Biryanis & Pulav · Andhra Pradesh

Chicken Pulao

The Andhra and Hyderabadi Sunday pulao: chicken simmered with green chillies, mint and whole spices, then the rice cooked right in it, with coconut milk for a softer, richer finish.

Chicken Pulao

Prep 20 min · Cook 40 min · Total 60 min + 30 min marinade · Serves 4

Ingredients

Chicken

  • 600 g Chicken, bone-in, curry cut
  • ½ cup Thick yogurt
  • 1 tbsp Ginger-garlic paste
  • 1 tsp Red chilli powder
  • ¼ tsp Turmeric
  • 1 tsp Salt

Pulao

  • 2 cups Basmati or sona masoori rice
  • 3 tbsp Oil
  • 1 tbsp Ghee
  • 1 Bay leaf
  • 4 Green cardamom pods
  • 4 Cloves
  • 1 inch Cinnamon stick
  • 1 Star anise
  • 1 tsp Shahi jeera
  • 2 Onions, thinly sliced
  • 6 Green chillies, slit
  • 1 tbsp Ginger-garlic paste
  • 1 Tomato, chopped
  • 1 cup Mint leaves
  • ½ cup Coriander leaves, chopped
  • 1 tsp Garam masala
  • 1 cup Thin coconut milk
  • 2 ½ cups Water
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 tbsp Lemon juice

Method

  1. Marinate. Mix the chicken with the yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, chilli powder, turmeric and salt and leave for 30 minutes.
  2. Fry the base. Heat the oil and ghee in a heavy pot or pressure cooker. Add the whole spices, then the onions and green chillies and fry until golden. Add the ginger-garlic paste for a minute, then the tomato, and cook until soft.
  3. Cook the chicken. Add the chicken and its marinade with half the mint and coriander and the garam masala. Cook on medium, stirring, until the chicken is nearly done and the oil separates, about 12 minutes.
  4. Add the rice. Add the drained rice and stir gently for 2 minutes. Pour in the coconut milk and water, add the salt and lemon juice and bring to the boil. Taste the liquid; it should be well seasoned.
  5. Cook through. Cover and cook on the lowest heat for 15 minutes until the rice is done (or pressure-cook for 1 whistle on medium and let the pressure drop on its own).
  6. Rest and serve. Leave covered for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork and scatter the remaining mint and coriander. Serve with onion raita and a boiled egg.

Tips

Plenty of green chillies and mint is what makes this an Andhra pulao rather than a mild one; adjust the chillies, not the mint. If using sona masoori, cut the liquid to 3 cups in total.