I remember before I got married, I asked my then-fiance now-husband what his favourite food was. He responded 'I like Pilau and Biryani'.
A little voice inside of me sniggered 'Oh great. Those are like SO LONG. OMG. You don't know what you're getting yourself into, Fatima.'
I had to pep-talk myself into not breaking it off.
I exaggerate.
Kind of.
Well, it turns out Pilau / Pulao (how do you spell it?!) isn't really that difficult. It's actually quite simple, now that I have the hang of it. I can probably name 5 other Pakistani dishes I find more difficult than Pilau. Which is a relief, because A. my husband really likes my Pilau, B. I do not like Biryani half as much as Pilau and C. I don't plan on cooking Biryani in the near future (EDIT to add, I made Biryani, eventually. I still prefer Pilau).
I probably would have regretted breaking up over of all this.
How do you make Chicken Pilau?
This method uses the traditional yakhni method of making Pilau.
Yakhni literally means broth or soup in Urdu. In this method, we cook up a beautiful broth using the chicken, all the whole spices, garlic and onions. We will reserve this broth for later. We go on to frying some more onions (not the ones from the broth) in glorious ghee until they're golden, before adding in the chicken from the broth until the chicken becomes golden in the ghee too. Then we'll add the broth, and then the basmati rice and cook everything together until the rice is cooked through - dreamily soft, aromatic and oozing with flavour.
I'll walk you through the basic method of how to cook yakhni Pilau - as always, the full recipe with all the ingredients will be at the bottom of the post.
We start simple - get your chicken, whole spices, whole garlic and onion in a deep pot, add water and let this simmer for 20 minutes over a low heat. If any dark coloured froth comes to the top, skim it off.
Next, you want to strain the broth through a colander and reserve the liquid. The easiest way to do this is to place a large bowl under a colander, and then run the broth through that. You'll end up with a mound of whole spices and chicken in the colander (as pictured) - set aside the chicken and feel free to dispose of the whole spices or reuse them for something else if you so wish.
Now separately, we are going to get some ghee in a wider pan and add in some sliced onions to fry until they're a golden brown. Please note, these onions are NOT the ones from the broth!
Once the onions are gold, add in the chicken we reserved from our broth earlier. You want to fry this alongside the onions and ghee, until it is also takes on a golden hue.
Once the chicken is looking a bit more coloured, we can add in the broth liquid from earlier. Once this comes to a rolling boil, add in the basmati rice. Cook this over a high heat, gently folding with a slotted spoon and scraping the bottom of the pan occasionally, until you can see that the water has mostly evaporated. A good rule of thumb is to get to a point where 95% of the water has evaporated and the rice grains look watery, but not floating in water. See Image 8 below for what you're looking for.
Once you get to the stage pictures in Image 8 above, you want to bring the heat down to as low as you can get it, cover the rice with a tight-fitting lid lined with either a clean dish cloth or foil, and allow the rice to steam like this for 15-20 minutes.
Some people like placing a flat pan (tawa) under the pot to prevent the bottom layer of rice from burning, but I don't think this is necessary if your heat is super low (controversial opinion alert). If you have a recurring issue with rice burning, or a stove with uneven heat, definitely do place a flat pan under your pot as it steams.
Once the rice has steamed, open it up, bask in the beautiful aroma of your creation, and then fluff the rice grains up gently using a slotted spoon, fork, or a very small side plate. Please do not stir the rice, handle it with a hard hand or use a clunky spoon to deal with it - it breaks the rice grains!
How much water/broth do I need to add to my rice for Pulao?
This is a good - and commonly received - question! My no-fail ratio is that for every cup of rice I'm cooking, I need the same number of cups + 1 cup of liquid. If my recipe calls for 3 cups of rice, I will use 4 cups of liquid. If I'm making 6 cups of rice, I'd use 7 cups of broth. If I was cooking 10 cups of rice, I'd use 11 cups of broth - and so forth.
