SunRice
Poh's rice kitchen

Poh's Afghan Style Rice & Chicken

I am using:

Prep time

15min

Cook time

60min

The flavours in this recipe are rich with a subtle use of spice, a punch of lovely sweetness from the currants and carrots, a crunch of roasted pistachios, then a hit of sharpness and vibrancy from the yoghurt and fresh coriander. But, the highlight are those super light, beautifully separated, highly fragrant grains of rice that I seem to be able to keep eating and eating…..

SunRice Basmati & Long Grain Blend

SunRice Basmati & Long Grain Blend

This blend of aromatic Basmati and Long Grain Rice is the gateway to Indian cuisine and produces a light fluffy texture ideal for absorbing flavours. A drier rice, Basmati grains will remain separate, which makes it a staple of Indian cooking. It tastes great with tandoori and in curries such as the classic butter chicken, or as an alternative base for a Thai massaman curry. For best results, Basmati rice should be rinsed and then soaked for 30 minutes prior to cooking. All rice is naturally gluten free.

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Ingredients to serve:

This recipe was originally designed for 4 people. Amended serving sizes for 1, 2, 6, and 8 people are intended to serve as general guidance only. Cooking times may need to be adjusted to suit your amended serving size.

  • 500 g SunRice Basmati Aromatic Rice

  • 1 cup Stock (chicken or vegetable)

  • 20 Saffron Threads (or a decent pinch (optional))

  • 8 Chicken Thighs

  • 125 ml Olive Oil

  • 3 Brown Onions (peeled, diced 5mm)

  • 4 clove Garlic (peeled, crushed or finely chopped)

  • 1 tbsp Cumin Seeds

  • 1 tsp Garam Masala

  • 1 tsp Ground Cardamon

  • 1 tsp Salt

  • 1 can Chopped Tomatoes

  • 3 Potatoes (peeled, diced 2cm (optional))

  • ½ cup Water

  • 3 Carrots (cut into fine matchsticks)

  • ⅔ cup Currants (or sultanas)

  • 3 tsp Sugar

  • ½ cup Water

  • ½ cup Roasted Pistachios (roughly chopped)

  • ½ cup Greek Yoghurt

  • 1 bunch Coriander (roughly chopped, including stems)

Basmati

Basmati rice is renowned for its delightful aroma and long slender grains. When cooked, Basmati rice expands in length and produces a light, fluffy texture that is ideal for absorbing the flavours of your cooking. A drier rice, Basmati grains will remain separate, making it a staple of Indian cooking.

Characteristics

Fluffy

Fluffy

Firm

Firm

Longer Grains

Longer Grains

Photo of 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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