One-Pot Chicken Yakhni Pulao {Stovetop}
Chicken yakhni pulao is an Indian (and Pakistani) take on comforting chicken and rice. Packed with tender chicken, and perfectly spiced, and fluffy onion rice, this chicken pulao is a meal all by itself. The best part is that this recipe comes together entirely on the stovetop, in one pot!
Servings: 6 Servings
Calories: 455kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Broth
- 1 lb Chicken drumsticks and thighs bone-in, skinless
- 5 cups Water
- 1 Cinnamon stick
- 1 pod Black cardamom
- 2 Cloves
- 2 pods Green cardamom
- 1 tablespoon Coriander seeds
- 1 Yellow onion skin-on, quartered
- 1 tablespoon Black peppercorns
- 2 Bay leaves Indian variety (tej patta)
- 1 tablespoon Sea salt
For the Pulao
- ¼ cup Vegetable oil
- 1 Yellow onion thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoon Ginger & garlic paste
- 2 tablespoon Plain yogurt
- 1 tablespoon Garam masala
- 2 teaspoon Ground coriander
- ½ tablespoon Kashmiri chilli powder
- 2 cups Basmati rice rinsed
- Sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Add the chicken pieces, onion, whole spices, and salt to a large pot.1 lb Chicken drumsticks and thighs, 1 Cinnamon stick, 1 pod Black cardamom, 2 Cloves, 2 pods Green cardamom, 1 tbsp Coriander seeds, 1 Yellow onion, 1 tbsp Black peppercorns, 2 Bay leaves, 1 tbsp Sea salt
- Top the pot off with water, and simmer over medium heat. Let the broth simmer for 30 minutes minimum, until the chicken is cooked through and the broth is aromatic.5 cups Water
- Remove the chicken pieces from the pot and set aside on a plate. Pass the broth through a sieve over a large bowl, to catch the onions and whole spices. Keep the broth aside.
- Return the same pot to the stove over medium-high heat. Add vegetable oil to the pot, and add the sliced onions. Cook the onions until they are a deep golden brown. Add the ginger & garlic paste to the onions, and lightly fry.¼ cup Vegetable oil, 1 Yellow onion, 2 tbsp Ginger & garlic paste
- Add the dry spices and yogurt to the pan, and cook through until the oils start to separate.2 tbsp Plain yogurt, 1 tbsp Garam masala, 2 tsp Ground coriander, ½ tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- Return the chicken pieces to the pot, and stir to coat them in the yogurt-spice mixture. Lightly saute the chicken for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the rinsed rice to the pot, and stir to combine with the spices and the chicken. Cover with the broth that was set aside, and turn the heat to medium-low.2 cups Basmati rice, Sea salt
- Cover the pot with a lid, and cook for 13-17 minutes, until the water is mostly absorbed. Turn the heat off, and keep the pot covered for another 5-7 minutes to allow the rice to steam.
- Using a fork or a flat rice paddle, fluff the rice. Serve on a platter or straight out of the pot.
Notes
- Keep the onion skin on: By keeping the onion skin on while making the yakhni (broth), you get a beautiful deep golden color without needing to simmer the broth for hours.
- Do not rush browning the onions: Browning the onions is a key layer of making pulao. It does take some time to get the deep brown color you are looking for, but patience is key.
- Do not skip the carry-over steaming: Steaming the rice is one of the surefire ways to get perfectly fluffy, and separated rice grains.
Nutrition
Calories: 455kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 39mg | Sodium: 1229mg | Potassium: 297mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 283IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 2mg
