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Chicken Pulao Recipe: My Tested Yakhni Method with Raita & Salad (Serves 4)
Fozia Siraj

Chicken Yakhni Pulao with Raita and Kachumber Salad

Fragrant chicken pulao cooked in a homemade spiced yakhni (stock), with tender chicken, long separate grains, cooling zeera raita and a crunchy lemony salad. A complete Pakistani family meal for 4.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Soaking Rice 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Servings: 4 people
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: pakistani
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Yakhni (Chicken Stock)
  • 1 kg chicken bone-in, 8 to 10 pieces including drumsticks
  • 6 cups water
  • 1 medium onion halved
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 1 inch ginger sliced
  • 1 tbsp whole coriander seeds
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds (saunf)
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 black cardamom
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 6 cloves
  • 10 black peppercorns
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
Pulao
  • 2 1/2 cups basmati rice about 500 g, washed and soaked 30 minutes
  • 1/2 cup oil or ghee
  • 1 medium onion thinly sliced
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
  • 1 medium tomato chopped
  • 1/2 cup plain yogurt whisked
  • 4 green chillies whole
  • 1 tsp red chilli flakes
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 3 3/4 cups hot yakhni from above; top up with water if needed
  • salt to taste
Zeera Raita
  • 1 cup plain yogurt chilled
  • 1/4 cup cold water
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp roasted cumin powder
  • 1 pinch black pepper
  • 1 tbsp fresh mint chopped, optional
Kachumber Salad
  • 1 cup cabbage finely shredded
  • 1 cucumber diced
  • 1 tomato diced
  • 1 small onion sliced
  • 1 small carrot diced
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 pinch black pepper
  • 1 pinch chaat masala optional
  • 1 lemon halved, to serve

Equipment

  • Large heavy-bottomed pot with a tight lid
  • Strainer
  • Muslin cloth for a spice bundle (optional)

Method
 

Make the yakhni
  1. Tie the coriander seeds, fennel, cumin and whole spices in a muslin cloth, or add them loose.
  2. Put the chicken, water, onion, garlic, ginger, spices and salt in a large pot. Bring to a boil, skim off the foam, then cover and simmer on low heat for 30 to 35 minutes until the chicken is tender.
  3. Take out the chicken pieces. Strain the yakhni and measure 3 3/4 cups. Top up with water if needed. Keep it hot.
Cook the pulao
  1. Heat the oil in a heavy pot. Fry the onion until light golden, about 8 minutes. Add the cumin seeds and fry for 30 seconds.
  2. Add ginger garlic paste and fry for 1 minute. Add the boiled chicken pieces and fry for 3 to 4 minutes until lightly golden.
  3. Add tomato, yogurt, green chillies and red chilli flakes. Bhuno for 4 to 5 minutes until the tomato is soft and oil rises on top.
  4. Pour in the hot yakhni and bring to a boil. Taste it: it should be slightly salty, because the rice will absorb the salt. Adjust now.
  5. Add the drained rice. Cook uncovered on high heat for 7 to 9 minutes until the liquid drops below the surface of the rice and small holes appear.
  6. Sprinkle garam masala, cover tightly (a cloth under the lid helps) and cook on the lowest heat for 15 minutes on dum. Switch off and rest for 5 minutes before opening.
Make the raita and salad
  1. Whisk the yogurt with cold water until smooth. Mix in salt, roasted cumin, black pepper and mint. Chill until serving.
  2. Toss the cabbage, cucumber, tomato, onion and carrot with lemon juice, salt, black pepper and chaat masala just before serving so the salad stays crunchy.
Serve
  1. Gently fluff the pulao with a fork. Serve on a plate with a chicken piece on top, a bowl of raita, the salad and half a lemon to squeeze over the rice.

Notes

The flavour is in the yakhni: do not rush the stock. Simmering the chicken with whole spices, fennel and coriander seeds is what makes this pulao aromatic without a long list of masalas.
Rice to liquid ratio: for soaked basmati, use 1 1/2 cups yakhni for every cup of rice.
Brown colour: for a darker pulao, fry the onions to deep golden brown before adding the rest.
Make ahead: the yakhni can be made a day before and kept in the fridge with the chicken.