Poh's Afghan Style Rice & Chicken
Medium
< 1 Hour
Serves 4
Poh's Afghan Style Rice & Chicken
Method
If you are using eggplant instead of chicken, pan fry all the eggplant in a large non-stick frypan with plenty of olive oil on high heat until browned on both sides. If you’d like a smokey flavour, use a cast iron griddle for this task, making sure to char bar marks on both sides of each slice of eggplant! Set aside.
Next, combine the carrot, currants, sugar and water in a small saucepan. Stir, cover and simmer for about 5 minutes or until all the liquid is evaporated, the carrots are softened but not falling apart and the currants plump and juicy. Set aside.
To begin the base for the rice and the chicken, combine the oil (and butter if using), onions, garlic, cumin, garam masala, cardamon and salt. Cook until softened and slightly golden and the spices are fragrant. Remove 1/3 of the oil and spices and set aside in a bowl. Add the tomato, chicken (or eggplant if using), potatoes, then season with salt & pepper. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes and chicken are cooked through. Taste and season or add a pinch more cardamon and garam masala if needed.
Soak basmati rice for 5 minutes, then rinse and drain in a sieve. Heat stock up. Rub saffron threads between your fingers to crush them a little while sprinkling them into the stock. Allow to steep until needed. Drain the rice in a sieve, then pour rice into already boiling water. Boil until al dente or 80% cooked through. Drain immediately, then return to the pot. Reheat the set aside onion, garlic spice mixture with the stock and saffron liquid. Add this to the rice, fold very briefly to combine, then cover as quickly as possible to trap the heat. Allow to steam for about 20 minutes.
To serve, place the chicken in a large bowl and garnish with coriander. Fold the rice in the pot to make sure all the ingredients are well combined, then transfer to a large shallow bowl. Sprinkle over the carrot and currant mix and the pistachios. Place the yoghurt in a small bowl. Place all the dishes at the centre of a table for guests to help themselves.
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Poh's Afghan Style Rice & Chicken
Medium
< 1 Hour
Serves 4
Ingredients
Method
If you are using eggplant instead of chicken, pan fry all the eggplant in a large non-stick frypan with plenty of olive oil on high heat until browned on both sides. If you’d like a smokey flavour, use a cast iron griddle for this task, making sure to char bar marks on both sides of each slice of eggplant! Set aside.
Next, combine the carrot, currants, sugar and water in a small saucepan. Stir, cover and simmer for about 5 minutes or until all the liquid is evaporated, the carrots are softened but not falling apart and the currants plump and juicy. Set aside.
To begin the base for the rice and the chicken, combine the oil (and butter if using), onions, garlic, cumin, garam masala, cardamon and salt. Cook until softened and slightly golden and the spices are fragrant. Remove 1/3 of the oil and spices and set aside in a bowl. Add the tomato, chicken (or eggplant if using), potatoes, then season with salt & pepper. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes and chicken are cooked through. Taste and season or add a pinch more cardamon and garam masala if needed.
Soak basmati rice for 5 minutes, then rinse and drain in a sieve. Heat stock up. Rub saffron threads between your fingers to crush them a little while sprinkling them into the stock. Allow to steep until needed. Drain the rice in a sieve, then pour rice into already boiling water. Boil until al dente or 80% cooked through. Drain immediately, then return to the pot. Reheat the set aside onion, garlic spice mixture with the stock and saffron liquid. Add this to the rice, fold very briefly to combine, then cover as quickly as possible to trap the heat. Allow to steam for about 20 minutes.
To serve, place the chicken in a large bowl and garnish with coriander. Fold the rice in the pot to make sure all the ingredients are well combined, then transfer to a large shallow bowl. Sprinkle over the carrot and currant mix and the pistachios. Place the yoghurt in a small bowl. Place all the dishes at the centre of a table for guests to help themselves.