And also, I use standard American measuring cups, which are 250mls, for my recipes. This is very important, as using the wrong measurements can ruin the recipe. Please no 'chota cup', 'bara cup' measurements!
How to double or triple this recipe
If you need to double the recipe, I advise doubling all the quantities listed in the recipe card below. For the broth liquid, you will need to use 7 cups, instead of the stated 4 cups in the recipe, as per the ratio I've shared above.
To triple, again, I advise you to triple all the quantities listed in the recipe. For the broth, I would advise using 10 cups.
With larger quantities of rice, you may need to test the salt before adding it all in so I'd advise holding off on using the full quantity from x2 or x3ing the recipe. Around step 6 in the recipe (image 7 from above), once you've added the right amount of broth into the chicken and onion mixture, give everything a taste-test. It should taste too salty - not painfully so, but just enough to think 'Yup, SALTY'. If it doesn't feel salty, you can add a bit more salt, until you get to that 'Yup, SALTY' stage.
How to elevate your Pilau game
I've experimented with different spices in this recipe and I've finally found the one. This is now officially my go-to Chicken Pilau recipe that I will now make with my eyes closed.
The game changer in this is the ghee.
Legitimately, using ghee will transform your Chicken Pilau.
Every grain of rice was moist and buttery... just what I like in my rice. If you don't have ghee, you can use oil but I can't vouch for the same delicious results the ghee-version will produce. The ghee gives it a rich, melt-in-your-mouth taste and the most enticing aroma.
Butter is also another option, but I personally have never used it so I can't guarantee how it will turn out. Oil is completely fine too - I use it often when I don't have ghee to hand. In fact, when I was pregnant with my little girl, I developed an aversion to ghee so oil was my go-to during this time for Pilau.
Picking the best kind of chicken for your Pilau
Ideally, you want to pick bone-in chicken for optimal flavour.
Ask your butcher for standard, curry-cut chicken.
Additionally, if you have access to organic chicken, I would whole-heartedly recommend that. The flavour is absolutely incomparable to regular chicken! If you use organic chicken, you will need to increase the time you're cooking the broth by about half an hour extra.
The best way to serve Chicken Pilau, you ask?
Chicken Pilau is best served with raita (yogurt lightly salted and spiced), salad and shami kebabs - you can find my recipe for shami kebabs here!
The best kind of raita in my opinion is one that also contains cut up salad vegetables such as cucumbers, tomatoes or onions OR boiled, chopped potatoes (aloo ka raita).
To make this, take about a cup of full-fat yogurt, thin it out with some milk and add a few pinches of salt and cumin powder. Add in your chopped vegetables of choice and thin out some more if needed.
If you'd like to serve this alongside a curry, my number one recommendation would be Aloo Gosht or Matar Gosht - it's a classic combination.
Enjoy, with love x
More Pilau Recipes
- One Pot Chicken Pilau (same flavour as this recipe, with a simpler method!)
📋 Recipe
Pakistani Chicken Pilau | Chicken Pulao
Ingredients
Part 1: for the broth (yakhni)
- 2.2 lb (1 kg) chicken, bone in
- 4 teaspoon salt (please adjust to taste, see notes below)
- 2 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 2 tablespoon black pepper corns
- 2 bay leaf
- 1 medium stick cinnamon
- 2 black cardamoms
- 5 green cardamoms
- 10 cloves
- 1 star anise
- 1 onions
- 8 garlic cloves
Part 2: putting everything together
- 4 (60 g) tbsp ghee
- 2 onions, sliced finely
- 2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 4 cups/1l broth (reserved from Part 1) (IMPORTANT: please read notes at the bottom if you are changing the serving size)
- 3 cups (600 g) basmati rice (washed and soaked in water for at least 30 minutes before using)
Instructions
- First, we make the broth (yakhni). In a pot, add the chicken, coriander seeds, black pepper corns, garlic cloves, bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamoms, cloves, star anise, salt and 1 onion (it doesn't have to be chopped). Cover with enough water to submerge the chicken.
