Mild chicken yakhni pulao

Name: Mild chicken yakhni pulao
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 4 portions

A comforting Kashmiri/North Indian-style pulao where rice is cooked in a mildly spiced chicken stock (yakhni), with tender pieces of chicken folded through.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 45 min
Total: 60 min
Portions: 4

Moderate
Pregnancy
High-protein

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Portions

Ingredient quantities update automatically. Cooking times may need a little adjustment when you change the batch size.

Swap an ingredient

Only swaps that keep this recipe pregnancy-safe are offered. Allergen information below updates when you choose one.

Dairy-free alternative: use coconut milk instead of curd (dahi / plain yoghurt)

Ingredients

For 4 portions. Tick items as you go — nothing is changed for anyone else.

600 g chicken curry-cut, bone-in, skin removed
2 cup basmati rice, about 400 g, rinsed and soaked 20 minutes
0.5 cup curd (dahi / plain yoghurt), about 120 g
1 onion onion, sliced
1 tbsp whole spices, bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves
1 tsp fennel powder
2 tbsp ghee

This recipe contains foods that can contribute to a varied and balanced diet during pregnancy.

Method

Step 1. Simmer the chicken with the whole spices in about 4 cups (about 950 ml) water for 20 minutes until cooked right through; strain and reserve the stock, discarding the whole spices.
Step 2. Heat ghee in a heavy pan and fry the onion until golden. Add the fennel powder and cooked chicken and stir briefly.
Step 3. Whisk the curd into the reserved hot stock and pour it back over the chicken.
Step 4. Add the soaked rice, bring to the boil, then cover tightly and cook on low heat for about 15 minutes until the rice is tender and liquid absorbed.
Step 5. Rest for 5 minutes before fluffing and serving, checking the chicken is piping hot throughout.

Allergens for your selection

Contains: Milk

Ingredient brands and substitutions can change allergen content. Always check the labels on the products you buy.

Food safety

In pregnancy, cook eggs until the white and yolk are completely set, and cook chicken, mutton and fish right through until piping hot.
Use pasteurised milk, or boil loose milk and cool it before use; choose curd and paneer made from pasteurised or boiled milk.
Wash all vegetables and fruit in clean running water, and use safe drinking water for cooking, soaking and drinking.
Refrigerate leftovers within two hours (within one hour in hot weather), store cooked rice cold and reheat once until piping hot throughout.
Avoid raw or lightly cooked sprouts in pregnancy — cook sprouts thoroughly before eating.
No alcohol is used in this recipe.
Simmer the chicken until it is completely cooked through before adding to the rice.

Allergens

Contains: Milk

Ingredient brands and substitutions can change allergen content. Always check the labels on the products you buy.

Sources

Maternal nutrition — guidance for pregnant women — Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, reviewed 10 September 2026
Safe food practices at home — Pink Book — Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), reviewed 10 September 2026