Pakistani Chicken Pilaf / Murgh Yakhni Pulao

Chicken Pulao (pilaf) is considered one of the most ultimate Pakistani comfort foods. It is a delicately spiced meal (ie flavorful, not spicy), in which rice is cooked in an incredibly wholesome broth with meat.

Growing up my mom cooked Pulao regularly. Hers was a Memon-style pulao, studded with tomatoes and large chunks of potatoes (whose recipe can be found HERE). The recipe I am sharing today is more of a Punjabi-style, and one that I’ve learned from my mother in-law. I love this recipe because the broth is cooked separate from the meat, and all of the large spices are strained out before the broth is added to the rice. The resulting dish is packed with flavor, yet no issues with biting into whole spices (if you know, you know 😉).

5 from 2 votes

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Pakistani Chicken Pilaf / Murgh Yakhni Pulao

Course Main Course

Cuisine Pakistani

Keyword Chicken, Main Course, Main Entree, Pakistani, Pulao, Rice, Traditional

Servings 4 Servings

Ingredients

Broth / Yakhni

• ¼ cup coriander seeds
• 2 tablespoons fennel seeds
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon cloves
• 4 black cardamoms
• 3 one-inch pieces cinnamon
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 star anise

Chicken Mixture / Masala

• 2 cups basmati rice, washed and soaked for 1 hour
• ½ cup neutral flavored oil
• 1 large onion, sliced thin
• 2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 10 green cardamoms
• Salt, to taste
• 1½ – 2 pounds bone-in chicken pieces, skin removed
• 2 tablespoons full-fat yogurt
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 green chili (jalapeño or serrano), stem removed

Instructions

Prepare Broth/Yakhni

1. In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients with 6 cups water. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until half of the water remains. Remove from heat, cover, and set aside.

Prepare Chicken Mixture/ Masala

1. Heat oil in a large vessel over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until lightly browned, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add ginger-garlic paste, cumin seeds, cardamoms, and salt and sauté until fragrant and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add splashes of water as necessary to prevent burning and sticking at the bottom of the pot.
2. Reduce heat to medium and add chicken. Gently sauté and cook until the chicken is no longer raw, about 15 to 20 minutes.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together yogurt, coriander powder, and garam masala. Add yogurt mixture to chicken, and cook until most of the moisture has evaporated, and the oil begins to separate, about 5 minutes. Add green chili and remove from heat and set aside.

Prepare Rice

1. Strain soaked rice and set aside.

2. Strain prepared broth and discard the spices. Measure out 3 cups of broth and add it to the prepared chicken (if there is less broth, simply add more water).

3. Bring the pot back to the stove, add drained rice, and bring to a boil (check seasoning; take into account that the added rice will need salt). Once boiling, cover and reduce heat to low and cook for 30 minutes (do not uncover). Remove from heat, and allow the rice to sit undisturbed (do not remove lid) for an additional 10 minutes. Gently fluff the rice and enjoy.

Recipe Notes

Do not be tempted to open the lid while the rice is cooking. The cooking time and amount of added broth will ensure perfectly cooked rice.  Leaving the lid on while it’s cooking (and also sitting undistrubed for 10 minutes after cooking) will result in beautifully cooked rice, with long, separated grains.