Raju Gari Kodi Pulao recipe with detailed step by step images and video instructions.

Hyderabad, the South Indian State Telangana's capital, is known for its traditions and history. People came from all over the world to experience the grandeur of the monuments and the variety of cuisines available here. Today's recipe is raju gari kodi pulao, which is a rich and royal dish served in Hyderabad's restaurants.

About this raju gari kodi pulao

Raju Gari kodi pulao is a one pot Andra cuisine made of rice, chicken, shallots, herbs and other Indian spices. The Telegu word raju gari means king implying that this pulao is royal in taste. Kodi pulao is simply the chicken pulao, the word kodi referring to chicken and pulao is referring to Indian rice dish. It's a one pot meal that may be made in a pressure cooker or in a heavy bottomed pan.

Although raju gari kodi pulao resembles chicken biryani or Malabar irachi choru, it is not a traditional biriyani. The key distinction is in terms of spices; kodi pulao uses fewer spices, and basmati rice or biriyani rice is not a compulsory ingredient. Sona masoori rice and country chicken are used in authentic kodi pulao preparation. So, a kodi pulao does not have the same flavor or aroma as a biryani.

Expert's tips for making raju gari kodi pulao

Raju gari kodi pulao is a one-pot meal that can be prepared in either a pressure cooker or a heavy-bottomed skillet. Remember to alter the amount of water depending on the type of utensil used. In the pressure cooking method, 1.5 cup water per 1 cup of rice is required, however, when using the skillet, use 2 cups of water.
When using the pressure cooker, 1.5 cup of water is necessary per 1 cup of rice; however, when using the skillet, 2 cups of water is required. The rice on the other hand, will be cooked with the chicken gravy while preparing the kodi pulao. So, instead of 2 cups of water per 1 cup of rice, use a quarter cup less, i.e., 1 cup and 3/4 cup per 1 cup of rice in skillet method and 1.25 cups of rice in pressure cooker method when adding water.
Try to use sona masoori rice for an authentic Hyderabad kodi pulao flavor. Because many people are unfamiliar with sona masoori rice, I'm using regular basmati rice today. If sona masoori is available in your area, use it. I want everyone to try this dish.
In this recipe, garam masala isn't used. The key flavor components are green chilies, ginger, garlic and caramelized onion. You can still add some if you want to make it more flavorful.
In addition to the green chili paste, whole green chilies are added. These chilies should never be crushed or divided; instead, add them whole, as they are only used for taste, not heat.
The use of hot water is required since it helps to maintain the temperature of the ingredients throughout the cooking process, preserving their texture and softness.

How To Make Raju Gari Kodi Pulao

Raju Gari Kodi Pulao Recipe | Andra Chicken Pulao Recipe | Kodi Pulao | How To Prepare Raju Kodi Pulao At Home

Flavorful Telangana style chicken rice

Preparation time: 25 minutes | Cooking time : 20 minutes | Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

750 gm chicken
2 cups rice (sona masoori or basmati rice)
3.5 cup hot water
2 medium onions, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup or 120 gm shallots, peeled
1 bulb of garlic or 20 gram peeled garlic cloves
2" piece or 20 gram ginger, peeled and chopped
8 to 10 green chilies + 5 whole green chilies
3 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves
3 tablespoon chopped mint leaves
2 tbsp curd
3 cardamom
4 cloves
1" piece cinnamon
10 pepper corns
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon shah jeera
2 tsp ghee
3 tbsp oil + 1/2 cup oil
Salt to taste

Preparation Of Raju Gari Kodi Pulao Recipe with Step by Step Photos

Step 1: Soaking the rice

For today's meal, I'm using basmati rice. Use sona masoori rice if it's available. For 20 minutes, soak the basmati rice in water. Please refer to the backside of the rice packets for instructions on how to soak the rice; some rice brands require a 30 minute soaking time.
Drain and set aside after thirty minutes.

Step 2 : Making the onion paste

Fried onion or birista, is one of the key flavor agent in raju gari chicken pulao. Frist, we'll make the birista. Pour enough oil into a shallow fry pan. I only used half a cup of oil because I don't prefer deep frying. Allow the oil to heat up in the pan over a high flame.
Reduce the flame to medium after the oil is hot and add the finely chopped onions. To guarantee speedier and equal browning, make sure the onions are cut finely and uniformly.
Add a pinch of salt and stir well. Sugar will speed up the cooking process. We have a separated post related to birista preparation, which you can read for more information.
Switch off the flame and immediately transfer the onion to a mixer jar once it has turned golden brown and crisp. The color of the birista influences the final color of the pulao. The lighter the birista, the light the pulao, and the darker the birista, the darker the pulao.
Add 3 tablespoon curd. The curd will aid in the softening of the chicken pieces throughout the cooking process. Use sour curd.
Grind into smooth paste and set aside.

Step 3: Preparation of the spice mix

In the meantime, combine ginger, garlic, and green chilies in a small mixer jar. The recipe called for eight to ten green chilies and the end result was a medium-spicy pulao. Adjust the chilies to your taste and never reduce the quantity of garlic and ginger. Our meal gets a lot of flavor from these three ingredients.
Grind coarsely and set aside.

Step 3: Preparation of the Raju gari kadi pulao

The pan method or the pressure cooker method can be used to prepare this pulao. Today, I will use the pan method, but we'll also talk about the pressure cooker method.

Heat the pan over high heat, when the pan turns hot, pour 2 teaspoons ghee and 2 tablespoon oil into a thick bottomed pan or a pressure cooker. I used onion fried oil since it has a wonderful fried onion flavor. Otherwise ghee can be substituted for oil.
Reduce the flame to medium once the ghee has completely melted. Then add the whole spices like cardamom, cinnamon, clove, bay leaf and shahi jeera. We previously utilized shahi jeera or caraway seeds in bagara khana preparation, a rice dish often known as a false biryani or biryani without meat. Shahi jeera adds biryani flavor to our pulao.
Add the prepared ginger, garlic and green chili paste once the spices have stopped crackling and becomes aromatic. Cook till half-done. If the ginger, garlic and green chili paste begin to stick to the bottom, add extra oil or ghee and continue stirring.
Add shallots and whole green chilies after that. Green chilies should not be sliced or slit; they are only for flavor, not for heat.
Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until the onions are tender.
Put the chicken pieces. I used 750 gm biryani cut chicken pieces. Large pieces of chicken is referred as biryani cut pieces. Authentic raju gari kodi pulao calls for country chicken, which is hard to get by these days, so we'll use broiler chicken pieces.
Add the onion paste as well.
Mix well and cook over high heat until the chicken begins to release its juices.
Put in a handful of chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves, as well as salt to taste.
Cook until the chicken is half done, covered with lid, over low heat. If you're using country chicken or nattu kozhi, make sure its properly cooked. Because country chicken pieces take longer to cook, if we cook the rice with half cook pieces, the chicken will remain raw while the rice is fully cooked. As the broiler chicken pieces cook faster and mash up more easily, I recommend stopping cooking when the chicken pieces are halfway done.
When the chicken pieces are half done, remove the lid and add 3.25 to 3.5 cups of water, depending on the amount of gravy in the pan. To ensure proper cooking, I used boiled water.
When the water begins to boil, add the soaked rice and season with salt to taste. Keep in mind that the chicken curry has already been salted.
Cook, covered, over low heat until the water has evaporated and the rice is thoroughly cooked. It will take less then ten minutes. Note: If you're using the pressure cooker, adjust the water as needed (ref: notes) and cook for two whistles over low heat.
While the pulao is still hot, carefully separate the rice grains using a spoon or fork.
Serve with raita and pickle. Enjoy.