Chicken Pulao – Lunch Party Edition

Step 1: Prepare Spices and Sauté Onions

Dry roast 2 tablespoons of coriander seeds in a pan over medium heat until fragrant. Crush them using a mortar and pestle. Thinly slice 3 large onions. Heat 4-5 tablespoons of oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and sauté for 6-8 minutes until they turn golden brown.

Step 2: Add Aromatics and Sear Chicken

Add 2 tablespoons of ginger-garlic paste to the sautéed onions and cook for 1 minute. Add 12 skinless, bone-in chicken thighs to the pan. Increase the heat to high and sear the chicken for 5 minutes to get some color on all sides.

Step 3: Season the Chicken

Add 2 tablespoons of the crushed coriander seeds, 2 tablespoons of tomato puree concentrate, 1.5 teaspoons of salt, 1 tablespoon of chili powder, and 1 teaspoon of garam masala to the chicken and onions. Mix well to ensure the chicken is evenly coated with the spices.

Step 4: Cook the Chicken

Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan with a lid, and let the chicken cook for 20 minutes. The chicken will release its own moisture, so no additional liquid is needed at this stage.

Step 5: Add Rice and Water

While the chicken is cooking, wash 400g of basmati rice. After 20 minutes, add the washed rice to the chicken in the pan. Pour in 600ml of boiling water. Stir gently to combine the rice with the chicken and spices.

Step 6: Cook the Pulao

Reduce the heat to very low, cover the pan tightly with the lid, and cook for another 20 minutes without opening the lid. This allows the rice to steam and absorb all the flavors.

Step 7: Rest and Serve

Once cooked, turn off the heat and let the pulao rest for a few minutes with the lid on. Garnish with fresh chopped coriander before serving. Fluff the rice gently with a fork.

• For a complete Indian lunch party, consider serving this Chicken Pulao with crispy smashed potatoes, a fresh chickpea chaat, and boondi raita. A Honey Tahini Pie makes for a delightful dessert.

• The host prepared Brussels sprouts pakoras as a starter, combining chopped sprouts and onions with gram flour, rice flour, and various spices, then frying them just before serving.

• For the chaat, par-boiled baby potatoes were smashed, seasoned, and roasted until crispy. Boiled chickpeas were also used. Fresh coriander chutney and seasoned yogurt were prepared to accompany the chaat elements, along with chopped red onion, pomegranate seeds, and sev.

• Boondi raita was made by mixing boondi with yogurt and garnishing with dill.