Chicken Pulao (Chicken Rice Pilaf)
Blog: cookingwithnelo.com
Servings: 4
Ingredients
For the fresh ginger garlic chili paste
- 8 cloves garlic - peeled
- 1 inch piece ginger - peeled, cut into a few pieces
- 3 small green chilies - (see Note A)
For pulao
- ½ cup (118 ml) cooking oil - any neutral oil
- 1 medium onion - very thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns - aka sabut kali mirch
- 6 cloves - aka laung
- 1 whole star anise - aka badiyan ka phool
- 1 inch piece of cinnamon stick - aka dalchini
- 3 whole black cardamoms - aka bari elaichi
- 3 whole green cardamoms - aka choti elachi, pods should be fully intact
- 1.5 teaspoons cumin seeds - aka safaid zeera
- 2 small bay leaves - aka tez patta, use less if the leaves are big
- 1 pound (500 g) chicken - skinless, bone in, cut into pieces (Note B)
- 2.5 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon coriander powder - aka dhaniya powder
- 1 teaspoon fennel powder - aka saunf powder
- ¼ cup plain yogurt - mix until smooth
- 3 cups water
- 1 small tomato - thinly sliced, I use roma tomatoes
- ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro - aka coriander/dhaniya
- ¼ cup finely chopped mint - aka pudina
- 6 small green chilies - whole, uncut
- 2 cups (400 g) sella/parboiled basmati rice - washed, soaked for 2 hours, then drained (see Note C)
- 1 tablespoon kewra water
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice - fresh
Instructions
- Blend garlic, ginger and 3 green chilies into a paste, adding just enough water to make it smooth. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a large pot/saucepan over medium heat. Add sliced onion and cook until it softens and just starts to change color, don't let it turn golden.
- Add black peppercorns, cloves, star anise, cinnamon, black cardamoms, green cardamoms, cumin seeds, bay leaves, and saute for 1 minute.
- Add chicken pieces and cook until no longer pink.
- Add ginger-garlic-green chili paste you made, stir and cook for 2 minutes.
- Mix in salt, coriander powder, fennel powder and cook for 2 more minutes.
- Add yogurt and cook for 5 to 6 minutes or until the chicken is almost done. Add a few tablespoons of water, only if needed, to prevent burning.
- Pour in 3 cups of water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Add sliced tomato, chopped cilantro, chopped mint, 6 whole green chilies (pull the stems out, but chilies should have no cuts or openings to avoid extra heat). Mix well.
- Then add the soaked, drained rice along with kewra water, lemon juice and gently stir to mix.
- Partially cover the pot with lid and let liquid reduce over medium-high heat (or medium if your burner is strong). Don't stir yet, just keep an eye. At first, the bubbles on the surface will be big and vigorous. As the liquid cooks down further, you'll start to see small bubbles and steam holes across the surface. That’s your cue to give a brief, gentle stir. Some liquid (around 10 to 20 percent) will still be left, which is intended.
- Cover completely with lid right away, and reduce heat to the lowest setting. Let it steam for 15 minutes. If using regular basmati instead of sella basmati, steam 10 minutes instead. DO NOT remove the lid. No peeking, no stirring.
- Turn off the heat. DO NOT remove the lid yet and leave the pot on the same burner. Let the rice rest for 15 minutes so it finishes cooking in residual heat.
- After the resting time, remove the lid, plate the rice using a flat, wide utensil like a rice paddle, and enjoy.
Notes
Note A: Green Chilies – These are listed twice intentionally. You need some for the paste, some for the dum. Adjust quantities to your spice preference.
Note B: Chicken –Boneless chicken works, but I prefer bone-in. Ask your butcher for 12 to 14 pieces per chicken, or just say you need them sized for pulao or biryani.
Note C: Rice – Regular basmati rice works ok if you don’t have basmati sella, but it’s less forgiving even if slightly overcooked. Soak for 30 minutes and steam 10 minutes instead of 15. Everything else stays the same.