Instant Pot Chicken Pulao Recipe

This truly delicious and easy Indian chicken pulao recipe gets ready in under 20 minutes. Be sure to watch the video!

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

• Ingredients You’ll Need
• How To Cook Chicken Pulao
• Watch Chicken Pulao Video
• Serving Suggestion
• FAQs Related To Chicken Pulao
• Instant Pot Chicken Pulao Recipe

Chicken Pulao is a cheat version of chicken biryani . Unlike biryani, there is not much layering or extra effort in making the pulao.

It is an effortless, pressure cooker-friendly chicken recipe , also known as chicken tahari or murgh pulao in Northern India .

Traditionally, pulao is cooked over the stovetop in a heavy-duty casserole or a pressure cooker. But I love using my instant pot for cooking various Indian pulao. One, it saves me a lot of time. Second, the texture of the pulao turns out too good.

Why You’ll Love This Chicken Pulao

• gluten-free
• easy to make
• meal-prep friendly
• one pot main course
• highly customizable
• gets ready in under 20 minutes

Ingredients You’ll Need

For Chicken Marinade:

• Bone-in chicken pieces like leg and thighs are the ideal meat choices for making pulao. You can use the boneless chicken pieces as well.
• Paste A: This is a dry spicy mix of – black cardamom, green cardamom, cloves, and mace.
• Paste B: This is a wet paste of ginger, garlic, green chili, and water.
• Curd: It tenderizes the chicken. Make sure to use plain, thick curd or yogurt.
• Spices: Red Chili Powder, Coriander Powder, Salt

For Pulao

• Basmati Rice is the best choice if you are making Indian pulao. It is light, less starchy, and yields perfectly fluffy/non-sticky pulao.
• Cooking Oil: Ideally ghee (clarifying butter) is the best choice. But if the aroma and taste of ghee are too overpowering for you, use unsalted butter, coconut oil, or vegetable oil.
• Spices: For this pulao recipe, you need minimal whole spices – bay leaf, cinnamon, and star anise .
• Onion, Salt, Mint Leaves, Fresh Coriander Leaves, Green Chili, Water

How To Cook Chicken Pulao

It is a simple, fuss-free, two-step process.

Step 1) Start making Paste A and Paste B . Set them aside in two separate bowls.

• Clean, wash and pat dry the chicken pieces. Marinade the chicken pieces with curd, Paste A, Paste B, red chili powder, coriander powder, and salt. Let the chicken sit in the marinade for at least 1 hour. And maximum overnight.

Step 2) Clean, wash, and soak the basmati rice in water for 30 minutes.

• Let’s Cook: Set the SAUTE mode for 10 minutes. Add oil and whole spices to the inner pot. Fry for 10 – 20 seconds to release their aroma. Add sliced onion. Fry till the onion turns light golden.
• Next, add marinated chicken and fry till chicken pieces turn pale white (image 5) .

• Add spices, salt, and the soaked rice without any water (image 6) . Stir to combine. Saute for a minute.
• Add 1 ¼ cups of water, mint leaves, coriander leaves, and green chili. Stir to combine. Close the lid of the IP. Cancel the SAUTE mode.
• Set PRESSURE COOK Mode for 5 minutes. After the set timing, do the NPR . Open the lid, fluff the rice using a fork, cover the IP with a lid, and serve the pulao after 5 minutes.

Watch Chicken Pulao Video

Serving Suggestion

Here are a few side-dish suggestions that complement chicken pulao:

• Masala Curd
• Mint Raita or Green Boondi Raita
• Pickled Onion or Kachumber Salad
• Indian Style Curry or Mirch Ka Salan

The method of cooking is the difference! Biryani is a draining and layering method of cooking, whereas pulao is done through the absorption method. Pulao is easy to cook and requires no layering of ingredients. In a biryani, the chicken is marinated and cooked along with parboiled rice using a dum or slow cooking method. Whereas a pulao is usually cooked using a pressure cooking technique.

