Thursday, November 9, 2017

Spicy Chicken Parbi Pulao with Potatoes And Eggs.


“Spicy Chicken Parbi Pulao” ... An amazing Spicy ~ Fragrant Pulao prepared with Chicken and Potatoes along with some boiled Eggs … Definitely a yummy pulao with the addition of Pathare Prabhu Masala Powder a very special powder from the Pathare Community … Special thanks to my friend Mariena Dsouza for sharing this awesome pulao recipe in our food group “Konkani Delicacies” … Indeed a delicious one … Yummy Yumz ..… 


Chicken Parbi Pulao is a spicy fragrant pulao that was posted by my friend Mariena Dsouza and I wanted to prepare this one immediately on seeing the same. This pulao however needs Pathare Prabhu Masala Powder. Well she had shared the recipe of the the masala powder too, so first I had to go about preparing the powder and then the pulao. You can check up on the details and about the masala powder in detail in my separate post on the preparation of the powder. I will share the link of the same at the bottom of the recipe. Please do follow the same. Though I must mention here that the masala powder filled my home with a lovely aroma and I was indeed pleasantly surprised. There are many more recipes that will follow using this powder, so you may rest assured and prepare the powder. If not use the ingredients in the powder in approximate proportions and prepare the same in little quantity say for one or two uses. I have only made minute changes in the recipe like avoiding of deep frying of potatoes and chicken which I did not want to. Agreed that the pulao would have got a much better taste, but health wise it is definitely a NO-NO. But I will mention where the changes are made so that you can prepare the same in any way that suits you. 

** Ingredients
Basmati Rice : 4 cups.
Potatoes : 2 large sized.
Eggs : 2
Onions : 2 large sized 
Oil / Ghee : ¼ cup
Lemon : one small sized
Coriander leaves : handful finely chopped
Salt to taste
Boiling hot water as required

** For Marination :
Chicken : 500 gms.
Curds / Dahi : 2 tblsp (The curds should be thick without much of water content)
Haldi / Turmeric Powder : ½ tsp
Pathare Prabhu Masala Powder : 1 tsp
Green Chilly ~ Ginger ~ Garlic Paste : 1 tblsp 
Salt to taste.

** Masala to be ground :
Coriander / Dhania leaves : ¼ cup
Mint / Pudina leaves : a few
Kashmiri Red Chilly Powder : ½ tsp
Coriander / Dhania Powder : 1 tsp
Jeera / Cumin Powder : ½ tsp
Fennel / Badisep / Saunf Powder : ¼ tsp
Onion : 1 small
Garlic : 2-3 cloves (Optional)

** Spices (Whole Garam Masala) :
Pepper Corns : 8-10
Cinnamon : 2 pieces of 2 inches
Green Cardamom : 2 slit
Black Cardamom : 2 slit
Star anise : 1
Cloves : 4-5
Bay leaves : 2 small


** Wash and pat the chicken dry. Add in all the ingredients of marinade and mix well. Cover and keep it aside to marinate for at least an hour or two. You can put it in the fridge if you intend to do later on. Just remove and allow thawing for 30 mins. before using. 

** Wash and soak the basmati rice in plenty of water for at least 30 mins. Drain off the water and put the rice in a colander for all the excess water to be drained off properly. 

** Pressure cook the potatoes till just done. Do not overcook them. When it cools down peel off the skin of the potatoes, cut them into cubes and keep aside. 

** Hard boil the eggs, remove the shell, cut them into halves and keep them aside ready for use later on.

** Peel off the outer skin of the onions and slice them thinly lengthwise and keep it aside ready.

** Heat about 1 cup of oil in a thick bottomed kadai, when hot add in the sliced onions and fry till they are evenly browned and crisp. Remove and put it on an absorbent paper for the excess oil to get drained off. Keep this ready aside.


