Pilaf with chicken

Traditionally, this dish is cooked with pork, beef or lamb, but in our difficult times we have to save more and replace expensive meat with a cheaper alternative. The cheaper does not mean the worst! Pilaf from chicken turns out not less tasty and fragrant, than similar with slices of the youngest lamb!

Prepare such a treat on the festive table and get to receive praise and impose an additive.

Necessary ingredients:

• rice - 800 grams
• chicken fillet - 1 kg
• turmeric
• salt
• ground pepper mix
• onion - 2 pieces
• carrots - 2 pieces
• cumin
• seasoning "Hmeli-Suneli" or a mixture for pilaf
• Bay leaf
• allspice

Cooking method:

1. Pilaf must be cooked only in the Kazanka. If you have only aluminum pots at your disposal, then the dish will not turn out so full. Believe me, the dish from the Kazanka is very different from any other, which is felt in both taste and smell. So, chop the chicken fillets in small cubes with a side of 3-4 cm. While cutting, put the kazanok on the fire and generously pour the sunflower oil.

2. Dip chicken pieces into boiling oil and fry until ruddy.

3. While the bird is frying, peel the onions and carrots. Onion finely crumble with a knife, and grate the carrot on a large grater.
4. When the meat is fried (and the chicken is cooked quickly), put onion, carrots and mix everything thoroughly. Reduce heat to medium, close the lid, and let the ingredients stew for 10 minutes.

5. Add the seasonings and mix the contents of the cauliflower. Cover, and let everything stew for another 7-10 minutes.
6. At this time, rinse the rice in running water until it becomes clear. If there are small pebbles or black grains, remove them. Pilaf with chicken should be not only delicious, but also beautiful!

7. Gently lay the rice over the meat with onions and carrots and smooth it with a spoon.
8. Add water to the cauldron along the edge so as not to break the rice layer. Water should cover the rice with two fingers (2-3 cm).
9. Reduce heat to a minimum, cover the kazanok with a lid. Preparation of pilaf with chicken will take about 40 minutes. Do not mix it while cooking! After 30-40 minutes, open the lid and carefully remove the thickest layer with a spoon to see if all the water has gone. If there is still water, close the gap and continue to cook. If there is no water, try a couple of grains for readiness, taking them off the top.
10. Turn off the cooker and let it brew for 15 minutes under the closed lid.

The recipe for pilaf with chicken may be different, depending on your preferences. Some people like to add raisins and prunes to the dish. Someone can quite do without a cumin. But be sure to add a little turmeric, because it gives a unique flavor, promotes the speedy digestion of this rather heavy dish, and colors it in a pleasant yellow tint.

How to cook pilaf: tips

Guided by these tips, you will always cook the perfect pilaf from chicken or any other meat:

• Do not add too much water during cooking. If rice absorbs too much liquid, then your fragrant masterpiece will turn into a mess-mash;
• if for some reason you can not get a suitable long-grain rice, you can replace it with a pearl barley. It sounds unusual, and the dish turns out to be quite peculiar, but at least it's worth trying;
• for cooking use only cast-iron thick-walled utensils. If there is no cavalry in the kitchen arsenal, then a cast-iron mattress is quite suitable;
• meat is cut only in cubes!
• Salt should be put a little more than it seems. That is, as much as you decide to spend on a given amount of ingredients plus a little bit more. The fact is that grains of rice instantly absorb salt, so you need to salt a little more than usual;
• when the fire is off, the pilaf with the chicken is ready and already asks for the table, do not rush. Open the lid and bamboo stick make deep holes to the bottom, so that the dish "breathes" and let the fragrance.