Chicken Yakhni Pulao with Cucumber Raita

Pakistan's gentle, fragrant rice dish: chicken poached in a whole-spice broth, then basmati cooked in that same golden yakhni with caramelized onions until every grain is perfumed. Served with cool raita.

Ingredients

• 1½ lb boneless chicken thighs, in large pieces
• 1 carton (32 oz) chicken broth
• 2 cups basmati rice
• 2 onions, 1 roughly chopped, 1 thinly sliced
• 5 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1-inch piece ginger, crushed
• 1 Roma tomato, finely chopped
• 2 green chilies, chopped
• 1¼ cups plain yogurt (divided)
• 2 tbsp ghee or butter
• ½ cucumber, grated
• 1 package mint, chopped
• chopped cilantro

From your pantry: ¼ cup oil, 1 tbsp cumin seeds, 1 tbsp coriander seeds, 1 tbsp black peppercorns, 2 bay leaves, 1 cinnamon stick, 4 green cardamom pods, 4 cloves, 1½ tsp salt, ½ tsp garam masala.

Instructions

1. Make the yakhni: put the chicken, broth, chopped onion, 2 tsp each cumin and coriander seeds, 2 tsp peppercorns, 1 bay leaf, half the cinnamon, 2 cardamom pods, 2 cloves and 1 cup water in a pot. Simmer gently, covered, until the chicken is just cooked, 20 minutes. Lift out the chicken and strain the broth; you need 3 cups (top up with water). Rinse the rice well and soak it in water.
2. In a heavy pot, heat the oil and ghee over medium-high and fry the sliced onion until deep golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove a third for garnish.
3. Add the remaining whole spices to the pot for 30 seconds, then the garlic, ginger and chilies for 1 minute. Add the tomato, chicken, 2 tbsp of the yogurt and the salt and sauté gently until the tomato softens, 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Pour in the 3 cups hot yakhni and bring to a boil. Drain the rice, add it, and boil uncovered on medium-high until the liquid drops to the level of the rice and small holes appear, 6 to 8 minutes.
5. Sprinkle with the garam masala and half the mint, cover tightly (a towel under the lid helps), and cook on the lowest heat for 15 minutes. Rest 5 minutes, then fluff gently.
6. Stir the remaining yogurt with the cucumber, a little mint and a pinch of salt. Serve the pulao topped with the fried onions, cilantro and mint, with raita on the side.

Tip: Bone-in chicken makes a deeper yakhni: use 2 lb and add 10 minutes to the poach. Don't stir the rice once it's covered, or the grains will break.

Nutrition per serving

Good for

Adapted from Tea for Turmeric.

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