Afghani Pulao
Make delicious Afghani Pulao with simple ingredients like rice, chicken, onions, and spices. Fry onions until golden, then add chicken, ginger-garlic paste, and aromatic spices. Cook with water until rice is fluffy. Garnish with ghee and sugar for extra flavor. Enjoy this comforting dish with family and friends!
Equipment
- Large Pot or Pan You’ll need a large, heavy-bottomed pot or pan to cook the chicken and rice.
- Lid A lid to cover the pot while cooking the chicken and later during the “dum” process to trap steam and flavours.
- Separate Pan to fry the Carrot and raisin topping To fry the carrots and raisins that make the topping of this pulao, you will need another pan. You can use a small pot or shallow fry pan.
- Knife and Cutting Board To finely slice onions and carrots.
- Measuring Cups and Spoons For accuratly measuring all ingredients.
- Sturdy Spoon or Spatula To stir and mix the chicken and rice.
- A Large Container or dish To wash and soak the rice before cooking, you need a large container or dish.
Ingredients
- ½ cup of ghee
- 250 grams of rice sella or basmati
- 2 medium-sized onions thinly sliced
- 250 grams of chicken
- 1 teaspoon of ginger garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon of zeera cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon of cloves
- ½ teaspoon of black pepper whole
- 5 pieces of bari elachi cardamom pods
- 2 cups of water
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- 1 teaspoon of ghee for garnishing
- 1 teaspoon of sugar for garnishing
Instructions
Part 1: Soaking Rice:
- Place the rice in a bowl and add water.
- Using your hands, gently wash the rice. You’ll notice dirt and impurities rising to the surface.
- Drain the water and repeat this washing process three times to ensure the rice is thoroughly clean.
- After washing, let the rice soak in water. For sella rice, soak for a minimum of 1 hour (the longer, the better). For basmati rice, soak for 15 to 20 minutes.
- The washing process remains the same for both Sella and Basmati rice.
Part 2: Making the Broth :
- In a large pan, heat ½ cup of ghee, ensuring it coats the entire pan to prevent sticking.
- Add the thinly sliced onions and sauté over medium heat until they turn golden brown.
- Continuously stir the onions to ensure they are evenly browned and don’t burn.
- Add 1 teaspoon of ginger garlic paste and sauté for a couple of minutes until it is also slightly golden and the raw smell disappears.
- Now, add 1 teaspoon of zeera, ½ teaspoon of cloves, ½ teaspoon of whole black pepper, and 5 cardamom pods. Saute them well until a fragrant aroma emerges.
- Add the chicken pieces and sauté until they change colour. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt, adjusting to your taste.
- Pour in 2 cups of water and mix well.
- Add 1 teaspoon of sugar and cover the pan. Let it cook on low heat for 30 to 40 minutes. If using mutton or beef, you may need to cook for 2 hours for tenderness.
- . Let this simmer for a few minutes till the chicken is tender and the broth is ready.
- Add the soaked rice and mix well, ensuring the rice is evenly coated with the flavorful broth. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until the water starts to reduce and bubble around the edges of your pan.
- Reduce the heat to low and cover the pan. Let it steam for an additional 5 minutes. This steaming process helps all the flavours to merge together.
- After about 10 minutes of steaming, ‘dum’ check the rice. If they are done, the dish is ready!
Part 3: Garnishing Process for Afghani Pulao:
- In a separate small pan, heat 1 teaspoon of ghee over low heat.
- Add 1 teaspoon of sugar and stir continuously until the sugar melts and starts to caramelize.
- Once the sugar caramelizes, add sliced carrots and raisins to the pan. Mix well to coat them with the caramel.
- Cook the carrot and raisin mixture for a few minutes until the carrots become tender and slightly caramelized and the raisins have swollen up from the heat.
- Turn off the flame, and this sweet and fragrant garnish is ready.
- Add it on top of the rice. You can add it when you are serving, or you can mix it in with the rice.
Video
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