Chicken Yakhni Pulao
Make simple, mouthwatering chicken yakhni pulao. It combines tender chicken, crispy onions, and aromatic spices with yakhni-infused basmati rice.
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Chicken Yakhni:
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- 1 medium yellow onion, quartered
- 6 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
- 2 - inch ginger, sliced
- 2-3 green chiles, slit lengthwise
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 whole chicken, washed, or 2-3 pounds chicken legs and thighs
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 4 black cardamom
- 2 green cardamom
- 6 black cloves
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 1½ teaspoons coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 star anise
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 cups water
For the Chicken Yakhni Pulao:
- ¼ cup ghee
- 2 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 2 green chiles, slit lengthwise
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger, grated
- 2 cups basmati rice, washed and soaked
- 2½ cups yakhni, reserved from the Chicken Yakhni
For Garnish:
- fresh cilantro, chopped
- fresh mint, chopped
Instructions
For the Chicken Yakhni:
- Warm ghee in an Instant Pot on saute mode. Add onion and cook until the onions become soft and translucent.
- While onions are cooking, add the whole spices to a spice ball and set it aside. Add garlic, ginger, green chiles, and a cinnamon stick to the Instant Pot. Cook for another minute.
- Next, rinse the chicken, and add it to the pot. Saute on saute mode for 1 minute. Then, add water and salt; stir to combine.
- Lastly, add the water and spice ball to the Instant Pot. Secure the lid and cook on manual high pressure for 20 minutes with a 10-minute natural release.
For the Chicken Yakhni Pulao:
- Remove the chicken from the Instant Pot and cut it into legs, thighs, and breasts; set it aside. Then, drain the broth in a colander over a large mixing bowl to preserve the broth. Reserve 2½ cups of the broth and store the rest.
- Warm ghee in a Dutch Oven over low-medium heat and add the onions. Cook until they are golden brown and crispy, for about 20-25 minutes.
- While the onions cook, wash the basmati rice until the water runs clear. Then, add the rice to a bowl and cover it with water to soak it for at least 30 minutes.
- Remove the onions from the pan with a slotted spoon, and set them aside to drain. In the same pot, saute cumin seeds and green chilies until they begin sputtering.
- Stir in the ginger and garlic, and cook for 1-2 minutes until the raw smell fades.
- Drain the soaking water and add the rice to the Dutch oven with the reserved Chicken Yakhni.
- Bring the pot to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat, cover, and cook until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender for 10-15 minutes.
- Remove the rice from the heat and add the reserved chicken pieces. Stir to combine. Cover with the lid and set it aside to steam for 10 minutes.
- Add a layer of chicken and rice to a serving dish and top with the crispy onion. Layer the rice over the top, followed by more onion. Repeat until the ingredients are gone, and garnish with cilantro or mint to serve.
Notes
Expert Tips:
- Start with fresh, whole spices; this makes all the difference since spices will lose their flavor over time.
- Bone-in chicken is necessary to make Chicken Yakhni Soup. You can use store-bought bone broth if you’re in a pinch, but I don’t recommend it since they use different spices and vegetables than the homemade broth.
- Once the rice start cooking, let it be. Stirring the rice will disturb the grain and cause it to become mushy, and no one wants that.
- The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for professional advice.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 Serving | Calories: 538 kcal | Carbohydrates: 58 g | Protein: 33 g | Fat: 20 g | Saturated Fat: 7 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4 g | Cholesterol: 72 mg | Sodium: 1644 mg | Potassium: 107 mg | Fiber: 6 g | Sugar: 3 g | Vitamin A: 1 IU | Vitamin C: 11 mg | Calcium: 6 mg | Iron: 7 mg
Did you make this recipe? Let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and follow @thejamilghar or tag #thejamilghar on Instagram!