bay leaves
– 1 cinnamon stick
– 1 tsp cumin seeds
– 1/2 tsp coriander powder
– 1 tsp cumin powder
– 1/4 tsp black pepper (optional)
– 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes (fresh or canned)
– 2 cups water (or chicken broth for extra flavor)
– Fresh cilantro leaves for garnish
– Salt to taste

Chicken Pulao Preparation

1. Marinate the Chicken:

The first step towards making a delicious Chicken Pulao is marinating the chicken. Marinating does not only soften the chicken but also provides the spices with the flesh of the meat. Marinate the mixture of chicken, yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, red chili powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, salt, and lemon juice. Mix everything so that the marinade covers all the chicken very well.

Let it marinate for at least 30 minutes but the best flavor can only come from a longer time, such as 2-3 hours, or even overnight in the fridge. The longer that time elapses while sitting in its marinade, the deeper the flavors penetrated.

2. Cook the Rice:

Marinate chicken and prepare rice. Rice is soaked in water for 20 to 30 minutes. This way grains cook out, so that it doesn’t become mushy because of the undercooking. This way it has to be strained after this and kept ready. The whole procedure of soaking allows the grains to be fluffy in size and to be long. They won’t stick to each other.

3. Sautéing the Whole Spices and Onions:

Heat a heavy-bottomed pot or a large pan over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of ghee or oil. Ghee is preferred for its rich, nutty flavor, but vegetable oil works as well if you’re looking for a lighter option.

Add whole spices in hot oil. That is containing green cardamom pods, cloves, bay leaves, and cinnamon stick. Let them fry at least for 30 seconds or even until they release their aromatic oil. The flavor of this natural spice will release in the pot of heat where the rice as well as chicken will be full of flavor in this dish.

Add the chopped onions to the pan. Cook the onions over medium heat till they turn dark brown and carmelized which may take up to 8-10 minutes. It’s a nice pulao flavor which brings in sweetness and intensity. Keep stirring so the onions do not burn.

4. Chicken:

Once the onions become a light brown, add the marinated chicken and sauté that chicken for 5-7 minutes; your chicken will be slightly browned while the marinade starts cooking into the meat, which is what is going to lock all those spices and flavors in before adding the rice.

Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for another 3-4 minutes so the tomatoes are soft and mix with the chicken, as tomatoes tend to release juices and infuse flavors to become a great pulao base.

5. Addition of Rice and Water:

Add the drained basmati rice to the pot containing the cooked chicken and softened tomatoes. Stir the mixture gently in order to combine the rice and chicken with the spices, letting the rice absorb the spice mixture but not stirring too hard because it may break the rice grains.

Add 2 cups of water or chicken broth and salt to taste. The key to making perfect pulao is just the right amount of water to rice. Basmati rice is best prepared with a 1:1.5 ratio of water to rice when cooking the pulao.

Then the heat should be low. This is kept low with a covered pot and the lid is quite tight-fitting to cook further 15-20 minutes or so, till the time the rice became soft and it had sucked most of the water inside it. Such cooking time never allows opening of cover because all the steams remain inside the cooker and hence all the grain cooked evenly.

6. Resting and Fluffing the Pulao:

After cooking the rice, switch off the flame and rest for 5-10 minutes with a lid on top. The flavor gets intermingled and the rice is even fluffier now.

After resting, fluff the rice using a fork. Gently separate the grains of rice. You can also add some fresh chopped cilantro at the top for some color and flavor to your pulao.

Chicken Pulao Serving

It’s ready now-your Chicken Pulao. Enjoy this with hot and cooling yogurt raita, pickle, or fresh salad. If you feel you must do something better with the dish, then offer with crispy papadams or a tangy chutney.

Raita: A side dish with yogurt that complements cucumber, mint, and spices. Raita would level the richness of pulao.
– Kachumber Salad: Fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, onions with a squeeze of lemon juice would make for such a wonderful, simple kachumber salad paired with this pulao.
– Pickle and Papad: Serve it alongside spicy pickle along with the crispy papads accompanying the pulao.

Some Tips to be followed to be able to execute the Chicken Pulao recipe so well

1. Use of Basmati Rice: This is long-grain rice, cooks up fluffy and aromatic; it is, therefore, well suited for the pulao. To avoid breaking of rice during cooking or its uneven cooking, the rice should be soaked at least for 20-30 minutes ahead.
2. Do not fry the chicken. Chicken will also cook in its rice. Be careful not to burn the chicken too much on its first fry; otherwise, cooking it slightly will make it less hard and the softness combined with the softness of rice.

3. Spice Levels can be altered: You can quite well change the spice levels in this recipe to your taste. You can add more or less chili powder according to your desired spiciness for the pulao.
4. Ghee instead of oil: For the real flavor, use ghee instead of oil. Ghee has its perfume and wealth and takes the dish to another level.

5. Rest the Pulao: This lets the flavors meld a little better and you have fluffy rice.
Conclusion

Chicken Pulao is one of the comfort and delicious one-pot meals, in which tender chicken is brought together with aromatic spices and fluffy rice. It is very easy to prepare but full of flavors. Be it a weeknight dinner, a family gathering, or any special occasion, Chicken Pulao is sure to satisfy everyone’s taste buds. The recipe can be customized with different spices and vegetables to suit your preferences, making it a versatile dish that never fails to impress.

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