Chicken Pulao (Morog Pulao) Recipe

Soak ½ teaspoon of saffron in 2 tablespoons of keora water and set aside. Soak the sliced almonds and pistachios in water until soft, then drain.

Remove the skin from the chicken and cut each chicken into four pieces. Heat 1 cup of ghee or butter oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onions and sauté until they turn light brown.

Add the chicken pieces to the pot and fry until lightly browned. In a bowl, beat the yogurt and mix in all the ground spices along with salt. Add this mixture to the chicken and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the gravy thickens and oil separates from the mixture. Then add the lemon juice and sugar and mix well.

Once the gravy is ready, remove as much oil as possible and set it aside. Transfer the chicken pieces out of the gravy and keep them separately.

Rinse the rice thoroughly and drain the water. In a deep saucepan, add the reserved oil, the rice, salt, the chicken gravy, ½ cup milk, and 2½–3 cups of water. Bring the mixture to a boil. Stir well, then cover and simmer over low heat for 20–25 minutes. Remove from heat once the rice is cooked.

Take out half of the cooked rice and set aside. Arrange the chicken pieces over the remaining rice in the pot. Sprinkle some keora water, raisins, almonds, and pistachios over the chicken. Cover with the reserved half portion of rice. Sprinkle the remaining keora water, along with the rest of the raisins, almonds, and pistachios, on top.

Cover the pot tightly and cook over very low heat for 20–25 minutes, or place the covered pot in a 150°C (300°F) oven for the same duration to allow the flavors to blend and the pulao to steam properly.

Serve hot with borhani, salad, or shami kebab.