Qabili Pilau Chicken And Rice Recipes

QABILI PILAU (CHICKEN AND RICE)

Steps:

• At least 4 hours before cooking, gently rinse rice several times in cold water. Place rice in a bowl and cover generously with cold water; let soak 4 hours or overnight. For Garnish: In saucepan, heat oil. Add carrots and saute 3 to 4 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons water, the raisins, pistachios, almonds, sugar and cardamom. Cover and cook over low heat about 10 minutes or just until carrots are soft but not soggy. Remove from heat and set aside. For Caramel Sauce: Place sugar in small saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat without stirring until sugar melts and begins to caramelize. Watch carefully because sugar turns brown quickly and burns easily. When color is medium-dark brown, remove from heat immediately and cool slightly. Add salt, the water, oil, garam masala and cardamom. Sugar will harden. Return pan to heat and cook, stirring over medium heat, until sugar is melted again; simmer 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. For Rice: Bring a large pot of water to a boil; exact amount is not important, but be sure to use at least 12 cups. Add 1 tablespoon salt and drained rice. Cook 8 to 10 minutes or until rice is just cooked but not soggy. Drain off water and reserve rice. In same pot, pour half of caramel sauce. Carefully spoon cooked rice over mixture but do not stir. Pour remaining mixture over rice; do not stir. With the handle of a long spoon, make 4 or 5 deep holes in rice all the way to the bottom of the pan; do not stir. Cover pan with dish towel and tight lid. Place over medium heat and cook about 8 to 10 minutes or until the rice in the bottom sounds like rain hitting a window. Turn off the heat but do not remove lid. Let rice rest for up to 30 minutes. When ready to serve, remove lid and towel and very gently mix rice, being careful not to break the grains of rice. Place half of rice on large serving platter. Cover with cooked chicken and spoon remaining rice over chicken. Spoon carrot-raisin mixture over rice and serve. NOTE: To remove skin from pistachio nuts, cover nuts with boiling water and let stand 15 minutes. Drain and skins will slough off. The clean green nut is prettier than the skin-covered nut. One of Afghanistan's most famous dishes, this recipe looks complicated. But choose a time when you have a couple of hours, prepare it step by step and you'll be well-rewarded. It's spectacular.

CHICKEN KABULI PULAO (AFGHANISTAN)

Steps:

• Place chicken pieces, onions and hot water in a large pot.
• Cover and simmer for about 1 hour.
• Add salt to taste.
• Remove chicken, reserving stock & discard cooked onions.
• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Heat 2 tbs of the butter over medium high heat and fry chicken pieces containing bones, salting as needed.
• Boil a large amount of water with sea salt and cook the rice in it for exactly 8 minutes. Set aside in a pot until ready to assemble.
• Make stock sauce:
• Brown onions in butter and remove from heat.
• Add cardamom cumin, freshly ground black pepper & saffron liquid and mash with onion to form a paste.
• Add about 1/2 pt of the chicken stock; simmer for 5 minutes and taste for seasoning.
• Combine cooked rice, stock sauce as needed (I don't find it became a sauce so I added the onion paste with some broth as needed to finish cooking the rice) and chicken; place in a buttered casserole. Cover.
• Fry carrot matchsticks in 1/2 tbs butter and add dark raisins to them at the very end.
• Sprinkle partially cooked carrot matchsticks and raisins on top of chicken and rice and cover tightly with aluminum foil or cover.
• Place in oven for 35 minutes.
• Chopped toasted pistachios or slivered almonds may be added over the dish just before serving if so wished.
• There most probably will be left over stock that is very good even as a soup on it's own and probably served that way in an Afghani household.
• Enjoy!

QABILI PILAU WITH CHICKEN

Steps:

• In large skillet, brown onion in 2 tbsp oil.
• Add chicken and brown lightly.
• Add 2 cups water, salt, cinnamon, cumin and cardamom.
• Cover and simmer until meat is tender, about one hour.
• Remove chicken and set aside.
• Set juice aside.
• Saute carrots and brown sugar in 4 tbsp oil until lightly browned.
• Remove and set aside.
• Add raisins to oil and cook until they swell up.
• Remove and set aside.
• Return the juice to the skillet.
• Add rice and 4 cups water and bring to a boil.
• Simmer until the water is absorbed.
• Pre-heat oven to 300.
• Mix the meat, carrots, raisins and rice.
• Place in a large casserole, cover and bake for 30 minutes.