Chicken Pilaf in 11 Steps

You say pilaf. I say pulao. 

Pilaf. Pulao.

Pilaf or Pulao, is a Middle-Eastern/South Asian rice dish, in which rice is cooked in chicken or beef broth. Chicken pilaf/pulao is a weekly staple in my house. My toddler loves it. The rice is flavorful and aromatic. Plus, it takes only 45 minutes to prepare and cook the rice. The rice gets its flavor from the broth, that is why I use a lot of whole spices to season the broth. 

Ingredients (in the order they are used):

1/4 cup of oil
1 large onion
6 cloves of garlic (or 1 1/2 tablespoons of garlic powder)
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
1/4 teaspoon of cayenne
1 1/4 teaspoons of cumin seeds
1 teaspoon of coriander powder
1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise
1 bay leaf
4 cloves
6 black peppercorns
1/8 teaspoon of fennel seeds
1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg
2 black cardamom
2 green cardamom
1 teaspoon of sumac
1 1/2 pounds of whole chicken pieces
4 cups of water
1 1/2 cups of rice (washed and soaked) (I am using long grain basamati rice)
1 lemon

Step 1: In a hot skillet, on high heat, heat up the oil.

Step 2: Add onions. Cook the onions until they are golden brown.

Step 3: Add garlic.

Step 4: Add all the spices, and give them a quick stir.

Step 4: Add the chicken pieces.

I like to saute the chicken before adding the water. This not only gives the chicken a nice color, but also helps in sealing in all the flavor.

Step 5: Add 4 cups of water.

Step 6: Cover and cook on high heat until the broth comes to a boil.

Step 7: Once the broth has come to a boil, cook on medium-low heat for 20 minutes.

Step 8: Add juice of a lemon.

Step 9: Drain the rice.

Step 10: Add the rice and turn the flame to high. Wait for the broth to come to a boil. Taste for salt.

Step 11: Once the rice has come to the surface, turn the flame to low and cover the skillet.

Cook on low heat until the rice has absorbed the remaining aromatic broth.

Your delicious, flavorful rice is ready to be served. Enjoy!