Recipe origin: Saudi Arabia
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 small to medium onion, chopped
- 3 teaspoons ground cardamom
- 1 can (about 2 cups) chicken broth
- 1½ cups water
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 1 6-ounce can of tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon lemon rind
- 1 cinnamon stick
- Salt to taste
- 1 small snack box of raisins
- 1 package of skinless, boneless chicken (4 breast halves
- 1 package of skinless, boneless thighs (4 to 6 thighs)
- 1½ cups white Basmati rice
Procedure
- Preheat oven to 300°F.
- Wash chicken thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels.
- Put chicken in a baking dish and bake in preheated oven until fully cooked (about 30 minutes).
- While the chicken is baking, heat oil (medium-high) in a large pot. Add chopped onions and 1 teaspoon of cardamom, stirring constantly until browned.
- Add chicken broth and 1½ cups water to pot. Add remaining 2 teaspoons of cardamom, tomato, tomato paste, garlic powder, lemon rind, cinnamon stick, salt, and raisins to the browned onions and water.
- Cook on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for 2–3 minutes. Add the rice.
- Bring to a boil then immediately turn the heat down to low. Cover the pot tightly and simmer for 15 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, check the rice to see if it has absorbed all of the liquid.
- If the rice is dry but not soft yet, add a little more water and continue to simmer. Do not stir the rice! The rice is done when all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is soft.
- When both the rice and the chicken are cooked, place the rice on a platter and put the chicken on top in the middle.
Serves 6 to 8.
