Pressure Cooker Chicken Pulao by Neel Kajale

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Neel Kajale, chef de cuisine at Dhamaka and longtime friend of Food52, shared his go-to recipe for a quick and flavorful weeknight meal: Pressure Cooker Chicken Pulao. Developed using a traditional Indian stovetop pressure cooker, this recipe is adaptable to any pressure cooker, yielding tender chicken and fragrant rice in under 30 minutes. It's a one-pot wonder that's perfect for busy evenings.

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks, cut into pieces
• 2 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 2 teaspoon red chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup aged basmati rice, washed, soaked for 30 minutes, and drained
• 6 ounce chicken stock or water
• 2 tablespoon ghee
• 1 whole clove
• 1 green cardamom pod
• 1 mace blade
• 1/2 inch cinnamon stick
• 1 teaspoon chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon chopped ginger
• 1 teaspoon chopped green chilis
• 1 teaspoon chopped cilantro
• 1 teaspoon red chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoon fried onions, for garnish

Directions

1. Marinate the chicken: In a large bowl, combine the chicken pieces with ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, turmeric, red chili powder, and salt. Set aside to marinate while you prepare the other ingredients.
2. Toast the spices: Heat the ghee in your pressure cooker over medium-high heat. Add the clove, cardamom, mace, and cinnamon stick. Toast until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
3. Sauté the aromatics: Add the chopped onion, ginger, green chilis, and cilantro to the pressure cooker. Sauté until softened and translucent, about 30 seconds.
4. Bloom the spices: Stir in the red chili powder and turmeric. Cook for an additional 30 seconds, or until fragrant.
5. Add the rice: Add the soaked and drained rice to the pressure cooker. Stir until the rice is well coated in the ghee and spices.
6. Add the chicken and liquid: Pour in the chicken stock (or water) and add the marinated chicken pieces. Stir to combine.
7. Pressure cook: Secure the lid on the pressure cooker and bring to high pressure over medium-high heat. Once the pressure cooker reaches high pressure (you'll hear a hissing sound or see steam escaping), reduce heat to low and cook for 7-8 minutes.
8. Rest and serve: Remove the pressure cooker from heat and allow the pressure to release naturally for at least 10 minutes before opening the lid. Once the pressure is released, fluff the rice with a fork and garnish with fried onions. Serve immediately.