Persian Cumin Rice with Chicken
Ingredients (for 4 portions):
step by step recipe
01
Bloom the Saffron:
- Place the saffron in a glass over ice cubes and set it aside to bloom. Alternatively, combine saffron with freshly boiled water and keep it in a warm place.
02
Preparation:
- Skin and wash the onions.
- Roughly chop one of the onion halves.
- Finely slice the remaining three onion halves and set them aside.
- If the chicken breasts are large, cut them in half.
03
Cook the Chicken:
- Gently fry the roughly chopped half onion in 1 tbsp of butter over low to medium heat for 5 minutes.
- Add tomato paste and black pepper.
- Add chicken breasts, 1 1/2 cups freshly boiled water, and salt.
- Close the lid and let it simmer for about 45 minutes.
04
Parboil the Rice:
- Bring a large pot of water to boil, dissolving 2 tbsp of salt in it.
- Wash the rice in a bowl with cool water, rinsing it 3-4 times to remove excess starch.
- Add the rice to the boiling water and parboil until the rice is soft on the outside but still has a bite in the center (3-7 minutes, depending on your rice).
- Drain the rice and rinse it with cold water to stop the cooking process and remove excess salt.
05
Layer and Steam the Rice with Cumin:
- Place a non-stick pot over medium heat and add 4 tbsp of vegetable oil.
- Layer rice and cumin seeds alternately.
- Poke holes through the rice with a wooden spoon.
- Cover with a towel and a lid, reduce heat to low, and steam for 45-50 minutes.
06
Prepare Toppings:
- Gently fry the sliced onions in 3 tbsp of vegetable oil for about 20 minutes until golden.
- Remove the onions.
- Pull the cooked chicken apart.
07
Combine Ingredients:
- Heat 4 tbsp of butter in a pan.
- Fry the pulled chicken for about 5 minutes.
- Add the golden sliced onions, washed raisins, and slivered pistachios.
- Add a few teaspoons of saffron water and salt to taste.
08
Serve:
- Transfer a quarter of the rice to a separate plate and mix it with saffron water until it turns yellow.
- Arrange the cumin rice with saffron rice, pulled chicken, onions, raisins, and pistachios. Enjoy!