- Bring to a boil, then cover and allow to simmer on medium-low heat for 20 minutes.
- Strain the broth using a colander. Discard the whole spices and reserve the liquid and chicken (keep both separate) until needed. You can squash the softened cloves of garlic into the liquid. Refer to the images in the blog post if needed.
- Now, in a wide pot, heat the ghee on medium heat. Once hot, add the sliced onions. Sauté till they are golden, stirring often to ensure they don't burn - about 8-12 minutes. The darker the onions are, the darker the colour of the rice will be. Add the cumin seeds once the onions turn transparent and limp.
- Once the onions turn golden, add the chicken you reserved from earlier. Fry everything till the chicken turns golden - about 3-4 minutes.
- Now, add the basmati rice and the broth you reserved from earlier. If you do not have enough broth, you can make up the shortfall with water. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low till the water dries up and the rice is soft, about 10 minutes (give or take).
- Turn the heat down very low and allow the rice to steam with the lid on (ideally lined with a cloth/towel) for 15-20 minutes.
- Your Chicken Pilau is ready! Fluff up well once the steam time is over, otherwise the rice may clump up.
Notes
- How much salt you add is largely personal preference. My go-to ratio for rice is 1 teaspoon per 1 cup (200g) of rice as a starting point, and then additional salt for the chicken. You may find you need more or less. Some types of salt, such as Himalayan pink salt, is less strong than table salt, for e.g., therefore you will need to monitor the quantity.
- If you are adjusting the serving size: the amount of broth (yakhni) you use will be: 0.5x = 2.5 cups/600ml broth, 2x = 7 cups/1.65l broth, 3x = 10 cups/2.5l broth
- If you want some heat, I would recommend adding in a few chopped green chillies to the broth.
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Figela konini
Very tasty everyone loved it!
Baria
Good
Sameer Ahmed
Hey fatima, I am trying to make this recipe and can't figure out when to put in onions. The recipe says 2 onions. I have to use 1 onion while making the yakhnee and discard it afterwards, then use the 2nd one to fry on the pan?
Fatima
Yes Sameer, that's correct! One for the yakhni, and one to fry!
Zehra
Hi, how much water do you add for the stock? For some reason, I am not seeing it. Thank you!
abida
https://youtu.be/i7FGBU0Lpc8 Very Nice
Rabia javed
Assalam o alaikum fatima.
I hope you are fine
Your recipes are just AWESOME. Love the way you explain everything in details, each ingredient, history of recipe...the little stories
Loved it ❤️
Your website is what i was looking for
JazakalALLAH for your efforts
May ALLAH BLESS YOU WITH MORE HAPPINESS AMEEN 💕💕💕💕💕
N H K
I rarely comment on recipes but felt like I had to on this one. This recipe is splendid and tastes just like authentic Pakistani pilau, just as my mother makes it. I really recommend this and even your other recipes such as Chana pilau. Thank you Fatima!
Charlotte
Hello,
Do you know how long this will keep in the fridge? Last time I made it I had lots left over!
Thanks!
Fatima
Hi! This would be good 2-3ish days for sure!
Justyna
I'm patiently learning to cook Pakistani dishes from yoir website, unfortunately my rice is ending up being so soft and kind of watery 🥺 any advise please.
Fatima
Sounds like it could be too much water, but I can't really guide you without more details!
elena
how many calories is one serving
AS
Hi Fatima
I was wondering if I had to use boneless chicken would I still use 1 kg of it or do I need to reduce the quantity if using boneless chicken?
Thanks!
Fatima
You shouldn't really need to change the quantities, although I haven't tried it myself
Toby
Hi Fatima
I am trying to figure out how to sign up to receive your posts and cannot.
Can you please do that for me.
