Chicken, Cauliflower, Broccoli Pilaf
My inspiration for this Chicken, Cauliflower, Broccoli Pilaf recipe came to me after watching Chef John make Persian Rice on YouTube. Actually, after watching his video, I made my version of the Persian Rice in my Electric Pressure Cooker and served it with Chicken Sis Kabobs and I will share that recipe with you later. After thinking about how my version of the Persian Rice turned out, I decided it needed more tweaking. As a matter of fact, I love this technique of cooking the rice but personally, I don’t think it needs to cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Actually, I only parboiled mine for the 7 minutes and then steamed for 30 minutes and it was perfect.
By the way, before someone else says it, this rice does not have the traditional Tahdig (crusty rice) associated with Persian rice. Therefore, this is NOT Authentic Persian rice. Even so, it was still so delicious. In my opinion, this is one of the best dishes I have ever made. In fact, the combination of the spices on the chicken, broccoli, and cauliflower was so flavorful, I had two bowls. Incidentally, when you invert the pan, all those delicious pan juices pour down over the rice. Of course, you will have to try it yourself and let me know what you think. Afiyet olsun!
Try my recipe for Chicken, Cauliflower, Broccoli Pilaf!
- 12 ounces Boneless, skinless Chicken Breast, cubed
- 1 Medium onion, chopped
- 4 Cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 Cup Broccoli, cut into florets
- 2 Cups Cauliflower, cut into florets
- 1½ Cups Smoked Basmati Rice (or plain Basmati)
- 4 Tablespoons Butter
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 2 TeaspoonsSalt, separated
- ½ Teaspoon Cumin
- ¼ Teaspoon Paprika
- ¼ Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
- 6 Cups generously salted boiling water
- First, place the rice in a bowl and cover with warm water.
- Next, bring six cups of salted water to the boil in a 2-quart saucepan
- Then melt the butter in a large 5-6 quart stockpot or pan.
- Next, place the onions in the pan and saute until translucent.
- Add the cubed chicken, garlic, cumin, Cayenne and 1 Teaspoon salt and cook 5 minutes.
- Rinse the rice and drain well. Then add to the boiling water. Set your timer for 7 minutes. Have your colander handy to drain the rice quickly when the timer goes off.
- Meanwhile, remove the chicken, onion and garlic mixture to a plate.
- Next, pour 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil into the pan.
- Once the oil is hot, place the broccoli and cauliflower on the bottom of the pan. Then sprinkle with 1 Teaspoon salt and lower heat to low.
- Then arrange the chicken mixture on top of the broccoli and cauliflower
- Scoop ½ Cup of the water from the boiling rice pot and pour it evenly over the vegetables and chicken mixture.
- When the timer goes off, drain the rice and place over the vegetable and chicken mixture.
- Using the end of a wooden spoon, poke three holes down through the rice to the bottom of the pan.
- Place two paper towels doubled together or a clean tea towel over the pan then place the lid on top. Make sure the paper towels or tea towel cannot come into contact with the flame or electrical eye of the stove.
- Reduce heat to low and set a timer for 30 minutes.
- Then remove from heat and cool for 5-10 minutes. Then remove the lid and towels or towel and place a large platter over the pan so you can invert the rice mixture onto the platter (like turning out a cake).
- Finally, serve warm. Afiyet olsun!
