New Year Special: How to Make Chicken Pulao (No fancy ingredients, no layering required!)

The recipe for chicken pulao may vary from family to family, but it is the simplest recipe which can be made in less than an hour. Unlike biryani, which is a lavish dish and requires a lot of ingredients and some lesser-known ones like patthar ke phool and kewra, this one is a pretty simple recipe and its beauty lies in the fact that one can savour the taste of chicken and rice which is not overpowered with spices.How is a Pulao Different from a Biryani?Biryani is cooked using the layering method. Rice and meat/vegetables are cooked separately and then layered and finished together on dum, and it uses a richer and more complex spice mix—whole spices, fried onions, yogurt, saffron, and sometimes kewra or rose water. While pulao is cooked in one pot, where rice and meat/vegetables are cooked together in seasoned stock and uses fewer spices and relies more on the natural flavor of the stock, making it subtler and lighter.Ingredients½ kg chicken cut into small pieces1-inch ginger cut into juliennes1 tsp black pepperSlit green chillies as per taste½ tsp sugarSalt to taste1 star anise1-inch cinnamon2-3 green cardamoms1 tbsp raisins1 tbsp cashewsA few strands of Saffron3-4 tbsp ghee Method:Thoroughly wash the chicken and keep aside to drain water.Soak the rice for 10 minutes and wash it well.Now heat ghee in a pan and fry the raisins and cashews and keep aside.Dissolve saffron in 2-3 tsp of milk and keep aside.Heat ghee in a pan and add the whole garam masalas (cardamom, cloves, star anise and cinnamon).Cook for 2 minutes and add the chicken, salt and cook for 2-3 minutes. Now drain the rice and add.Add kesar milk, raisins, green chillies, black pepper, sugar and salt.Now mix well and add enough water to submerge the mixture.Cook covered till the chicken is soft and rice is well cooked. Serve hot.