Sweet Afghani Rice With Lemon & Chicken (Zarda Palau)

This is really tasty. I serve this dish with a plain Balkan (thick) yogurt and a fresh salad for a delicious meal. Modified from The Compleate Middle East Cookbook by Tess Mallos.

• Ready In: 1 hr 20 mins
• Serves: 3
• Yields: 3

Ingredients

• 1  lemon, thinly pealed rind of (I grate the rind for ease)
•  water
• 1⁄2 cup white sugar
• 1⁄4 cup ghee (butter or oil)
• 1⁄4 cup  blanched sliverd  almonds
• 2  chicken breasts, quartered
•  sea salt
•  fresh ground black pepper
• 1  small cooking onion, sliced
• 1 1⁄4 cups  white basmati rice
• 1⁄4 teaspoon saffron thread
• 1  tablespoon hot water
•  balkan yogurt (to serve)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300F (yes that low).
2. Boil shredded peel in 1 cup water for 5 minutes, drain & rinse.
3. Desolve sugar in 1/2 cup water, add peel and boil gently for 5 minutes or until syrup is thick. Set aside.
4. Heat 1 tbs ghee or oil in a frying pan and fry almonds gently until golden (Watch carefully they brown quick when you turn your head.) Remove from pan once done.
5. Add remaining ghee or oil and brown chicken pieces on all sides, remove with a slotted spoon and season chicken with salt and pepper.
6. Add onion to the pan and fry gently until soft and slightly browned.
7. Add 1/2 cup water to the pan to lift browned juices, return chicken and simmer gently for 7 minutes.
8. Bring 5 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Add washed rice and salt to taste.
9. Return to a boil and boil for 8 minutes then drain in a colander or sieve.
10. Turn rice into a bowl and pour syrup over rice. Toss rice and spread half into a greased casserole dish.
11. Arrange chicken pieces on top with the onion and half the cooking liquid.
12. Spread remaining rice on top, pour on remainder of chicken liquid evenly.
13. Cover casserole and cook in oven for 40 minutes.
14. Meanwhile steep pounded saffron threads in hot water. (An Arab coffee cup is the perfect size for this).
15. When palau is cooked remove top layer of rice and arrange around edge of warm serving platter. put chicken pieces aside and place bottom layer of rice in center of platter. Top with chicken pieces and garnish with reserved almonds. Pour saffron liquid over the rice boarder and serve immediately with yogurt.