Thank you.
Fatima
Hi Toby! I can't subscribe on your behalf, but I have just moved the subscription box to the top right hand sidebar if you're on a laptop or at the bottom of the screen on mobile 🙂
Missy
Hi Fatima. Love all your recipes. Made this load before and it’s always perfect. However can you tell me measurements for a ‘cup’ of rice? I’m in the UK
Fatima
Hi! A cup is 250mls, so about a standard cuppa size 🙂
Elin
I feel like a moron but i'm i supos to trow awey the garlik and onion from the stok and only have the fried one in the dish ?
Fatima
Yes, you discard the garlic and onion from the stock 🙂 You could also mash the garlic into the stock, it adds great flavour
Roni
Yes, throw away all stock ingredients. Keep only the 2 onions you are going to use for frying later.
How that helps x
Hafsa
Ramadan Mubarak! I have made this recipe once before and it came out perfectly! I am making it for iftar tonight (day 1) so InShaaAllah it is perfect once again. Serving it with some Sana Daal and keema samosas.
Many thanks for this fabulous recipe.
Fatima
Ramadan Mubarak to you too!
That's great to hear, what an honour!
Yuri
Excellent recipe. I doubled the amount of chicken.
Fatima
Thank you!
IAN MITCHELL
Make this all the time..easy to follow instructions and delicious...hivhly recommendations....
Shah
Well we here in fiji do it a bit different way using Jasmine rice
Munaza
Hi, just wondering if you could explain how to cook the chicken broth? Thanks in advance
Layla's mummy
Assalam alaikum sis, I made this tonight and came out delicious. I haven't made pilau in a long time and your recipe was different to how I usually make it but I'll be sticking to this way now on. I just hope there's some left for lunch tomorrow!
AM
Hey Fatima,
I’ve made this many a time an love it but some people I make it for feel like its missing some sort of sauce. I normally just serve it up with some yoghurt. Could you suggest s good sauce to serve on the side?
Thanks
Joanna
Easy to make and amazingly tasty!
My little boy loves rice but without the heat (burns my mouth mummy)
Sooo glad to have found your website.
I’ll be making the chick pea one next!
Thank you for sharing your lovely recipes 😊😊
Lisha
Our family (in the US) hosted two Pakistani students this past school year while they attended classes at our local university on exchange, and I made this for both of them soon after they arrived. They both enjoyed it and said it tasted like home! Our own family loves it now and I make it 2-3 times a month, with happy results every time.
I used a whole chicken and put it in my Crock Pot with the spices and broth and cooked it on the Low setting for 24 hours, then strained it and continued with step 3 in the recipe as listed. Thank you so much for sharing this delicious recipe!
Emma
thankyou for the recipe.
i come from an english background where the only rice we ate was plain boiled rice.
I have had many rice failures.
I am married to a pakistani and he had a friend over tonight - I made this recipe and his friend thought we had ordered food from a pakistani restaurant.
This will be my go to rice for guests for now on.
Irum
Thank you so much for this recipe. I have made it many times for my family and they always complimented it. Even my mum !! Lol
Hira
Asalamoalikum fatima....it's 4 am ..but I really enjoying your blog and stories ..had 2 cups of tea while reading...it's new blog for me but what I felt like I know you since long ...amazinggg
Fatima you didn't add fennel seed (saunf) in it...I heard n saw it's a main ingredient of pilao????
Fatima
Wa alaikum assalaam Hira. Happy you've been enjoying my blog! 😀
There are lots of ways to cook pilau, it often differs according to the region too. Saunf is usually added in the Karachi-style of Pilau. In the Punjabi style, saunf isn't always used. You could certainly add 1-2tbsp of it, I personally don't use it though. Hope this helps!
Saima
Hi Fatima,
Lovely recipe! I am looking forward to making it on Sunday. I am a beginner-intermediate level cook so wish me luck!
