Chicken & Chickpea Pilaf
by Jay Wadams
Chicken & Chickpea Pilaf or Tavuklu Nohutlu Pilav: shredded barbecue chicken with rice and chickpeas. This is a meal that is everywhere in the Turkish culture, from roadside stalls to supermarket counters and fast food joints. It’s always filling and delicious - especially when loaded up with juicy chicken and topped with some spicy pickled peppers.
Ingredients
for the marinade:
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 3 large cloves garlic chopped
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground paprika
- 1 tsp ground chilli
- ½ tsp sea salt
- freshly ground pepper
for the chicken:
- 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 2 large red onions sliced
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
for the pilaf:
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1 onion diced
- 150-175 g ong grain rice
- 500 ml hot chicken stock/broth made with 2 tsp chicken stock powder
- 400 g can chickpeas drained
to serve:
- 125 g cherry tomatoes chopped
- 1 bunch fresh parsley chopped
- pickled chilli peppers to taste
- lemon slices to taste
optional:
- 1 tbsp sumac to sprinkle over
Scan the QR Code to view the online recipe with detailed instructions, photos, hints, tips and more at daysofjay.com
Instructions
- PREPARE AND MARINATE CHICKEN: Heat the oven to 220°C / 425°F / Gas 7. Whisk together all marinade ingredients in a glass or ceramic bowl, slice the chicken thighs in half and toss through the marinade. Note: Chicken can be kept in the marinade for up to 24 hours in the fridge.
- COOK THE ONIONS AND MEAT: Halve the red onions and slice finely. Scatter over the base of an approx. 20x30cm ovenproof dish, drizzle over the oil and toss to combine. Place the chicken thighs on top, in one layer if possible, pouring over any remaining marinade.
- BAKE: Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, then turn the thighs over and bake for a further 10 minutes. Cover with tinfoil and keep warm.
- MAKE THE PILAF: Meanwhile, prepare the pilaf by heating the olive oil and butter in a medium saucepan. Add the onion to the pan and cook, stirring over low heat for 5 minutes until softened, but not browned. Add the rice to the pan and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring so that it doesn’t catch.
- ADD THE STOCK: Pour in the hot stock and chickpeas, stir well, then bring to the boil. Cover the saucepan tightly and reduce the heat to minimum and cook very gently for 10-15 minutes (see note), until the liquid has evaporated. Remove from the heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
- MIX: When you are ready to serve, either stir the chicken through the pilaf, fluffing it up with a fork (tastier as all the juices soak through the pilaf) or divide the chicken and pilaf between 4 plates (more beautiful as you can arrange it nicely).
- GARNISH: Scatter over the cherry tomatoes and some parsley and serve with pickled chillies and sliced lemon. I like to sprinkle over a big pinch of sumac but it’s not essential.
Notes
Rice can cook very differently depending on which type it is. While I often use Basmati rice which will cook in around 10 minutes, the supermarkets at the moment a have been completely cleared out of dried goods so in these photos I have used parboiled rice which takes longer to cook, around 15 minutes. Check after 10 minutes, the rice should look dry on top with lots of small air holes. If it looks a bit liquid, replace the cover and cook a further 5 minutes.
Also, I cook on a gas stovetop, which means when I reduce the heat to a minimum, it really IS minimum. If you are using an electric or ceramic cooker I would recommend moving the rice to a fresh element to get it to low heat, as electric and ceramic cookers stay hot for a lot longer.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 683kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 46g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 172mg | Sodium: 955mg | Potassium: 1081mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1916IU | Vitamin C: 48mg | Calcium: 126mg | Iron: 5mg