There is a tendency to think that making exotic or innovative dishes requires exotic ingredients, intricate techniques, and eccentric names. However, newness in the kitchen has more to do with how you combine classic ingredients. How you mix different traditional ingredients and seasonings to create a new texture or combination of flavors altogether.
How many recipes do you know that include rice and chicken? Probably too many, right? That is because these two classic elements can be combined in just a hundred different ways, each one with a unique contribution to the palate. So, to honor tradition, here are three recipes including these ingredients for you to try.
In addition, you will find your way through a cheesy chicken and rice casserole, another great way to combine both elements.
1. Chicken Biryani
The best thing about this recipe is that it only uses one pot! If you have any leftovers, you can store it for up to three days in the fridge.
The Ingredients You will need:
- Basmati rice.
- Butter.
- Onion.
- Bay leaves.
- Cardamom pods.
- Cinnamon Sticks.
- Turmeric.
- Chicken breasts.
- Curry paste.
- Raisins.
- Chicken stock.
To make it:
- Start by melting the butter in a pot and sauté the previously sliced onion and some bay leaves. Include the cardamom pods and only one cinnamon stick. Do so for ten minutes.
- Add the cubed chicken breasts and season with a teaspoon of turmeric and some curry paste. Cook the chicken through.
- Add the rice and stir until browned. Pour the chicken stock and cover the pot with a lid. Bring to a boil and then take the heat down to low. Keep cooking for five more minutes.
- Let the cooked rice sit for ten minutes with the lid on. After that, include the coriander and serve.
Here’s a great clip showing how to make it (for beginners!):
2. Italian-style rice and chicken
Simple as it is, it can really impress any guests you have for dinner. This recipe also uses a few utensils and can be stored as leftovers.
The Ingredients You will need:
- Olive oil.
- Chicken breast filets.
- Red onion.
- Orange peppers.
- Garlic clove.
- White rice.
- Tomatoes.
- Chicken stock.
- Pesto sauce.
To make it:
- Start by preheating the oven to medium heat.
- Take an ovenproof pan and preheat some olive oil in it. Add the chicken filets and cook on both sides until golden. Remove that and set them aside.
- In the same pan, add the roughly chopped onions and the peppers. Cook until the onion is golden, for about two or three minutes. Now, add the garlic and fry it.
- Include the rice and the chopped tomatoes. Stir in the chicken broth and bring back the chicken filets.
- Without the lid on, cook over high heat until it boils. Once it does, take it to the oven for about fifteen or twenty minutes.
- Take it out and season it. Drizzle the pesto sauce all over and serve!
Watch this to get some more tips:
3. Chicken pilaf
Traditionally, the term ‘pilaf’ referred to a cooking method in which you sauté vegetables, add the uncooked rice and then add a broth to cook the rice. Nowadays, it just refers to the rice-based dish.
However similar it might sound to risotto, pilaf is drier than risotto and that is the main difference between them.
The Ingredients You will need:
- Sunflower oil.
- Onion.
- Skinless chicken thighs.
- Curry paste.
- Basmati rice.
- Chicken stock.
- Mixed vegetables.
- Leaf spinach.
To make it:
- Start by heating the sunflower oil in a frying pan and add the previously sliced onions. Sauté for five minutes until they are softened.
- Add the chicken thighs and cook them on both sides, but only on the outside. Do not cook them through. Add the curry paste and the rice and cook for two minutes.
- Now, add the chicken stock and add the mixed vegetables. Bring the mix to a boil and, after that, take the heat down to low and cover the pan. Cook everything for about ten minutes.
- Add the spinach and cook for an extra ten minutes or until the liquid is absorbed. Make sure the rice is done and tender. If not, include stock little by little until it is done.
- Season the mix and mix everything around. Check the seasoning before serving hot!
Here’s another easy chicken pilaf recipe you can follow:
Chef’s note: you’ll notice the quantities are not included as they don’t really make a difference in these recipes in particular. Trust your instinct and just accommodate the recipe to the number of guests you’ll be having.
Want to read more of our latest posts? Check out our review of a Filipino restaurant in NYC.
Charles Vallena is the founder and managing editor of Cuppabean.com, a coffee blog that helps people make better coffee by providing expert insights, recipes, and in-depth reviews on coffee makers. Follow Cuppabean on Facebook here.
