← Nouns Cooking · Lebanese & Turkish

Ingredients

• 1.2 kg bone-in chicken thighs (skin removed)
• 1.5 l Water
• 1 Onion, halved
• 1 Cinnamon stick
• 2 Bay leaves
• 4 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
• 2 tsp Salt
• 2 Aubergine (eggplant), sliced into 1 cm rounds
• 1 small cauliflower, cut into florets
• 200 ml vegetable oil, for frying
• 1 Tomato, sliced
• 450 g basmati or medium-grain rice
• 2 tsp Allspice
• 1 tsp Ground turmeric
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp Ground coriander
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 40 g pine nuts or flaked almonds, toasted (optional)
• 400 g plain yogurt (optional)

Method

1. Put the chicken, water, onion, cinnamon stick, bay, cardamom and salt in a pot. Bring to the boil, skim, then simmer for 30–35 min until the chicken is cooked through to 75°C (165°F). Lift out the chicken and strain the stock; you need about 900 ml.
2. Meanwhile, soak the rice in cold water for 30 min, then drain. Mix the ground spices and toss half of them through the rice.
3. Salt the aubergine slices lightly and pat dry. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat and fry the aubergine and then the cauliflower in batches for 4–5 min per batch, until deep golden. Drain on kitchen paper.
4. Line the base of a heavy, deep pot (about 24 cm) with the tomato slices. Add the chicken, then the fried vegetables, sprinkle over the rest of the spices and top with the rice, pressing it level.
5. Pour in enough hot stock to cover the rice by 2 cm and set a heatproof plate on top to hold the layers. Bring to the boil, then cover and cook on the lowest heat for 30–35 min until the rice is tender and the liquid absorbed. Rest off the heat, still covered, for 10 min.
6. Remove the plate, set a large platter over the pot and flip it over in one confident move. Wait 2 min, tap the pot, then lift it away. Scatter with nuts and serve with yogurt and a chopped salad.

Tips

• Roasting the vegetables at 220°C (425°F) for 25 min, tossed in a little oil, is a lighter alternative to frying.
• The yogurt is optional and makes the plate non-dairy-free; the pine nuts or almonds are tree nuts.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Chef in Disguise Falasteeni Foodie Serious Eats