The basmati rice is best suited to make chicken pulao. The long grains and aroma of the rice add that extra flavour to the pulao. People in the South also prefer using jeerage samba rice that tastes delicious too!

Yes, you can make this pulao on the stovetop. Use a heavy-duty casserole with a tight-fitting lid or a traditional pressure cooker. In a stovetop pressure cooker, the chicken pulao gets ready in two whistles over medium heat.

The best choice would be bone-in meat pieces . The chicken bones lend a delicious flavor to the pulao. You can use a combination of chicken thigh, and leg pieces. Or boneless chicken breast and thigh.

More Pulao Recipes

• Chana Pulao
• Pudina Pulao
• Vegetable Pulao
• Mushroom Pulao
• Paneer Tikka Pulao

Ingredients

Ingredients For Chicken Marination:

• ▢ 250 gram skinless, bone-in chicken pieces
• ▢ 1 black cardamom (badi elaichi)
• ▢ 4 cloves (laung)
• ▢ 1 blade of mace (javitri)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon ginger
• ▢ 1 tablespoon garlic
• ▢ 2 green chili chopped
• ▢ 2 tablespoon water
• ▢ ¼ Cup plain yogurt or curd
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 tablespoon coriander powder
• ▢ 1 tablespoon red chilli powder

Ingredients For Pulao:

• ▢ 1 Cup basmati rice
• ▢ ¼ Cup ghee or cooking oil
• ▢ 1 star anise
• ▢ 1 bay leaf (tej patta)
• ▢ 1 cinnamon stick (dal chini)
• ▢ 1 Cup sliced onion
• ▢ Salt to taste
• ▢ 1 ¼ Cup water
• ▢ 2 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander
• ▢ 2 tablespoon chopped mint leaves
• ▢ 2 green chili sliced

Instructions

Chicken Marination

• Make Paste A. Blend cardamom, cloves, and mace to a coarse spice powder. Keep aside in a bowl.
• Make Paste B. Blend ginger, garlic, and green chili to a wet paste using two tablespoons of water. Keep aside in a bowl.
• Clean, wash and pat dry chicken pieces. Marinate the chicken with curd, salt, red chili powder, coriander powder, Paste A, and Paste B. Mix nicely to coat each piece with the marinade. Let the chicken sit in the marinade for 1 – 2 hours.

Prepare Pulao:

• Wash and soak basmati rice in water for 30 minutes.
• Set the SAUTE mode for 10 minutes. Add cooking oil, whole spices to the inner pot. Fry for 10 – 20 seconds to release their aroma.
• Add sliced onion . Fry till the onion turns light golden.
• Next, add marinated chicken and fry till chicken pieces turn pale white. This takes 2 – 3 minutes. It ensures the flavors of the chicken are sealed and the pieces are seared nicely. Do not skip this step.
• Add soaked rice without any water and salt. Stir to combine. Saute for a minute.
• Add 1 ¼ cups of water. Stir to combine. Taste, if required add more salt. Add mint leaves, coriander, and green chili. Close the lid of the IP. Cancel the SAUTE mode.
• Set PRESSURE COOK Mode for 5 minutes. After the set timing, let the steam release naturally from the pressure cooker. Open the lid, fluff the rice using a fork, cover the IP with a lid, and serve the pulao after 5 minutes.
• Serve Chicken Pulao with mint raita and salad .

Recipe Notes:

• Use long-grain basmati rice or any other variety of rice with less starch for making the pulao.
• The ratio of rice to water that works for me is 1: 1 ¼ Cups. Adding too much liquid to cook rice always results in a mushy and sticky pulao.
• Juice chicken thighs, breast, or leg pieces are the best for making pulao. Make sure all the pieces are of the same size for even cooking.
• Store pulao in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 – 3 days. You can reheat it in a microwave before serving.

