Instant Pot Punjabi Chicken Pulaoo

If there’s one dish that brings the whole family running to the table, it’s a steaming pot of Punjabi Chicken Pulao! The aroma of fragrant basmati rice, tender chicken, and earthy spices simmering together feels like home, comforting, wholesome, and full of love.

As a busy mom juggling work, kids, and endless to-dos, I’m always looking for recipes that are quick, fuss-free, and family-approved. That’s why this One Pot Instant Punjabi Chicken Pulao is a lifesaver, no endless stirring, no mountain of dishes, just one pot, one meal, and a whole lot of flavor.

Whether it’s a lazy Sunday lunch or a midweek dinner after a long day, this pulao brings the warmth of desi home cooking straight to your Canadian kitchen. Let’s make this simple, satisfying comfort meal together, because good food should never be complicated.

Tips

Tender chicken, aromatic rice and authentic spices come together in a super delicious pulao that’ll make for an easy and quick weeknight meal. The recipe is perfect for busy moms who want to make homemade food in a limited amount of time. Nothing beats this pulao bursting with traditional flavors. You can make this in instant pot

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Ingredients

  

• 750 gm chicken
• 5-6 green chilies
• 1 tbsp. ginger garlic paste
• 1/2 tbsp. cumin seeds
• 6-7 black pepper
• 4-5 cloves
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• 1 black cardamom
• 2-3 green cardamom
• 1 tbsp. whole coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp. fennel seeds
• Salt as required
• 150 gm tomatoes
• 500 gm basmati rice washed & soaked
• ½ cup cooking oil
• 2-3 sliced onions
• 2.5 tsp Salt
• 2-3 whole green chillies
• 2.5 cups water if cooking on regular stove top add 2 cups water

Instructions

 

• Start with washing and soaking the rice with cold water.
• Saute thinly sliced onions in oil, add black paper, green and black cardamom, cinnamon stick and clove while frying onion.
• Once the onion changes colour add green chile and chicken
• Fry till the chicken changes colour and all the liquid evaporates.
• Now roughly grind fennel seeds, whole coriander and cumin and add that into the pot.
• Add diced tomatoes, salt and 1/4th cup water .
• Let it simmer till the oil separates from masala.
• Now add soaked rice and 2.5 cup water.( reduce the amount of water if the rice has been soaked for more time)
• If you are cooking on in instant pot then add 2.5 cups of water for 2.5 cups of rice(500mg is roughly equal to 2.5 cup rice) but if you are using regular stove top then add 4.5 cup of water for 2.5 cup of rice (a little less than double)
• For an instant pot, close the lid and cook for 15min on a rice setting. NPR for 15min then Quick release the pressure. Open the lid and gently spread them.
• For stove top let the rice cook with a closed lid on high to medium flame, stirring occasionally. Once most of the liquid evaporates, close the lid and steam the rice on low heat. ( make sure that there is still some liquid left otherwise the rice will start burning from the bottom)
• Enjoy with vegetable raita or green chutney.