Lemon Chicken Brown Rice Pulao Recipe For A Wholesome Dinner Tonight

When it comes to planning a healthy meal for yourself and the family, brown rice is clearly one of the ingredients you can depend on. Packed with dietary fibre, plant proteins, plenty of minerals and loads of antioxidant compounds, brown rice is both healthy and filling. What’s more, brown rice has a nutty flavour and quite a bite to it, which makes brown rice a delicious addition to any meal. If you are looking for a great dinner dish for tonight—or even the weekend for that matter—then this Lemon Chicken Brown Rice Pulao is just the recipe you need. 

This Lemon Chicken Brown Rice Pulao is perfect for dinner tonight not only because it is easy to rustle up—it is a one-pot dish after all—but also because it is packed with summery flavours that are refreshing and delicious. You might be familiar with Lemon Chicken, which is a British-Chinese dish packed with the sweet and sour flavour of lemons. Add the same flavour profile to the nuttiness of brown rice and the result you get is this stunningly delicious Lemon Chicken Brown Rice Pulao. 

Just like any other brown rice pulao, the trick behind this Lemon Chicken Brown Rice Pulao recipe is to soak the brown rice for at least an hour before cooking it. Soaking the brown rice not only makes it easier to cook but also elongates its grains to make the Lemon Chicken Brown Rice Pulao look prettier too. This recipe calls for chicken broth, but you can also make do with water if you don’t have broth readily available. However, the use of chicken broth in Lemon Chicken Brown Rice Pulao is recommended because it certainly adds more flavour to the dish. It is also recommended that you use plenty of lemon zest and add lemon juice to the Lemon Chicken Brown Rice Pulao to give it that zing of lemon. 

The recipe for Lemon Chicken Brown Rice Pulao is quite hassle-free and can be easily whipped up by any cook in half an hour. What’s more, this one-pot Lemon Chicken Brown Rice Pulao is perfect for both family dinners and for entertaining guests. Here’s the easy-peasy recipe for you to try out tonight. 

Image used for representative purpose only. Image courtesy: theyummydelights.com

Ingredients: 

4 chicken breasts 

½ tsp cumin seeds 

1 bay leaf 

1 tbsp black pepper 

½ tsp cumin powder 

¼ tsp cinnamon powder 

1 onion, chopped 

1 carrot, chopped 

½ cup peas 

1 tbsp garlic, minced 

1 cup brown rice, soaked 

2 cups chicken broth or water 

½ tsp lemon zest 

1 tbsp lemon juice 

Salt, to taste 

2 tbsp butter 

Coriander leaves, for garnish 

Lemon wedges, for garnish 

Method: 

1. Place the washed, cleaned and dried chicken breasts on a plate. 

2. Add salt and pepper and rub them into the chicken properly. 

3. Heat the butter in the heavy-bottomed pot, then place the chicken breasts. 

4. Fry the chicken until golden brown on both sides, then remove and set aside. 

5. In the remaining butter, add the bay leaf, cumin seeds and garlic. 

6. Mix well, then add the onion, carrots and peas. 

7. Saute the veggies for five minutes, then add the black pepper, cumin powder, cinnamon powder and salt. 

8. Mix well and continue to cook for five minutes. 

9. Then, add the soaked brown rice and mix well. 

10. Place the fried chicken breasts, add the lemon zest and chicken broth. 

11. Mix and cover to cook the rice until done. 

12. Once cooked, add the lemon juice and mix. 

13. Serve the Lemon Chicken Brown Rice Pulao hot with a garnish of coriander leaves and lemon wedges.