He would organize late night parties with his friends and set a table full of saffron stews and rice dishes. The entire room would be practically golden, filled with the slightly floral and herbal scent of saffron. And the night ended with laughter and loud cries, my uncle said, “because eating a lot of saffron makes you laugh.”
Memory is mutable, but that last line has lived in my mind for decades, supported, in part, by the sweet happiness I feel whenever I cook with saffron. I will never be able to “throw handfuls” of the precious, expensive spice into anything, but I love to cook with a pinch every now and then. If you don’t have saffron that’s fine, you can make this Persian Chicken and Rice Recipe without it. But if you do, use it. You deserve something special.
This recipe is based on an Iranian rice dish called adas polo, literally “lentil rice”: the basmati rice is steamed with lentils, flavored with cumin, cinnamon and saffron and drizzled with caramelized onions, raisins. golden and sticky dates. The salty and sweet dish is great on its own, but it’s often served with chicken.
When I came across Samin Nosrat’s recipe for Adas Polo o Morgh in “Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat”, I was inspired to riff his riff, and I ended up with this: a dish of chicken and rice in a single pot, flavored with saffron, caramelized onions and dried fruits, with tender, boneless, skinless chicken thighs, which steam up with spicy rice and lentils. Although this is a meal prepared in a single pot, it uses three crucial techniques:
- For the tender rice: Rinse the rice and lentils, then soak them in hot water. This speeds up the cooking process and ensures that the grains cook evenly.
- A faster way to get caramelized onions: Over high heat, quickly brown the sliced and crispy onions in butter or ghee. It only takes 10 to 15 minutes, much less time than if you cook them slowly and slowly.
- For the soft grains: Wrap the lid of the pot with a kitchen towel, as described in the recipe below, to make rice that is extremely moist rather than soggy.
(If you like saffron, consider investing in a good quality jar from a spice brand you trust. I looked at this Kashmiri Saffron from Diaspora Co., although I get a jar of saffron from Costco as a gift from my older parents.)
Ingredients
- 1 cup (about 6 1/2 ounces) basmati rice
- 1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) brown lentils, rinsed and collected
- 4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 12 ounces total)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 6 tbsp ghee or unsalted butter, divided
- 1 medium yellow onion (8-10 ounces), halved and very thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup (1 1/4 ounce) raisins, preferably browned
- 5 dates, preferably Medjool, pitted and quartered (optional)
- 3 1/3 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
- 2 pinches of saffron
Step 1
In a medium bowl, combine the rice and lentils. Using very hot tap water, rinse the beans 3 or 4 times, or until the water is almost clear. Cover the rice and lentils with very hot water and let soak.
2nd step
Place the chicken thighs on a plate or platter and sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt and pepper evenly on both sides. Set aside at room temperature to allow the seasoning to penetrate the meat.
Step 3
In a large casserole dish or heavy-bottomed saucepan with a lid over high heat, melt 4 tablespoons of ghee or butter. Add onion and cook, stirring often with a wooden spoon to prevent spots from burning, until crisp and dark brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in raisins and dates, if using, letting them soften, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer the onion and raisin mixture to a small bowl.
Step 4
Return the pan to high heat. Add the chicken thighs, arrange them in a single layer in the bottom of the pot and cook until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. (Chicken will not be cooked.) Reduce heat to medium. Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a plate.
Step 5
Drain the rice and lentils and add them to the pot along with the water, the remaining 2 tablespoons of ghee or butter, 1 teaspoon of salt, cumin, cinnamon, if using, and the saffron. Increase the heat to high and, using a wooden spoon, stir gently to make sure the spices are well incorporated. Bring the rice mixture to a boil.
Step 6
Meanwhile, wrap the lid of the jar in a clean tea towel, preferably a waffle knit or terrycloth fabric, securing it to the handle with a knot or elastic so that the edge of it does not hang. danger of catching fire. This is essential: the towel will absorb the steam while the rice is cooking. Place the chicken thighs over the rice and lentils. Cover the pot tightly with the swaddled lid and lower the heat to medium-low. Steam the rice, lentils and chicken until cooked through, tender and all liquid has been absorbed, stirring with a fork once or twice, 40 to 45 minutes.
Step 7
Toss some of the onion-raisin mixture with the rice and chicken and serve hot, with the rest of the onion-raisin mixture on the side.
Nutritional information
Calories: 577; Total fat: 25 g; Saturated fat: 12 g; Cholesterol: 27 mg; Sodium: 725 mg; Carbohydrates: 73 g; Dietary fiber: 9 g; Sugars: 23 g; Proteins: 17 g.
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Recipe by the writer G. Daniela Galarza.