Nutrition

We follow a strict NO SPAM Policy

Instant Pot Chicken Pulao Recipe

Equipment

• Instant Pot

Ingredients

Ingredients For Chicken Marination:

• 250 gram skinless, bone-in chicken pieces
• 1 black cardamom (badi elaichi)
• 4 cloves (laung)
• 1 blade of mace (javitri)
• 1 tablespoon ginger
• 1 tablespoon garlic
• 2 green chili chopped
• 2 tablespoon water
• ¼ Cup plain yogurt or curd
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon coriander powder
• 1 tablespoon red chilli powder

Ingredients For Pulao:

• 1 Cup basmati rice
• ¼ Cup ghee or cooking oil
• 1 star anise
• 1 bay leaf (tej patta)
• 1 cinnamon stick (dal chini)
• 1 Cup sliced onion
• Salt to taste
• 1 ¼ Cup water
• 2 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander
• 2 tablespoon chopped mint leaves
• 2 green chili sliced

Instructions

Chicken Marination

• Make Paste A. Blend cardamom, cloves, and mace to a coarse spice powder. Keep aside in a bowl.
• Make Paste B. Blend ginger, garlic, and green chili to a wet paste using two tablespoons of water. Keep aside in a bowl.
• Clean, wash and pat dry chicken pieces. Marinate the chicken with curd, salt, red chili powder, coriander powder, Paste A, and Paste B. Mix nicely to coat each piece with the marinade. Let the chicken sit in the marinade for 1 - 2 hours.

Prepare Pulao:

• Wash and soak basmati rice in water for 30 minutes.
• Set the SAUTE mode for 10 minutes. Add cooking oil, whole spices to the inner pot. Fry for 10 – 20 seconds to release their aroma.
• Add sliced onion . Fry till the onion turns light golden.
• Next, add marinated chicken and fry till chicken pieces turn pale white. This takes 2 - 3 minutes. It ensures the flavors of the chicken are sealed and the pieces are seared nicely. Do not skip this step.
• Add soaked rice without any water and salt. Stir to combine. Saute for a minute.
• Add 1 ¼ cups of water. Stir to combine. Taste, if required add more salt. Add mint leaves, coriander, and green chili. Close the lid of the IP. Cancel the SAUTE mode.
• Set PRESSURE COOK Mode for 5 minutes. After the set timing, let the steam release naturally from the pressure cooker. Open the lid, fluff the rice using a fork, cover the IP with a lid, and serve the pulao after 5 minutes.
• Serve Chicken Pulao with mint raita and salad .

Video

Notes

• Use long-grain basmati rice or any other variety of rice with less starch for making the pulao.
• The ratio of rice to water that works for me is 1: 1 ¼ Cups. Adding too much liquid to cook rice always results in a mushy and sticky pulao.
• Juice chicken thighs, breast, or leg pieces are the best for making pulao. Make sure all the pieces are of the same size for even cooking.
• Store pulao in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 - 3 days. You can reheat it in a microwave before serving.

Nutrition

C urd Rice is full of probiotic goodness and cooling properties – just the meal you need to deal with summer. Be sure to watch the video!

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

• What is curd rice?
• Health Benefits Of Curd Rice
• Ingredients You’ll Need
• Watch Curd Rice Video
• Serving Suggestion
• FAQs Related To Curd Rice
• Curd Rice Recipe (Thayir Sadam)

What is curd rice?

Curd Rice is a traditional South Indian dish. It is also known as thayir sadam. It is tempered with mustard seeds, urad dal, and peanuts for flavour and crunch.

The word ‘thayir’ in the Tamil language means curd, whereas ‘sadam’ refers to cooked rice.

It is an everyday staple meal in almost every southern household.

In many Hindu temples, it is part of ‘prasad.’ It does not have onion, garlic, or any tamasic ingredients and requires minimal ingredients.

Health Benefits Of Curd Rice

Aids in digestion and Calms Acidity: Thayir Sadam is often eaten after a meal, so the good bacteria in the curd may help the body digest food quickly. For generations, this has been the cure for an upset stomach or gastric issues, including constipation and bloating.

