Cardamom Infused Chicken With Rice Saleek Recipes

GOLDEN SAFFRON AND CARDAMOM SPICED CHICKEN & RICE PILAU

Steps:

• Marinate the chicken in the yogurt, lemon, cinnamon, small pinch of garam masala, and grated ginger for about 1 hour. Soak the saffron threads in the chicken stock.
• Shake the excess marinade off the chicken. In a large Dutch oven or Le Creuset over medium-high heat, fry the meat with a spoonful or so of oil (do this in batches so that the chicken becomes nicely golden in color). Remove chicken and browned bits to a plate, cover with aluminum foil to keep warm and set aside.
• In the same pan, melt the butter with 1 tablespoon of the oil and add the rice, stirring to coat until glossy. Pour in the saffron and chicken stock, add the sultanas, cardamom pods, rose water, lemon juice and zest and bring the pan to the boil, then clamp on the lid and turn the heat down to very low. Cook for about 10-15 minutes, by which time the rice should have absorbed the liquid and be cooked through.
• Add the chicken and the browned bits to the rice, stirring gently to combine.
• Toast the almonds by shaking them in a dry frying pan over a medium heat until they color and begin to give off their fragrance, then add to the pilaf along with the chopped parsley. Pile everything onto a plate and add a fabulously green sprinkling of slivered or roughly chopped pistachios.

CHICKEN WITH CARAMELIZED ONION AND CARDAMOM RICE

Steps:

• Put the sugar and scant 3 tablespoons water in a small saucepan and heat until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat, add the barberries, and set aside to soak. If using currants, you do not need to soak them in this way.
• Meanwhile, heat half the olive oil in a large sauté pan for which you have a lid over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion has turned a deep golden brown. Transfer the onion to a small bowl and wipe the pan clean.
• Place the chicken in a large mixing bowl and season with 1½ teaspoons each salt and black pepper. Add the remaining olive oil, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon and use your hands to mix everything together well. Heat the frying pan again and place the chicken and spices in it. Sear chicken for 5 minutes on each side and remove from the pan (this is important as it part-cooks the chicken). The spices can stay in the pan, but don't worry if they stick to the chicken. Remove most of the remaining oil as well, leaving just a thin film at the bottom. Add the rice, caramelized onion, 1 teaspoon salt and plenty of black pepper. Drain the barberries and add them as well. Stir well and return the seared chicken to the pan, pushing it into the rice.
• Pour the boiling water over the rice and chicken, cover the pan, and cook over very low heat for 30 minutes. Take the pan off the heat, remove the lid, quickly place a clean tea towel over the pan, and seal again with the lid. Leave the dish undisturbed for another 10 minutes. Finally, add the herbs and use a fork to stir them in and fluff up the rice. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Serve hot or warm with yogurt mixture if you like.

CREAMY CARDAMOM CHICKEN

Steps:

• Mix the yogurt with the cornstarch and set to one side. Cut each of the chicken breasts into 3 or 4 chunky pieces.
• Lightly crush the cardamom pods so that the green husks split open, then remove the little brownish-black seeds from inside. Grind these into a fine powder with a pestle and mortar.
• Heat the oil and butter in a flameproof casserole dish, add the chicken and cook over a medium heat until lightly browned all over. Add the turmeric, cinnamon, coriander and ground cardamom seeds and cook for a further minute.
• Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the broth, grated ginger, lemon juice and the yogurt mixture. Return the pan to the heat, bring to a simmer and leave to cook gently for 15 minutes until the chicken is tender. (You can now set the dish aside until later if you wish).
• Mix the cream with the ground almonds, stir into the chicken and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Season to taste and serve, garnished with sprigs of cilantro.

CARDAMOM INFUSED CHICKEN WITH RICE (SALEEK)

Steps:

• Boil chicken in the water with cardamoms and salt, until soft and tender (1 hour).
• Remove chicken to an oven tray.
• Strain chicken broth into a big bowl and pour back into the cooking pot.
• Add rice to the broth, taste for salt.
• Cook rice till extremely soft and mushy.
• Add milk and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring continually on low heat.
• Heat ghee and mastikah in a saucepan on the stove till mastikah melts (it would not work in the microwave).
• Add melted mastikah to the rice and mix well. Switch heat off close pot and rest for 10 minutes.
• Pop chicken under the grill to redden.
• Place rice onto serving plate arrange chicken over the rice.
• Serve with doggos (recipe #110095) and Arabic salad (recipe #90140).