EAST AFRICAN STYLE PILAU AND CUCUMBER PICKLE | NANI'S SECRET RECIPE | Everything But Pasta

NANI'S SECRET EAST AFRICAN CHICKEN PILAU RECIPE PLUS BONUS CUCUMBER PICKLE/RELISH by EVERYTHING BUT PASTA (RECIPE BELOW!):

I N G R E D I E N T S :
PILAU:
500 g chicken, cleaned and cut
1 cup basmati rice, washed and soaked
4-5 tbsp canola or vegetable oil
2 medium onions, finely diced
2 medium tomatoes, blended
1 medium potato, 1 in cubed
1 tsp ginger paste (for chicken)
1 tsp garlic paste (for chicken)
3/4 tsp salt (for chicken)
6-7 peppercorns (for chicken)

SPICES FOR PILAU:
2 sticks cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
4-5 cloves
8-10 peppercorns
4-5 cardamom pods
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste

KACHUMBER (CUCUMBER PICKLE/RELISH):
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 medium tomato, diced
1 Lebanese cucumber, diced
2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
1 fresh lemon, squeezed
Salt to taste

D I R E C T I O N S :

Clean and dice the chicken and put it in a pot with about 2 cups of water. Add 1/2 the crushed tomatoes, ginger, garlic, salt and peppercorns and let it boil for about 20 mins until the chicken is cooked.

Wash and soak the rice for 30 mins or longer.

To prepare the Pilau, place the oil in a medium pot and add the cinnamon, cumin, cloves, peppercorns and cardamom. Let it cook for a couple of minutes. until fragrant. Then add the diced onions and potatoes. Let it cook until the onions turn a light golden brown.

Then add ginger, garlic and the remaining crushed tomatoes, yogurt and salt. Mix to combine well.

When the oil starts to separate, add the chicken along with the broth.

Next drain the rice and add to the pot. Mix gently so as to not break the rice grains. Let is come to a boil and when most of the water has evaporated, lower the heat and cover the rice. Put something (eg. a cast iron rotli pan) between the pan and the heat to avoid the rice from sticking to the pot.

Set the timer for 18 mins. You may need more or less depending on your stove. After the timer expires, check the rice to make sure it is fully cooked. If ready, fluff with a fork and the Pilau is ready to serve.

To make the Kachumber (or relish), combine thinly sliced onions, diced cucumbers, tomatoes, chili if using, chopped cilantro, salt and fresh squeezed lemon juice to a bowl. Combine and serve.

F O L L O W U S O N S O C I A L M E D I A :

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M U S I C :
Music by Animus Volt - Tropicál - https://thmatc.co/?l=33ECCC25

00:00 Intro
00:27 Preparing the chicken
01:02 Preparing the rice
01:11 Preparing the sauce mix
02:09 Adding the chicken and rice to the sauce mix
02:59 Preparing the kachumbar (cucumber pickle/relish)
03:37 Serving and taste test