By: Robin Kurss

Who doesn’t love a one pot wonder on a cold winter day! This is a versatile one, add more veggies if you wish. It’s an easy Shabbos meal for a crowd and makes great leftovers too.

INGREDIENTS:
• 2 cups basmati rice
• 3 ¼ cups boiling chicken stock
• 1 ½ lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 3 carrots
• 2 yellow onions
• 2 small heads of garlic
• 1 ½ tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp paprika
• salt and pepper
• oil, for cooking

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Rinse the rice well, then place it in a bowl of cold water to soak as you prepare the other ingredients.

Cut the chicken thighs into 2-3-inch pieces, and salt with 1½ tsp of kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Set aside. 

Peel and julienne (matchstick cut) the carrots or you can use the medium holes of a box grater, or the shredder attachment on a food processor to grate the carrot. Peel and halve the onions, then slice them thin. Halve the garlic heads crosswise and set aside.

On medium-high heat, generously drizzle oil into the bottom of a large Dutch oven. Brown the seasoned chicken thigh pieces on each side, then remove and set aside.

Lower the heat to medium, and into the same Dutch oven add the onions and carrots. Generously season with salt and pepper, and sauté for 5-6 minutes or until softened. Add the cumin, coriander, paprika and pepper to the onions and carrots and sauté for an additional minute. Drain the rice that has been soaking and add it to the carrots and spice mixture. Sauté for 1-2 more minutes, until the rice is well coated in the mixture.

Add the chicken to the rice mixture, then place the garlic heads into the rice. Pour the boiling stock over the rice and chicken mixture, making sure everything is covered by at least ¼” of liquid (if not, add an additional ¼ cup).

Cover the Dutch oven or skillet with a lid. Place in the oven for 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave covered for an additional 10 minutes.