Free Chicken Recipes, Chicken Cooking Tips and Other Chicken Dishes

Chicken with Chick Peas & Rice

(Serves 4-6)

Ingredients:

1 large chicken
1 cup ghee or substitute
12 cups water
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 cinnamon stick
4 tsps salt
3/4 cup chick peas soaked overnight
500g (1lb) coarsely ground meat
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp black pepper
3/4 cup risone pasta or broken up vermicilli
1 cup rice washed and drained
1/2 cup slivered almonds

Instructions:

In a large saucepan brown the chicken in 1.4 cup of the ghee. Add eight cups water, half the chopped onions, the garlic, cinnamon stick and 2 tsps of salt. Bring to the boil, cover and continue to cook until the chicken is tender enough for the meat to fall off the bones.

While the chicken is cooking, drain the soaked chickpeas and place in a large pot with four cups of water. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer vigorousy until just tender. Drain and set aside.

In another saucepan lightly brown the almonds in a little ghee. Remove and set aside.

Add 1/4 cup ghee to the saucepan and heat. Fry the meat in the ghee, stirring occasionally unti brown all over. Turn down the heat to simmer and cook until nearly tender - approximately 15 minutes. Stir in the cinnamon, black pepper and the remainder of the onions and the salt and continue to cook for a further 25 minutes. Remove from the saucepan and set aside.

Place the remaining half cup of ghee in the same saucepan and sauté the pasta or vermicelli until golden brown.Add the rice and sauté a further few minutes. Pour five cups of the boiling broth from the cooked chicken (make up the quantity with water if necessary). Bring to the boil, add the cooked meat and onion mixture and the cooked chick peas. Stir well. Cover, simmer until the rice is tender and the liquid absorbed - approximately 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow to stand for 10 minutes. Serve the chickpea and rice mixture on a platter garnished with the almond and chicken pieces.