Chicken Pulav

Chicken pulav is almost similar to chicken biryani, except it is a short cut and when time is less but the family or friends want only non-veg food then this is most convenient. What does it matter if it is a biryani or pulav as far as it is lip smacking. I have lost the count of how many times I have passed chicken pulav as chicken biryani to my children. They lapped it up and were very happy and satiated. Does anything else matter with mother other than broad grin of satisfaction on the children face.!!!!

Preparation Time: 30min.

Cooking Time: 40min.

Servings: Makes 4 large servings.

Ingredients required for making Chicken Pulav:

• 500gm. Dressed Chicken
• 250gm. Rice
• 75gm. Onions
• 1 Tea spoon Garlic Paste
• 1 Tea spoon Ginger Paste
• 1 Green chili
• 1 Tea spoon Red chili Powder
• 1 Tea spoon Garam masala
• 2 Bay leaves
• 4-5 Cloves
• 2-3cm, Cinnamon stick
• 1 Black Cardamom
• 2 Green Cardamom
• 2-3 Petals of Star Aniseed
• Salt to taste
• 50ml Ghee/ cooking oil
• Water

Ingredients required for Marinade:

• 1 Tea spoon Garlic Paste
• 1 Tea spoon Ginger Paste
• 1/4 Tea spoon Turmeric Powder
• 1 Pinch of Nutmeg Powder
• 3-4 Tea spoons of Thick Curd (50gm. Approx...)

Direction To Marinate Chicken:

• Wash the chicken and drain water completely.
• Mix garlic paste, ginger paste, turmeric powder, nutmeg powder and curd.
• Beat the mix with a spoon/fork to creamy texture them nicely. Marinade is ready.
• Coat the cleaned chicken evenly with the with the marinade and keep aside for 30min.

Direction To Make Chicken Pulav:

• Cut onions into thin slices.
• Take ghee/oil in a pressure cooker and heat on high flame.
• When oil is smoking hot low the gas and add bay leaves, cloves, black cardamom, green cardamom, star aniseed, cinnamon stick and let them splutter.(just one min. will be required for all of it to be cooked)
• Add onion slices and cook for 4-5 min.
• When onion becomes golden brown add garlic paste and cook for 1-2min.
• Add ginger paste and cook for 1-2min.
• Add marinated chicken and stir to mix chicken and spices in cooker evenly.
• Cook for 5min. with occasional stirring.
• Drain rice and keep water aside.
• Add rice to the cooker and stir to mix properly.
• Add salt, red chili powder, garam masala and mix with gentle stirring.
• Add water which was kept aside after draining the soaked rice.
• Mix by gentle stirring and close the lid of cooker .
• Put the flame of gas on high till the pressure builds in the cooker.
• Lower the flame and cook for 10min.
• Switch off the gas and let the pressure in the cooker subside.
• Remove the pulav in a rice serving plate.
• Garnish with coriander leaves, ring lets of onion and tomatoes or by onion slices fried to golden brown color.

Yummy chicken pulav is ready to be eaten with thick curd/raita, salad, and pickle/chutney and of course papad.

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2012/07/pahari-kheere-ka-raita-cucumber-and.html

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2012/06/mango-pickle-north-indian-style.html

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2012/06/tangy-mango-pickle-maharashra-style.html

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2012/06/spicy-mixed-vegetable-pickle-less-oily.html

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2012/06/hariyali-chutney-raw-mango-chutney.html

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2011/10/green-coriander-and-mint-chutney.html

Tips:

• Wash the chicken properly. If possible by rubbing some lemon juice on the chicken.
• Take thick curd for making marinade.
• The above proportion of water is for Basmati rice, the requirement of water may change with the quality of rice.
• Best results are obtained with Basmati rice.

Suggested Variations:

• Saffola rice is a healthy less starchy rice so it can be taken instead of basmati rice. 
• Ghee can be replaced by olive oil.