Chicken Kabuli Pulao

Chicken Kabuli pulao or Qabali pulo is a traditional food belonging to Afghanistan, as evident from its name. In Afghan language it is called Qabeli palaw.

It is delicious cuisine that is popular among people from different regions. Because of its ingredients, this food is mainly eaten by higher classes of society.

Chicken Kabuli Rice can be made with meat and chicken, but in this post, we focused on making kabuli with chicken.

If you want to make this tasty and fragrant dish in your kitchen, you can move on to this post to know what you need to cook.

I want to make Cicken Kabuli Polau

There are several steps to make this dish:

Step 1 - Preparation

To make a kabuli, wash your rice in a bowl by pouring water and draining water several times until the water becomes clear.

Then add a tbs of salt to the soaked rice and let it soak for 1 hour, depending on your rice type.

Soak raisins in water for at least half an hour.

Step 2 - Cooking the chickens

Finely chop the onions. Take a pan and pour oil into it, then add your chopped onion and sauté them a little.

Add the chicken pieces as soon as you can smell the aroma of the onions. 

Add cumin, turmeric, gram masala, cinnamon, black pepper and salt. Stir them a little.

Stir them until the chickens become golden.

Then add boil water. Close the lid of the pan to cook for about 30 minutes.

Step 3 - Frying carrots and raisins

Chop the carrots on a cutting board.

Pour some oil into the pan. Add your raisins to the pan and stir until they become plump. Then take them out and set aside.

Put the carrots in it.

Fry the carrots in it until they soften a little.

Step 4 - Cooking the rice

Now it’s time to rice; put a pot on medium heat, and pour water and salt until it boils. After the water boils, pour the rice into the boiling water and add salt. Let the rice half-cooked in water and become al-dente.

After testing the texture of the rice, drain the rice. Put it on low heat. Pour a little oil on the bottom of the pot, and pour half of your drained rice. Put the chickens and sprinkle some gram masala.

Then add remaining of rice. Pour the caramelized sugar on the rice (see below how to make it).

Then put carrots and raisins.

Step 5 - Caramelizing the sugar

Put a pan on low heat and pour 5 spoons of oil in it. Add 2 ½ spoons of sugar to it. Choose a thick pan so that the sugar does not burn. Stir it.

Because the oil is hot, the sugar will quickly start to melt and change color. keep the string, and wait for their color to become caramelized (Golden light). Caramelized sugar is ready after 3 to 4 minutes. Remove it from the heat and pour it over the rice. If you heat the sugar more than this and the pan burns, the sugar will become bitter and its taste will burnt.

This was the complete recipe for kabuli pulao with chicken that you read. See a summary recipe here.

Print Recipe

How to make chicken Kabuli Pulao?

Ingredients

Ingredients for the pulo and garnish

• 3 cups Basmati or Iranian rice
• 2 Carrots Medium
• 1 cup Raisins
• 2 ½ tbsp Sugar For caramelize
• 14 tbsp Oil For rice and frying the carrots and raisins, and caramelizing the sugar.
• ½ tsp Garam masala
• 1 tsp Salt

Ingredients for cooking the chickens:

• 500 grams Chicken I used 4 pieces
• 1 Onion
• ½ tsp Ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp Ground black pepper
• ½ tsp Turmeric powder
• ½ tsp Garam masala
• ½ tsp Cumin powder or cumin
• 4 tbsp Oil For frying the chickens
• 1 tsp Salt

Instructions

• To make a kabuli, wash your rice in a bowl by pouring water and draining water several times until the water becomes clear.
• Then add a tbs of salt to the soaked rice and let it soak for 1 hour, depending on your rice type.
• Take a pan and pour oil into it, then add your chopped onion and sauté them a little.
• Now it is time to chicken; add your chicken pieces to the pan and stir them until they become brown.
• Pour the water on the chicken and spices, including cardamom, cumin, cinnamon, masala, and black pepper.
• Add your raisins to the pan and stir until they become plump. Fry the chopped carrots.
• Let's return to the rice; put a pot on medium heat, and pour water and salt until it boils.
• After the water boils, pour the rice into the boiling water and let the rice soak in water and become soft.
• After testing the texture of the rice, drain the rice, pour a little oil on the bottom of the pot, and pour your drained rice. Pour chopped carrots, raisins, caramelized sugar, and chicken pieces on the rice.
• After one hour, check your rice to see if it is cooked.

Notes

Golden tips for making Kabuli pulo

The first and foremost thing for making chicken Kabuli pulao is using high-quality rice since the main base of Persian cuisine is rice:

1. Use a combination of whole and ground spices to create a rich and fragrant flavor profile. Common spices include cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, cloves, and cumin. You can also add ginger for an additional aroma.
2. Layer the rice and meat in a large pot, starting with a layer of rice, then meat, and repeating until all the ingredients are used. This layering technique ensures that the flavors meld together during the cooking process.

Important tips about chicken in Kabuli pulo

1. Be sure to soak rice before boiling it to have soft rice. Otherwise, it takes longer time to have soft rice when you boil them.
2. When you buy a chicken, choose a small one since small chickens are tastier than large ones.

Conclusion

Chicken Kabuli Pulao is a delectable rice dish from Afghanistan, known for its aromatic flavors and rich textures.

This traditional recipe combines chicken pieces, fragrant Basmati rice, and a medley of spices to create a delightful one-pot meal.

By reading this post, you can make tasty kabuli pulo like the one Afghans make it.