Prevent Heat Strokes and balances out your body’s internal temperature and is an excellent coolant during the hot summer.

Gluten-Free: It contains no gluten or preservatives.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Pre-Cooked Rice at room temperature. If using leftover cooked rice, add a tiny amount of water and mash it to a soft consistency (like broken wheat consistency).
• Full Fat Curd is an excellent choice if you want super soft and creamy thayir sadam. Choose curd that is not too sweet but has a hint of sourness.
• Fresh malai (milk cream) or milk to get a creamy mouthfeel.
• Tempering : Mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves, cashews, and peanuts.
• Vegetables: I add grated vegetables like carrots, chopped raw mango, and cucumber . The vegetables add colour, taste, and texture to the dish.
• Toppings: Pomegranate, fresh coriander, or khara boondi are a few of my favourite toppings for thayir sadam.

Watch Curd Rice Video

Serving Suggestion

The curd rice tastes best with deep-fried papadum and a spoonful of a spicy homemade pickle (thokku).

A few of my favourite dishes are South Indian style masala potato fry and medu vada .

If hot rice is combined with curd, it affects the nutritional properties of the dish, and digestion problems are bound to happen. Also, the curd might turn sour after mixing with the hot rice. Hence, it is best to enjoy cold yoghurt rice or room temperature.

Thayir Sadam is best enjoyed cold or at room temperature. Heating kills the nutritional benefits of the curd. Hence, it is not advisable to heat thayir sadam.

More Indian Rice Recipes

• Jeera Rice
• Matar Pulao
• Chana Pulao
• Pudina Pulao
• Coconut Rice
• Vegetable Pulao
• Matar Mushroom Pulao
• Achari Paneer Tawa Pulao
• Lemon Rice (Elumichai Sadam)

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 ½ Cup cooked white rice
• ▢ 1 ¼ Cup curd (yogurt)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
• ▢ 1 tablespoon ginger
• ▢ ¼ Cup cucumber, grated
• ▢ ¼ Cup carrot, shredded
• ▢ ¼ Cup pomegranate
• ▢ ¼ Cup malai (milk cream)

Ingredients For Tempering:

• ▢ 2 tablespoon cooking oil
• ▢ 1 teaspoon mustard seeds (rai)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon white urad dal
• ▢ 8 fresh curry leaves
• ▢ 1 tablespoon green chili, chopped
• ▢ 2 tablespoon peanuts

Instructions

• Take cooked rice in a wide mixing bowl. Mash it gently using the back of the spoon to break the lumps.
• Combine rice with curd, ginger, grated cucumber, carrot, and salt. Mix nicely. Add cream (malai) and mix one more time. At this stage, you can keep curd rice in the refrigerator for 10 – 15 minutes.
• To prepare the tempering, heat oil in a small pan.
• Add mustard seeds, dal, curry leaves, and green chili. Fry for 10 – 20 seconds or till the seeds starts popping.
• Add peanuts. Fry for another 10 seconds. Turn off the heat.
• Pour the tempering over the curd rice.
• Garnish curd rice with pomegranate pearls and fresh coriander.
• Serve curd rice immediately with fried papadum or potato roast .

Recipe Notes:

• Instead of malai you can use cold milk as well.
• For tempering, you can use either, ghee, refined oil, coconut oil, or any other cooking oil of choice.
• Leftover rice is best for making curd rice. But try to use short grain rice and not basmati or any other long-grain rice. Short grain rice is high in starch content. Hence, helpful in making creamy curd rice.
• Soft rice that is overcooked or slightly mushy is perfect for making curd rice.
• It is best to make it a few hours before eating. I would not recommend storing or keeping it at room temperature for more than 2 hours. It is one of those dishes you make in small batches, fresh for each meal.

Nutrition

We follow a strict NO SPAM Policy