Mostly once in a week, I use to prepare variety rice which would be easy even in lazy times. I need to pack out lunch for both my hubby and kids, so the lunch would packed around 7.45 for my daughter. But there are times I get up late from bed, I need to hurry in preparation, by that time I go for pilaf/pulav may be veg or non-veg. This time I have prepared chicken pulav/chicken pilaf for lunch box, the texture and the taste was too good. I would say a simple, easy, less time consuming non vegetarian variety rice. Kids love this a lot because of the mild spiciness. Check out my other pulav recipes: Soya Nuggets Pulav, Afghan Lamb Pulav, Prawn green peas Pulav and Vegetable Pulav. Let us move on to the recipe…

Chicken Pulav / chicken Pilaf

Ingredients:

• Chicken – ½ kg
• Onions – 1 ½ nos
• Bay leaf – 1 no
• Star anise – 2 nos
• Cardamom – 2 nos
• Cinnamon stick – 1 “inch stick (2 nos)
• Cloves – 3 nos
• Green chilies – 2 nos
• Long grain/Basmathi rice – 2 ½ cup
• Yogurt/Curd – 2 ½ tbsp
• Ginger-garlic paste – 2 tbsp
• Salt to taste
• Clarified butter/Ghee – 1 ½ tbsp.
• Oil – 1 ½ tbsp.

Chicken under marination

Spices and green chilies

With sliced onions

With marinated chicken

With rice

With water and yogurt

Pressure cooked pulav

Chicken Pulav / chicken Pilaf

Chicken Pulav / chicken Pilaf

Preparation:

• Peel and thinly slice the onions. Slit the green chilies into two equal halves.
• Clean and marinate the chicken with ginger-garlic paste, a tbsp of yogurt
• Wash the rice, drain the water and keep it aside.
• Heat ghee/clarified butter and oil in a pressure-cooker, add in the spices (bay leaf, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and star anise) and wait till they crackle.
• Add in the sliced onions and cook until they turn golden brown in colour.
• Add in the chicken pieces and cook for few mins, until the chicken turn light white in color.
• Add in the rice and cook until the raw smell goes off.
• Pour in 4 ½ cups of water followed by 1 ½ tbsps of yogurt/curd and salt, wait until it boils.
• Pressure-cook for 2 whistles. Remove the lid when the pressure subsides, give a stir and serve hot.

Serve hot with any gravy. Goes out well for lunch. I have accompanied this with Chicken yogurt gravy and Coleslaw.