I would like to add some potatoes to the recipe. I remember trying chicken and potato pilao and it was absolutely scrumptious! How many potatoes do I use? And at what point do I start cooking them?
Hoping you can help.
Saima xx
Fatima
Hi Saima!
Potatoes in pilau sounds lovely! I would add them about 10 minutes before the end of the broth-cooking process. Hope this works!
Ubaid
Salaam Fatima.
I went to one event. They served pilau rice with lamb dish on site. Cooked by pakistani. I would like to know what the lamb dish (korma alike gravy) called in pakistani as i wanted to make one. Thanks.
kalai
hi dear do u need to use garlic and ginger for this recipe?
Fatima
Hi, I use garlic in the broth but no ginger
Aisha
Hi Fatima
Made this today for my parents & mashallah it was amazing!
Thank you so much for sharing this
Fatima
So glad you enjoyed it Aisha!
Preeti
Hi Fatima.... You did not used ginger. Or this dish is to be without that
Fatima
Hi Preeti, no I don't use ginger for this
Joe
Fatima, that is one special dish. thank you.
just thinking of a quick cheats mod.
I suppose if there is leftover chicken in the fridge, it could be used at last minute after a (gasp) chicken stock cube for the for the pan with stock items.!?!?!?!
Fatima
Indeed - thats a definite cheat you could use! I would have to say the stock cube idea is something that could definitely be a good one, but I would have to say it would be really good if you let the chicken cook with the stock for optimal flavour. But of course, for a cheat anything goes!
Hashir Sheikh
Just made it and it was so yummy. Thanks so much for sharing!!
Fatima
Thank you!
Nataliya Khan
Couldn't find my mom's pulao recipe so found yours when I searched online. Just made it and it was so yummy. Thanks so much for sharing!!
Lydia
🙂 amazing recipe
Erika
I am very excited to try this recipe. I just did my grocery shopping, but can't wait buy these ingredients. Thank you for the recipe and easy instructions, Fatima.
Fatima
Hope you enjoyed it!
Fatima
Fatima, what is star anise? And Is there an alternative for stock? Can we use maggi chicken cubes to make stock?
Hera
Hi Fatima,
Lovely blog. What if you don't have star anise? can you make this dish without it?
Fatima
Thank you! You can make the pilau without star anise. The star anisa just adds extra flavour and depth but isn't an essential ingredient 🙂
Sami
Hello. I’m a fan of your recipients. I’ve got this one on the stove as I type! Two quick questions though:
1) do you not use any lal mirchi? Is that by choice?
2) do you toss the first onion along with the whole spices when straining the broth?
Thanks again, and I hope you and your family are keeping safe in these strange times.
Fatima
Hi there! Hope your pilau goes well! 🙂
1) I haven't come across anyone using lal mirch in pilau - green mirch yes but lal mirch is new to me. I prefer to keep my pilau spice-free. I believe this is actually the traditional way, not having any mirch, but I have no references to support this lol
2) I toss the first onion. It only serves to flavour the broth. I suppose you COULD mash it and add it to the pilau, although I've never tried it.
Hope you are also keeping well. Duas for you
Samia
Salam dear,
Thank you for sharing this easy yakhni pilau recipe. Growing up in my family we would eat different types of pilau like tahiri or pilau biryani. However, yakhni pilau is my favorite and my Punjabi saas often cooks it. I look forward to trying this soon. Btw, how much is 1 kg of chicken in pounds? Thank you.
Humayrah Khan
Asalamualaykum sister. I would like to make this dish but I wanted to know if you use the same chicken that you used t make the broth? do you add that chicken to the pilau or do use a another one??
Fatima
Yes Humayrah, you use the same chicken in the pilau as you used in the broth 🙂
Omar
Hi I would like to make this dish but don't understand the rice measurement. How many millilitres is a cup of rice ?
Fatima
Hi Omar. 1 cup of rice is 250ml. I hope this helps