** Add to the cubed potatoes, a large pinch of turmeric powder, ¼ tsp of pathare masala powder, ½ tsp of red Kashmiri chilly powder, salt to taste. Toss all the masala and the potatoes well and allow to settle for 10 mins. Now in the same oil that the onion was fried add the potatoes and toss and fry for 2 mins turning frequently. Remove into a plate and keep aside ready. 

** Note : In the original recipe the potatoes were deep fried in oil directly applying the above powders without previously cooking them. I have avoided this and just tossed them in oil for 2 mins. You may deep fry it if you wish. 

** Grind all the ingredients under the masala to be ground with little bit of water to a fine paste. Do not add much water and see to it that the masala is finely ground. 

** Note : In the original recipe it called for preparing herbed chicken stock boiling some chicken bones with the masala ingredients mentioned above and then straining the same and grinding the masala after removing the bone pieces and also retaining the stock for cooking of pulao. I have not followed the stock method and just ground the masala as I did not have chicken bones to prepare the stock. You may follow any method.

** Now in the same kadai, check to see if there is oil remaining if not you can add in some more and add in the chicken pieces and fry for 2-3 minutes. Remove and keep it on a plate. Add in half of the ground masala and further fry for 3-4 minutes. (Retain the other half of the ground masala for frying the rice.) Now add back the chicken pieces and mix well. Add in a little bit of water if necessary. Cover and cook till the chicken in almost done. 

** In another large thick bottomed kadai add in the oil / ghee and bring to heat, when hot add in the whole garam masala and fry for few seconds. Add in the drained basmati rice and fry on low heat for a few minutes. The rice grains should be coated well with oil. Add in the remaining half ground masala and fry for some time. 


** Now add in the chicken cooked in masala along with the water in which it is cooked and mix well. Add in the fried potatoes and half of the fried onion and mix it well. Check the water consistency. If needed add some boiling hot water, along with salt to taste and mix well. The level of the water for cooking the rice should be about one inch above the level of all the ingredients in the kadai in which the rice is to be cooked. 

** Note : The water amount for cooking of pulao is always in the ration of 1:2 ie if one cup rice, it’s 2 cups of hot boiling water. However, since here little water is there in the chicken cooked too be careful while adding double amount. You can put about 7 cups and reserve some if need be. Or the other idea is to measure 8 cups of water and use the water for both grinding the masala, cooking the chicken and the rice too that way it’s a safe bet for people who are new to check the amount of water to be added in.

** Bring all the ingredients in the kadai to boiling point and let boil to 2-3 mins. Then mix well, lower the heat to minimum and cover with a tight lid. Keep a vessel with water on top of the lid and allow the pulao to be cooked till almost done. 

** Note : The vessel with water on top of lid on the kadai is a choice. This is done so that the pulav does not get burnt at the bottom in the kadai. When there are too many masala powders in the pulao there is a tendency for the rice to get burnt at the bottom. This step ensures that it does not happen, off course in limited time frame. 

** Give a final mix and cover and continue to cook on low heat till the rice grains have bloomed well and are separate and cooked just about 90%. Remove from fire, add in a freshly squeezed lemon juice and garnish with coriander leaves, the remaining fried onions and the boiled halved eggs. 


** “Chicken Parbi Pulao” is done and ready to be served. Serve hot with any raita of your choice or any mildly spiced curry. Tastes best with raita or curds as the pulao is very spicy on it’s own. You may increase or decrease the level of spices depending upon your taste. It’s always individual and family choice. The day I prepared this, I had guests come over for lunch, so I prepared “Onion ~ Beetroot ~ Sprouted Moong Raita” along with this pulao and Methi Murg (A chicken curry with fresh fenugreek leaves), a medium spicy curry along with Methi ~ Wheat ~ Bajra Roti for the curry. It was an awesome combo too. Just prepare the dishes and Enjoy with family and friends. 

** For the Pathare Prabhu Masala Powder Recipe, Please follow the link given below ….

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