Chicken and Chickpea Pilaf

This one-pot rice dish is full of flavor and easy to make.

Recipe courtesy of "The Illustrated Kitchen Bible: 1,000 Family Recipes from Around the World" by Victoria Blashford-Snell

Ingredients

Pinch saffron threads		2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 tbsp vegetable oil		1 1/4 cups long-grain rice
6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into small pieces		2 1/2 cups hot chicken broth
salt and freshly ground black pepper		2 bay leaves
2 tsp ground coriander		one 15 oz can chickpeas
1 tsp ground cumin		1/3 cup golden raisins
1 onion, sliced		1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1 red pepper, seeded and chopped		3 tbsp chopped parsley

Prep: 20 min Total: 60 min

1
Crumble saffron threads into a small bowl, add 2 tbsp boiling water, and set aside for at least 10 minutes.
2
Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and sprinkle with the coriander and cumin. Cook the chicken in batches, stirring often, for 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add the remaining oil to the saucepan. Add the onion, red pepper and garlic and cook, stirring often, about 5 minutes, until softened.
3
Stir in the rice. Return the chicken to the saucepan and stir in the stock, along with the saffron and its liquid, 1/2 tsp salt, and the bay leaves. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer for 15 minutes. Rinse and drain chickpeas, then stir in along with the raisins and cook about 5 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Transfer to a warm serving platter and serve hot, sprinkled with almonds and parsley.