i need a simple chicken pulao recipe. the kind that a house full of sickies might enjoy. 
Re: simple chicken pulao
My recipe: Brown thinly sliced onions. Then add to it your cleaned chicken. Fry it until it changes color from fleshy to white to slightly goldenish. Add your garam masala, and salt (option: pinch of laal mirch and/or red pepper pods). Add water. Let the chicken cook until it's almost cooked. Add your rice. Let the rice cook. Tadaaaa!
Re: simple chicken pulao
^that's the kind of thing i was thinking, but all the recipes i looked at looked so much more involved, i thought i was going to make something gross. glad to know it works!! thanks, k!
Re: simple chicken pulao
You're very welcome!:D I usually am not proud of my food, but this is one recipe that I can say does turn out good. Just watch out for the salt. I found that you double the salt that you'd normally use. Half for the chicken and half for the rice.
Re: simple chicken pulao
That's the quickest & simplest way, I prefer this way myself rather than going through all that yakhni making process.
Re: simple chicken pulao
My recipe: Brown thinly sliced onions. Then add to it your cleaned chicken. Fry it until it changes color from fleshy to white to slightly goldenish. Add your garam masala, and salt (option: pinch of laal mirch and/or red pepper pods). Add water. Let the chicken cook until it's almost cooked. Add your rice. Let the rice cook. Tadaaaa!
This should easy to the extent that I can make it :)
whole garam masala or powdered?
Re: simple chicken pulao
^i prefer whole
Re: simple chicken pulao
I make mine just like Khumar mentioned and use whole garam masala.If I want it a bit different I sometimes add 2 tomatoes and some yogurt to it too,although the actual pulao does not contain these ingredients.
I find this so easy than making the yakhni first (though I prefer that one as it is more yummy),and it is a weekend meal at my house so very often.Both my husband and daughter love it so makes my life easy.
My daughter calls it 'blaa-o'...:D
Re: simple chicken pulao
This should easy to the extent that I can make it :)
whole garam masala or powdered?
Whole. Powdered will make it too spicy.
Re: simple chicken pulao
Add a quarter tea spoon of fennel seeds either powdered or whole your choice. It will add very authentic taste to the dish and also sonuf is good for digestion and many other ailments.
Re: simple chicken pulao
wow I make it this way too..just that I tie the whole garam masala in a small muslin cloth pouch and drop it in the chicken while adding water and remove it in the end before serving so the flavours are there in the pulao and my son doesnt make faces while we try to explain we didnt put wood(cinnamon stick) or an insect (bari ilaichi) in the dish 
Re: simple chicken pulao
Ok this is gonna sound like a dumb question but how is the water measured that's left once the chicken is done in the above mentioned method?
Or do you first boil rice on the side and then add to the chicken? Please elaborate.
Re: simple chicken pulao
I don't measure the water after the chicken's done. I add maybe 1 cup extra to cook the chicken initially, and then I add the rice, uncooked, once I feel the chicken's done. Once that water's almost gone, I check the rice to see if it can cook in whatever moisture is left, or if not I add just a splash extra.
Re: simple chicken pulao
can someone tell me what is included in whole garam masala?
Re: simple chicken pulao
Typically, whole cloves, black peppercorn, bari ilaichi (I have no idea what it's called in English =/ ), cinammon sticks, and bay leaves.
I am making it as we speak, but I made the yakhni separately and just ran it thru a strainer after its cooked. Then in the same pan, i fried onions, lehsan adrak dahi n lastly chicken abd bhoonified. Added uncooked rice with a 1:2 ratio of rice n water. After the water boils n evaporates, i added color n onions I fried and left it for dumm Lets see how it comes out ladies :D
Re: simple chicken pulao
I make it differently. More difficult-ly, fail. =/ I make a stock with the chicken. Water, chicken, few onions cut up (no need to peel and dice just slice in half and drop in), same with garlic, the little black things, ermm...coriander seeds, 'zeera', salt. Then I drain the stock off, and pick out the chicken pieces. Heat up some oil and brown an onion, dump the chicken in and kinda cook it some more with the onions. Add chicken stock that we drained. Add rice. Let it boil away. SPrinkle garam masala all over the top. 'Dum' it.
Re: simple chicken pulao
Yeah I make it just like deviliciousssss makes it.
Re: simple chicken pulao
My pulao is pretty much like Khumar, I just add ginger garlic paste when the onions are brown, then add the chicken and bhonafy it. Add garam masala and water. Once the yakhni is ready, add rice and them cook. Enjoy with yummy raita and cucumber tomato salad. YUM!
Re: simple chicken pulao
I make it like that too and I add a tomato although that is not traditional at all in any way I just love the occassional tangy moment.