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Pakistani

Chicken yakhni pulao

Non-vegetarian

یخنی پلاؤ · Yakhni pulao

Basmati rice cooked in a fragrant chicken broth (yakhni) built from whole spices, then steamed with the chicken until every grain is separate. Milder and more aromatic than biryani.

Chicken yakhni pulao is a Pakistani rice dish, ready in about 1 hour 35 minutes and made with chicken pieces, skin-on and basmati rice. It serves 5 and is rated intermediate to cook.

Start cooking
Chicken yakhni pulao: rice cooked in stock with chicken, fried onions, coriander and onion rings
Photo: Vilalali / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-SA-4.0
Prep
15 min
Cook
1 h 10 min
Rest
10 min
Total
1 h 35 min
Serves
5
Level
Intermediate
Calories
767

Ingredients

5 servings

For the yakhni

For the pulao

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Put the chicken, water, halved onion (opens in a new tab), garlic (opens in a new tab), ginger, fennel, coriander seed, peppercorns, bay leaves (opens in a new tab) and salt in a pot. Bring to the boil, skim, then simmer gently for 30 minutes until the chicken is tender.

    Food safety: Wash hands and surfaces after handling raw chicken.

  2. Step 2

    Strain the broth and measure 750 ml (top up with water if needed). Keep the chicken; discard the spices.

    Liquid being strained through a sieve
    How it looks · Photo: Katerina Holmes on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    In a heavy pot, fry the sliced onion (opens in a new tab) in the oil until golden. Add the cumin (opens in a new tab), cinnamon (opens in a new tab), cardamom (opens in a new tab) and cloves (opens in a new tab) and sizzle for 30 seconds, then add the chicken, chillies and yogurt (opens in a new tab) (if using) and fry for 5 minutes.

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Pour in the 750 ml broth, bring to a rolling boil and taste — it should be slightly salty. Add the drained rice and boil uncovered until the water has sunk below the surface of the rice.

    • 8 min
    • high heat

  5. Step 5

    Sprinkle over the garam masala (opens in a new tab), cover with a tight lid (wrap it in a cloth) and steam on the lowest heat for 15 minutes. Rest 10 minutes off the heat before fluffing.

    • 25 min
    • low heat

    Food safety: Cool leftover rice quickly and refrigerate within 1 hour.

    Fresh herbs scattered over a finished dish
    How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Pakistan · Commonly attributedPulao traditions span Persia, Central Asia and the subcontinent; yakhni pulao is a staple of Pakistani home cooking.Also popular in India, AfghanistanMore food from Pakistan
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Rice dishes · Main courses
Cooking method
Simmered, Steamed, Boiled
Taste
aromatic / warmly spiced, savoury, mild
Diet
No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-protein
Without the optional extras: Dairy-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
One-pot · Festive & celebration
Cook more with
Chicken pieces, skin-on · Basmati rice · Onion · Garlic · Fresh ginger · Fennel seeds
Techniques
Boiling · Simmering · Steaming

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Milkfrom yogurt

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

767 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 539 g · recipe makes 5

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 19%
  • Carbohydrate 38%
  • Fat 43%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy767 kcal142 kcal
Protein36.6 g6.8 g
Carbohydrate71.3 g13.2 g
Net carbohydrate68.2 g12.6 g
Sugars1.7 g0.3 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre3.1 g0.6 g
Fat36.2 g6.7 g
Saturated fat7.9 g1.5 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol120 mg22 mg
Sodium1058 mg196 mg
Salt equivalent2.6 g0.5 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
522 mg
Calcium
108 mg
Iron
5.8 mg
Magnesium
72 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
68 µg
Vitamin C
13 mg
Vitamin D
0.3 µg
Vitamin B12
0.5 µg
Folate (DFE)
327 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: yogurt.
  • Basmati rice: Generic long-grain white rice (FDC 168877); basmati has very similar composition.
  • Garam masala: Curry powder (FDC 170924) used as a stand-in; both are ground blends of similar dried spices used in teaspoon amounts.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Soaking the basmati gives long, unbroken grains.

Common mistakes

  • Stirring the rice once it starts steaming breaks the grains.

Serve with

  • Serve with raita and a cucumber-onion salad.

Storage

  • Refrigerate within 1 hour; keeps 1 day.

Reheating

  • Sprinkle with water and reheat covered until piping hot throughout.

Variations

  • Mutton yakhni pulao: Use bone-in mutton or lamb and simmer the yakhni about 1½ hours.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

For the pulao

Make Punjabi garam masalaUsed in steps 1, 3, 4

Masalas in this recipe

Make the masala first, then come back to finish the dish.

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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