Pakistani Chicken Pilau | Chicken Pulao
This is a classic Pakistani dish that is often served at dinner parties. It is a delicious meal which uses no chilli, making this a great dish to serve at dinners where you aren't sure of how much spice your guests can take! The lack of chilli also makes it a good option to serve kids. People will just keep coming back for more with this delectable recipe!
Servings: 5
Print
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.
📩 Want me to email this recipe to you?
Enter your email & I'll send it right over.
Plus, you'll get bonus Pakistani food-goodness from Fatima Cooks, like new recipe alerts, exclusive email-only recipes + more!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from me. Your details are secure. Opt-out any time.
Did you make this recipe?I'd love to hear about it! Please leave a rating and comment on the blog, or share a photo on Instagram!