Description
Chicken Barley Pulao is a twist on one of my favourite Indian dishes – chicken pulao. Following the same principles of making a pulao, this one-pot meal uses barley, providing a few added health benefits, as well as a delicious twist on the more traditional pulao recipe.
Ingredients
- 6 chicken thighs, boneless and skinless
- 2 white onions, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp chili flakes (to taste)
- 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
- 2 1/2 cups chicken stock, low sodium preferred
- 1 1/2 cups pearl barley
- 1/4 cup fresh thyme, finely chopped
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Sear chicken thighs
- In an ovenproof pan with high sides, heat some olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Season chicken thighs with salt and black pepper, to taste. Place chicken thighs skin-side down into the hot pan, and sear until the skin becomes golden. Flip and repeat on the other side. Remove from the pan, and set aside.
Prepare barley in chicken stock
- Add chopped onion and chili flakes (optional) to the pan, cooking until the onions become brown and crispy. Add the tomato paste and cook for a few seconds, adjusting the heat as necessary.
- Pour in chicken stock and mix – don’t forget to scrape the crispy bits from the bottom of your pan! Add thyme and barley, stir to mix, and place the seared chicken pieces back into the pan.
Bake it up!
Cover the pan with a lid on and bake in the oven for 40 minutes. Remove, stir to restore a little fluffiness to the meal. Garnish with a little fresh thyme, or some added chili flakes if you really like it hot. Enjoy!
Notes
You can use any sort of ovenproof dish with a lid for this – in the photos/recipe video, I use a cast iron pan so that the process is easily visible. However, when making this recipe, I typically just use my Dutch oven.
If you ever feel lost, don’t forget you can check out the Chicken Barley Pulao video on Youtube!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Absorption
- Cuisine: Indian
