Fauzia's Kitchen Fun

Chicken & Veggies Pilau

114

Chicken & Veggies Pilau

A small twist to my chicken pilau…this one is made with assorted veggies to give an extra health-kick to the meal!
Servings 5 people

Ingredients
  

Ingredients

  • 1 chicken skin removed and divided into 8-10 pieces.
  • 500 gm basmati rice washed 2-3 times then soaked for half an hour.
  • 3 onions chopped
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1/2 tsp cumin/coriander powder
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground roasted cumin powder
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 5 tbsp oil
  • 1/2 tsp garlic paste
  • 1/2 cup peas half boiled
  • 3 potatoes peeled and cut into cubes
  • 2 carrots diced (half boiled)
  • 1 chopped capsicum optional
  • 3 tbsp sweet corn
  • water or stock warm (for every cup of rice, you will need 1 and quarter cups of water)
  • a bit of chopped coriander

Whole Spices

  • 1 tbsp whole cumin seeds
  • 1/2 tsp whole pepper
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 2 cloves
  • 2 cardamom

Instructions
 

  • Marinate the chicken pieces with 1 tsp ginger, 1 tsp garlic, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper powder. Set aside.
    Place a pan on the stove. Remember that the rice will double after cooking and the meat, veggies and potatoes will go in there too so you will need to have enough space in the pan. Turn on the heat and once the pan is hot, add the oil and butter.
    Then add the whole spices; cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, pepper, cloves.
    Once they splutter in the oil, add your chopped onions. Fry them until they are translucent, stirring with a wooden spoon. Then add the chicken, garlic and ginger pastes and fry in the oil until the colour of the chicken changes/becomes white. Add all the veggies followed by the turmeric and cumin/coriander powder.
    Stir together for a few minutes, then add the stock/water and some salt. Let it simmer and taste for the salt. You should be able to feel the saltiness. If it feels just right, it means you have too little. Remember that the rice will need some salt too, so let the salt be enough that you can taste it to be a bit more than you would want. Not too much of course!
    When the water starts boiling, drain your rice (which should have been pre-soaked for about half an hour) and add this rice to the stock. Sprinkle a bit of coriander on this, and stir a little. Let this cook on high heat for 2-3 minutes then reduce the heat to medium and keep cooking it whilst covered until the water diminishes, giving it a stir every now and then to make sure all the rice is cooked evenly and perfectly.
    Once you find there is very little water left in the rice, reduce the heat to the lowest point possible. Seal your pan by using a tight lid or wetting a kitchen towel and placing it over the pan then placing a lid on top of it.
    Leave the rice to continue steaming on very low heat for a good 10 mins. Switch off, and serve!

Join the Conversation

  1. AA,
    Do we have to boil rice in a separate boil and then put it in stock and chicken mixture.plz clear this point …jazakhAllah khair!

  2. Salaam fauzia . Had a
    Salaam fauzia . Had a question . Here as opposed to just the chicken pilau u say to marinate the chicken whereas in that recipe u’ve boiled the chicken (and so got the yakhni) . How do v gt the yakhni here ( u’ve mentioned to add the yakhni after the veggies r put in but here v only have to marinate the chicken .

    1. W/Salaam, this yakhni should
      W/Salaam, this yakhni should be from a previous boiled chicken/meat. You can even simply use water. Since we are adding the chicken raw, the pilau WILL have all the flavour even if you simply use water in place of the yakhni/stock.

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