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Rice & Grains

Chicken Pilau

Chicken thighs are perfect for this chicken pilau as they are low cost and suited to lower, slower cooking techniques. If you’d rather use chicken breasts, just fry the pieces briefly until sealed but not browned to avoid the chicken being overcooked at the end.

Serves 4

Difficulty
Easy
Preparation Time
Less than 30 minutes
Cooking Time
30 minutes to 1 hour
Bob's  Kitchen Recipe Card

Ingredients for  4  Servings

  • 3 tbsp
    Olive oil or vegetable oil
  • 6
    Chicken thigh fillets, skin removed, cut into 3–4 pieces
  • 2
    Onions, finely diced
  • 2
    Garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 3 tbsp
    Mild curry powder
  • 2 tsp
    Turmeric
  • 200g
    White basmati rice
  • 400ml
    Tin of light coconut milk
  • 1
    Chicken or vegetable stock cube
  • 75g
    Sultanas or raisins
  • 275g
    Frozen peas, defrosted at room temperature
  • -
    Salt
  • 50g
    Cashews, lightly crushed, to garnish (optional)
  • Handful
    Coriander leaves, to garnish (optional)
  • -
    Mango chutney, to serve (optional)
  • -
    Plain yoghurt, to serve (optional)

Approximate Times

  • Preparation :
    Less than 30 minutes
  • Cooking :
    30 minutes to 1 hour

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas 4.
  2. Heat the oil in a large, shallow, ovenproof pan or casserole. Add the chicken pieces and fry over a high heat for 5 minutes until browning. Use a slotted spoon to lift the chicken onto a plate, then add the onions with a pinch of salt and fry for 5 minutes until starting to soften. Stir in the garlic and spices for another minute.
  3. Stir in the rice, followed by the coconut milk and 200ml water. Crumble in the stock cube and bring the liquid to a simmer. Scatter the chicken pieces back in the pan, drizzle over any juices left on the plate and then scatter over the sultanas. Top with a lid or scrunch two sheets of kitchen foil tightly over the top. Bake on the middle shelf in the oven for 38–40 minutes until the rice and chicken pieces are tender and the stock is absorbed.
  4. Stir the peas through the pilau, cover again with the lid and leave to heat through for 5 minutes. Scoop the pilau onto plates, topping with cashews and coriander leaves, if using. Serve with dollops of chutney and/or yoghurt.

Notes

To increase the vegetable content, serve with a leafy salad or some broccoli alongside too. If you’re feeding children, up the vegetable count in the pilau itself – just dice 1 large carrot and 1 large pepper, seeds removed, and fry them with the onions at the start of the recipe.