Tavuklu Pilav

A very simple Turkish rice with chicken dish

I’ve visited Turkey twice and I love the food and how welcoming people are there. This simple recipe is very easy to make and tastes delicious hot or cold, if you have leftovers. You can serve it with Cacik, a yoghurt sauce, pickled chilli, or any other pickled vegetables or sauerkraut. To save time, I often use canned chickpeas, but traditionally soaked chickpeas would have been cooked beforehand. My kids really love this dish too!

After I have cooked rice, I always leave it to sit for 10 minutes like this so the tea towel can absorb the extra moisture. Just make sure the stove is off before doing so!

Traditionally dried mint is used, but I like to use fresh as it’s always in the garden.

Feeds 4

For the rice and chicken,

Chicken marylands, 2 or 6 drumsticks

Water, 5 cups

Chickpeas, 2 cans

Rice, 2 cups

Butter, 1 tbsp

Olive oil, 2 tbsp

Salt, big pinch

For the Cacik,

Thick Greek yoghurt, 1 1/2 cups

Cucumber, 1

Garlic, 1 clove grated

Salt, 1 tsp

Mint, handful chopped

Place the chicken in a heavy-bottomed pot and add 5 cups of water. Bring the water to a boil and cook the chicken for about 40 minutes, or until it’s tender and juices run clear. If you are using drumsticks, the cooking time will be a little shorter. Carefully remove the chicken from the pot and let it cool. The remaining water in the pot will be the stock you’ll use to cook the rice. This should be at least 3 cups of stock.

In another heavy-bottomed pot, melt the butter and olive oil over low heat. Add the rice and stir with a wooden spoon for a few minutes until it’s coated in oil and butter. Rinse the canned chickpeas through a strainer and add them to the pan.

Pour in 3 1/2 cups of stock and a generous pinch of salt. Heat the mixture on low until it begins to simmer, then cover the pot and continue cooking until all the stock has been absorbed and the rice is fluffy. This should take about 15-20 minutes.

Once the rice is cooked, turn off the heat and place a folded clean tea towel on top of the pot and the lid on top to absorb any excess moisture. Let it rest for 10 minutes.

While the rice is resting, remove the chicken from the bones and set it aside. Now, make the Cacik. Grate the cucumber and add it to a bowl with the yoghurt. Grate the garlic and finely chop the mint, and add them to the bowl as well. Stir everything together until well combined.

When you’re ready to serve, place the cooked rice on a plate and top it with the cooked chicken. Then, add the pickles.