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1
Brown the Chicken
10 Mins
Medium-high heat, ~190°C (375°F)
Heat half the oil and the ghee in a heavy pot (sufuria) over medium-high heat. Add the chicken chunks in a single layer and brown them for 8–10 minutes, turning once, until golden on the outside. Lift the chicken out onto a plate; it will finish cooking later in the rice.
Do not crowd the pot — brown in two batches if needed, so the chicken sears instead of steaming.
Done when: Chicken is golden brown on the outside; the centre is still pink and will finish in the pot.
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2
Brown the Onions & Bloom the Spices
10 Mins
Medium heat, ~170°C (340°F)
Add the remaining oil to the same pot. Fry the sliced onions, stirring often, for 6–8 minutes until they are deep golden brown — darker than you think, but not burnt. Add the garlic, ginger and all the whole pilau spices and stir for 30 seconds until the spices smell warm and fragrant.
Dark, sweet onions are the soul of pilau colour and flavour — pale onions make pale, bland pilau.
Done when: Onions are deep golden brown; the spices smell warm and toasty.
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3
Simmer the Chicken in Spiced Broth
15 Mins
Gentle simmer, ~95°C (203°F)
Return the browned chicken to the pot with the slit green chillies, half the salt and 500ml of the hot water. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. The chicken must reach 74°C (165°F) at its thickest part before the rice goes in.
This simmer is what makes the broth — the rice will cook in it, so taste it now and adjust the salt.
Done when: Chicken is cooked through to 74°C (165°F) and the broth smells richly spiced.
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4
Add Rice & Steam
20 Mins
Low heat, gentle steam, ~95°C (203°F)
Add the drained rice and stir once to distribute it evenly. Pour in the remaining 250ml hot water and the rest of the salt. Bring to a boil, then cover tightly, reduce to the lowest heat, and steam for 20 minutes without lifting the lid. The rice must be tender throughout and the chicken hot all the way through.
Never lift the lid while the rice steams — the trapped steam is doing the cooking, and every peek lets it out.
Done when: All liquid is absorbed; rice grains are separate, fluffy and tender.
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5
Rest & Fluff
5 Mins
Off the heat, lid on, residual heat ~90°C (194°F)
Take the pot off the heat and leave it covered for 5 minutes. Then fluff the pilau gently with a fork, lifting from the bottom so the chicken is distributed through the rice. Scatter over the chopped coriander and serve hot.
Resting lets the last steam finish the rice evenly; fluffing with a fork, not a spoon, keeps the grains separate.
Done when: Grains are separate and fluffy; chicken is tender and hot throughout.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve the pilau hot from the pot, with kachumbari spooned over the top and a little chopped fresh coriander if you have it. The contrast of hot, fragrant rice and cool, sharp salad is the whole point.
Tanzania
40m
France
Vietnam