Convenient and Flavorful Middle Eastern Chicken and Rice Pilaf
Eid al-Adha is the perfect opportunity to get together with friends and family and enjoy a flavorful homecooked meal. When entertaining guest, sometimes simplicity is best, and there’s nothing better than a classic Middle Eastern Chicken and Rice recipe that’s simple, convenient, and perfectly seasoned to still be rich and flavorful.
Just a Little Preparation
There isn’t much stopping you from getting right into cooking this recipe. It seems like every week we’re preparing by dicing an onion and slicing Halal chicken into tasty bits. We mix ed together a tasty yogurt sauce that’s fresh with just a bit of tangy citrus to pair with the rich savoriness of the recipe in the end.
The Spice Blend Star of the Recipe
Speaking on flavors, the star of this recipe is the Middle Eastern 7 spice blend with a delicious mix of the classics like cinnamon, cumin, and coriander. If you can find it at a store near you then you’re all set, but if not, you can always mix your own blend like we did. This also gives you the chance to add more of the things you want, for us that meant going a little bit higher on the cinnamon for example.
The Secret to Flavorful Rice
Aside from a large pot to cook in, you’ll cook some white rice off to the side, and if you have a designated rice cooker then that’s even more convenient! We didn’t want any of this dish to be lacking in flavor, so we cooked our rice in Halal chicken stock rather than water and added just a pinch of our 7-spice blend.
Time to Start Cooking
With everything in order, it’s to get cooking! A large pot is all you need, mix the onion and chicken with the 7-spice is the base of the recipe with the added benefit of smelling amazing while you cook. We also added a few scoops of golden raisins for a little bit of sweetness mixed in. A few handfuls of spinach mixed in will also add some fresh earthy flavor to such a rich and aromatic dish.
When the rice is ready, toss it into the pot with everything else then mix it all together! Personally, I love recipes like this where you end up with one big, tasty pot at the end just waiting to be served.
The Finishing touches
We served ours with the yogurt sauce that adds a nice creaminess and fresh flavor throughout and topped it with fresh mint and lemon zest for a recipe that tastes even better than it smells, and it smells amazing! Add some Kaiser garlic naan and you have a complete meal that’s deliciously convenient and ready to feed loved ones with plenty to go around.
