Instant Pot Chicken Pulao

• servings: 4 servings
• active time: 25 minutes
• total time: 46 minutes

Ingredients

1 ½ cups aged, long grain basmati rice

2 tbsp neutral oil (such as grapeseed or avocado)

1 tbsp ghee

1 medium yellow onion (thinly sliced)

2 small bay leaves

1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns

1 2-inch piece cinnamon stick

1 small black cardamom (optional)

5 whole cloves

1 tsp cumin seeds

½ tsp coriander seeds (crushed)

4 cloves garlic (crushed)

3/4 inch piece ginger (crushed)

1 lb boneless chicken (I prefer thighs or tenders but you may use breast) (cubed into 1” pieces)

1 small tomato (finely chopped)

1-2 green chili peppers (whole or chopped)

1 1/2 cups water (See Note 2)

2 ¼ tsp kosher salt (divided (or to taste)

small handful chopped cilantro and/or mint

Directions

Thoroughly wash (See Note 1) the rice and soak it in water for 15 minutes. Then drain and set aside. I usually start pulao preparation while the rice is soaking.

Select the high Sauté setting on the Instant Pot. Once hot, add the oil, ghee, and thinly sliced onion. Sauté, stirring often, until the onions are golden brown (~8-10 minutes). Deglaze the pan with a tablespoon of water. The color of the onions will determine the color of the rice so you want to get them even and golden brown.

Add the whole spices, garlic, and ginger and sauté for another minute or until the raw smell disappears. Add the chicken and ¼ tsp of the salt and continue to sauté for 2-3 minutes until the color of the chicken changes. Add the tomato and green chili pepper and sauté until the tomato softens, about 2 minutes.

Add the rice, remaining salt, and water and stir to combine. Scrape the sides of the pot and gently press down the rice to make everything is submerged in the water.

Cancel the Sauté setting, secure the lid, and set the Pressure Release to Sealing. Pressure-cook on high setting for 6 minutes. Let naturally release for 15 minutes. Then manually release any remaining pressure by moving the Pressure Release to Venting. Sprinkle the cilantro/mint on top.

Using a rice paddle or small plastic plate, gently transfer the rice on to a serving platter. Serve with raita or yogurt.

Nutrition

• Calories: 579 kcal
• Total Fat: 16 g
• Saturated Fat: 5 g
• Cholesterol: 117 mg
• Sodium: 1423 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 77 g
• Dietary Fiber: 2 g
• Total Sugars: 1 g
• Protein: 29 g