In Turkey, we have many street foods on the rush like simit, lahmacun, çiğköfte, and of course doner kebab. But there is one street food that will comfort you like you are eating at home is “Tavuklu Nohutlu Pilav” Chicken Rice with chickpeas.
You can see this street food on every corner, usually near the commercial areas and shops. Because it is the dish enjoyed mostly by workers during the day or by locals for quick healthy lunch.
As a local Turkish lady, I am going to take you to the part of Istanbul you probably haven’t seen to try Rice Pilav with Chicken & Chickpeas (Tavuklu Nohutlu Pilav) to Bayrampaşa (Bayrampasha).
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Ingredients for 6 servings:
- 2 cups long-grain rice (soaked in hot salty water)
- 1 whole chicken except the breast, I used to make Chicken Doner: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQjPmVLi0Q4
- 1+1/2 cups cooked chickpeas
- 2 heaped tbsp butter
- 4-5 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp or more salt
- 2 cups stock from the chicken
- 1 cup hot water
- ground black pepper to serve
How To Make Turkish Style Chicken Rice:
- Boil whole chicken in salty water. You can add whole black peppers and bay leaves if you like. (I separated the breast to make chicken doner) It was enough for the rice amount but if you want more chicken you can use the whole.
- Meanwhile, soak the rice in almost hot water with tsp salt in a bowl at least for an hour. Make sure the water covers the rice.
- Transfer the chicken into a big tray. Separate the meat from the bones after it is cooled enough to handle it. Try to make small chicken pieces. Keep the cooked chickpeas ready. I used cooked from the freezer, you can use canned too.
- To prepare the soaked rice, wash and rinse a couple of times until there is no starch left. Drain completely.
- In a wide big pan melt the butter and add olive oil and rice. Sauté for about 5 minutes on medium heat. Add 2 cups chicken stock from the boiled chicken and 1 cup hot water along with salt and the cooked chickpeas and chicken pieces on top. Cover the lid and cook on very low heat.
Recipes Mentioned In The Episode:
- Turkish Fluffy Rice Pilaf: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ux6fYWCYpCA
- Rice With Orzo Pasta: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_w-mv1BufE
- Tomato Paste Soup: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8x4YgfKRbR8
- Cyprus Dessert: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6js2xMrkWY
- Supangle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzndflG_wXU
How to understand if the rice is cooked?
- Check after 10-12 minutes if it’s soaked in the water by opening a gap with a skimmer spoon. Taste from the rice. If it is still hard, drizzle more hot water and cook more (It can change from type to type)
- Turn off the heat and let it rest without stirring for 10 minutes. Open the lid and gently stir with a skimmer spoon by folding from bottom to top and let it rest for 10 more minutes.
- Enjoy the chicken rice with chickpeas with lots of ground black pepper and with ayran (yogurt drink). Traditionally we serve it by pressing the rice into a medium-size bowl, turning over a plate, and adding more chicken pieces on top.
I tried this dish tonight after having it at a friends but my rice came out too mushy, any suggestions? Thanks!
Hello Amanda, probably you put too much water. Did you soak it on hot salty water? what was the type? The type of the rice might need less water like instead of adding 1+1/2 cup for 1 cup rice you can try adding 1+1/3 cup for a cup of rice. Hope it helps.