Chicken Pulao {Pakistani Recipe} is one of my favorite things to cook and eat, probably more so than Biryani if I'm honest. Pulao is a one pot dish of either meat or vegetables cooked with rice, it is subtle in fragrance and taste.
Often served with a curry or simply with green chutney, raita and kachumber it is a popular choice for a weekend lunch, holiday festivities, or just because you're having a craving for it.
The History
Known as Pulao in Southeast Asia, Pilav in Turkish, Paella in Spain and Pilaf here in the US there are as many variations of the recipe as there are names. The one pot rice dish that originated in Persia, later became very popular with the Mughals.
Today it is popular all across South Asia and is commonly referred to as Yakhni Pulao. According to Pakistani food writer Bisma Tirmizi of dawn.com, Alexander The Great fell in love with the recipe during his time in the subcontinent. So much so, that he took it all the way to Greece.
The Chicken Pulao Recipe
A pulao is a one pot rice dish that involves cooking rice in a fragrant broth using the "absorption" method of cooking. The word "yakhni" means broth, hence the term "yakhni pulao".
This is the main difference between Pulao and biryani. Biryani is made by layering a fully cooked spicy curry with rice and then steaming the whole mixture to completion.
Different Types Of Pulao
There are many types of Pulao; mutton, chicken, afghani, vegetable and so forth. My easy recipe is for a traditional Punjabi Chicken Pulao. Punjabi's are famous for their Pulao just as Karachiites are famous for their Biryani.
The recipe is simple, the emphasis being on using the right ingredients and following the technique to perfection.
The Rice
In this Pakistani version of the recipe we use Basmati rice, as the long grain and low starch content allows for the light and fluffy texture desired in a good Pulao. The rice itself has a beautiful smell, the name basmati meaning "queen of scents".
The Chicken
I use bone in chicken for this recipe and would highly recommend sticking to that. In Biryani I sometimes use boneless meat, as there are so many spices to flavor the meat and rice. In Pulao however, it is the broth that flavors the rice and we all know that it's the bones that make the broth!
The Spices
The fragrance of the rice coupled with the whole spices used in this recipe leads to its well known fragrance. There are many variations when it comes to the spices used, no one pulao recipe is the same. I have listed the ones I've used all my life as per my family recipe below. Feel free to experiment and add or minus some to suit your palate.
The Technique
Traditional Method
The technique varies somewhat as well, with many people following a multi step method. In this method, the stock is cooked and then strained and set aside. The meat is separately browned with caramelized onions and garlic while the rice is soaked. In the final step, all of the ingredients are added to one pot together, along with some whole spices and cooked to perfection.
My Easy One Pot method
My quick Chicken Pulao method uses 1 pot from start to finish and simplifies all of these steps. I've cooked my pulao this way for the past 25 years with great results and find it so much easier than the traditional method! Detailed instructions are in the recipe card below and the video is there to help insure you get the technique down right!
Getting That perfect Brown Color
Onions
A perfect Pulao is supposed to have a beautiful brown color. The secret to that? Perfectly Caramelized onions. We're talking dark brown here people! Ofcourse, there's a fine line between burnt and dark brown. To make sure I don't overcook the onions, I keep a small cup of water nearby.
As the onions start browning, sometimes, due to uneven heat, some pieces may turn darker before others. To make sure I get an even brown, I add 1-2 tablespoons of water to stop the overcooked onions from burning. I keep this up till I have a nicely browned mixture on my hands.
Coriander Powder
My second secret to a great brown color is coriander powder. This is why I don't add whole coriander seeds to my whole spices later as many people do. The powder gives the necessary aroma and the beautiful color.
Here it is! My easy Chicken Pulao Recipe! Hope you try it and like it! Please remember to rate, comment and share your pictures on social media!
Chicken Pulao {Pakistani Recipe}
Ingredients
- 4 lbs chicken {See Notes}
- 4 cup basmati rice
- 1 cup cooking oil
- 4 onions
- 4 tbsp garlic
- 4 tsp salt
- 4 tsp coriander powder {dhania powder}
- 8 cups water
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 black cardamom {bari ilaichi}
- 15 whole black peppercorns {saabat kali mirch}
- 5 cloves {long}
- 1 tsp black cumin {kala zeera}
Instructions
- Wash and rinse rice well and soak for 20 minutes before adding to the stock.
- Wash and prep Chicken if it needs to be cut and/or skinned.
- Heat the oil and add the sliced onions, cooking till dark brown.
- Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
- Add the chicken and stir till it turns opaque (no pink should be visible)
- Add the salt and coriander and sauté for 1 minute.
- Add 2 Cups of water, cover and cook for 15 minutes to tenderize chicken.
- Uncover, and cook on high till all the water evaporates. By now the onions should be a paste, stir fry for another 5-10 minutes till the chicken is a medium brown color.
- Remove and throw away the excess water from the soaked rice and add to the chicken along with 6 cups of water.
- Cook till rice is half cooked and water has evaporated and sprinkle all the dry whole spices on the surface.
- Reduce flame to the lowest setting, Cover pot with foil(sealing tight), put lid on and steam cook for 15 minutes.
- Uncover the pot, remove foil and lightly fluff the rice before serving.
Notes
- Bone in chicken is essential as the bones give the stock a lot of the flavor that is essential to this dish.
- These spices are important to the fragrance of the dish and are typically not meant to be eaten. If you dislike the smell of one or two in particular you can eliminate those but it is best to keep as many as possible in the recipe.
Great recipe — my family loved it. Even my 3 year old grandson enjoyed it.
Thank you for the feedback Ambreen. So glad you’re liked the recipe.