Middle Eastern Chicken & Rice One Pot
Transport your taste buds to the vibrant flavours of the Middle East with this easy Middle Eastern Chicken & Rice One-Pot. Bursting with aromatic spices, tender bone-in chicken, and fluffy basmati rice, this dish is a celebration of humble simplicity. Perfect for busy weeknights or cozy gatherings, each spoonful is a journey through the exotic spices and rich heritage of Middle Eastern cuisine.
Equipment
- Large flameproof casserole dish
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon each ground turmeric, ground coriander, sumac and salt
- ½ teaspoon each ground cardamom, cinnamon and black pepper
- 1.8kg whole chicken, cut into 10 pieces (See Note 2 below)
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 4-5 cloves garlic, finely diced
- 2 tablespoons pistachio kernels, lightly toasted and roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons slivered almonds, lightly toasted
- 300g (1½ cups) basmati rice
- 750ml (3 cups) liquid chicken stock
TO SERVE (OPTIONAL EXTRAS)
- Grilled asparagus or other greens
- Fresh coriander
- Greek style natural yoghurt
- Lemon wedges
- Flat bread of choice
- Extra pistachio and almonds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200℃ (180℃ fan forced). Combine cumin, turmeric, coriander, sumac, salt, cardamon and pepper in a small bowl. Sprinkle half of this spice mix over the chicken pieces to coat evenly, reserve the remaining spice mix for later.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large flameproof casserole dish over medium-high heat. Add half of the chicken pieces and cook for 5 minutes or until lightly browned all over. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Repeat with remaining chicken. Transfer to plate and set aside.
- Add the onion and garlic to pan, cook, stirring often for 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in the pistachios and almonds and the reserved spices. Cook for 1 min or until fragrant. Add the the rice, stir to coat in spices, then return the chicken to the pan, placing skin side up, in a single layer. Slowly pour over the chicken stock.
- Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid and transfer to oven. Bake for 45-55 min or until the rice is tender and all liquid has been absorbed. Remove and set aside, covered, for 10 minutes before serving. Serve chicken and rice with chargrilled asparagus, yoghurt and flat bread. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil, chopped coriander, lemon wedges and extra toasted nuts.
Notes
- COOKS NOTES:
Oven Temps: Oven temperatures are for conventional, if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C.
Measurements: We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon = 5 ml, 1 tablespoon = 20 ml & 1 cup = 250 ml.
Herbs: All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed.
Vegetables: All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified.
Eggs: We use extra-large size and eggs are 55-60 g each, unless specified. - OTHER CHICKEN CUT OPTIONS
While I choose to use a whole 1.8kg chicken which I cut into 10 serving pieces: 2 x thigh, 2 x drumstick, 2 x wings, 2 x chicken breasts (each breast cut in half to make 2 pieces) makes 10 pieces all up.
You could use a mixture of cuts of just one cut of choice i.e thigh cutlets or drumsticks, its up to you. If buying chicken pieces, purchase around 1.5kg of pieces (with the whole chicken, you loose weight in the frame but I save this and freeze it for making chicken stock when I have enough) .