Name: Homestyle Chicken Pulao
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 150 g Basmati Rice, soaked; 200 g Chicken, curry cut, bone-in preferred; 2 tbsp Cooking Oil; 1 large Onion, sliced thinly; 1 medium Tomato, chopped; 1 tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste; 2 Green Chili Pepper, slit; 2 tbsp Indian-Style Yogurt, beaten; 1 tbsp Chicken Masala; 1 Indian Bay Leaf; 1 inch Cinnamon Sticks; 2 tbsp Coriander Leaves, chopped; 300 ml Water; 1 tsp Salt, to taste

1 hrtotal

40 min hands-on20 min hands-off

Prep 15 min · Cook 25 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Medium
Spice: Medium

Add to your week

Method

Heat cooking oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or pressure cooker. Add the bay leaf and cinnamon stick, letting them crackle for a few seconds.
Add the sliced onions and fry over medium-high heat until they turn a deep golden brown.
Lower the heat slightly and add the ginger garlic paste and slit green chillies. Sauté for a minute until the raw smell fades.
Add the chicken pieces and fry vigorously for 4-5 minutes until the exterior of the chicken turns opaque and slightly browned.
4–5 min
Stir in the chopped tomatoes, chicken masala, and salt. Cook until the tomatoes are mushy and oil separates.
Turn the heat to the lowest setting. Stir in the beaten curd continuously to prevent it from splitting. Cook for 2 more minutes.
Pour in the measured water and bring the chicken curry base to a rolling boil.
Drain the soaked basmati rice and add it to the boiling liquid along with chopped fresh coriander. Stir gently.
Cover the pot tightly and cook on very low heat for exactly 15 minutes, or until the rice is fully cooked and chicken is tender. Let it rest for 10 minutes before opening.
15 min10 min

How to tell it's done

Succulent, fall-off-the-bone chicken pieces nestled in deeply savory, spice-infused, aromatic rice grains.

Getting it right

Tip

Searing the chicken properly with onions before adding liquids seals in the juices and creates a robust flavor base.

What to serve it with

A complete meal in itself. Serve hot with a cool Onion-Cucumber Raita and lemon wedges.

Chettinad Prawn Biryani

Prawn biryani layers prawns under rice, cooked briefly so they do not toughen.

1 hr 25 minpescatarian

Simple Chole Pulao

Chole pulao cooks chickpeas into the rice so one pot does the work of two dishes.

8 hr 35 minvegan

Coriander Rice (Cilantro Pulao)

Coriander rice grinds fresh coriander and mint into a paste that colours the whole pot green.

35 minvegan

Comforting Dal Khichdi

Dal khichdi cooks rice and mung dal together until soft, the dish people eat when they want nothing complicated.

45 minvegetarian

Dalimbi Bhaat

Dalimbi bhaat cooks rice with sprouted field beans and goda masala, a Maharashtrian one-pot dish.

96 hr 30 minvegan

Dhaba Style Aloo Soya Pulao

Aloo soya pulao cooks soy chunks with potato into a filling dhaba-style rice.

1 hr 5 minvegetarian

Ingredients