Look at the crispiness of this rice! A true thing of beauty. As we enter the season of holiday parties and family gatherings around the dining room table, I chose to make this dish representing Afghanistan. Kabeli Palau, translated to Afghan Rice with Chicken and Carrots, is a beautiful (very large) one pan meal.

One pattern that I’ve started to see over the year in cooking from all over the world is the special treatment of rice. A critical ingredient throughout the world and widely available and filling, this project has helped me expand my use of rice. I’ve discovered ways of infusing flavors through the water mixture and the impact of blending spices and ingredients through a food processor and using that mixture to take the rice up a notch. This recipe was no exception. I elected to follow this recipe exactly as written, cooking chicken pieces on the bone to make a stock and then including the exact amounts of everything, even a pound of basmati rice. So…we had a bit more rice than was needed for two people. And I had the opportunity to use my giant non-stick pan that my mom bought me several years ago. This made clean up easy and yes, we’ll make more chicken to mix in with the leftover rice for the rest of the week.

Recipe I used: http://globaltableadventure.com/recipe/afghan-rice-kabeli-palau/

Overall Level of Effort: 2

Skill Level: Beginner

Would Make It Again? Yes

Additional Notes: I was pleased to find some saffron tucked away in my spice cabinet, which was a good thing because according to the guy I talked to at Whole Foods, they’ve been out for weeks. A little saffron goes a long way but if you can’t find it, I think a little turmeric would suffice. Also, I would probably cut the amount of rice in this recipe in half, but then may need to adjust the time and definitely the pan size.