I’ve been on something of a roll lately trying and making new recipes. Some have been total duds but some, like this recipe, have been big hits that I just can’t wait to make again.
This recipe came to me in an Epicurious email the tag line “Weeknight Persian Chicken With Lime”, caught my eye. I’m always looking for recipes that are purportedly good for weeknights because I’m a pokey cook and making my boyfriend, a much speedier (and probably better) cook, wait forever for dinner is not ideal. Plus, not many Bon Appetit recipes are actually quick, I had to give it a shot.
I had a bit of extra time on my hands before making this recipe and actually took the time to read the comments before diving in. Though the comments section on some sites is not so helpful and filled with comments like “omg, this looks so good” and “can’t wait to try this”, Epicurious’s is actually good. Note to self: Always read the comments!
By reading them I learned that the super spiced rice in the original recipe was time consuming and a bit overwhelming along with all the other spices, so I subbed in another recipe for jasmine rice. Several comments pointed out that this recipe was poorly written, which I observed and agree with, so I made sure to look at the ingredients very carefully when cooking. Hopefully I’ve cleared up those problems here though. Others suggested that you can do the chicken in the marinade ahead of time, say the day before, and then just cook it to save prep time on the day of. I will point out though, the chicken does not need to be marinated long for this recipe. With just a few minutes of marinating it came out super flavorful and still tender and moist. Finally, someone pointed out that this recipe is definitely not Persian so I changed the name and give you this delicious recipe of indeterminate origin. Enjoy!
Turmeric Lime Chicken with Cardamom Rice (adapted from Epicurious & It's sooo good!)
Ingredients for Chicken:
1.5 pounds (680g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 medium onion, halved, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1-2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil + 1 tbsp more for cooking
Ingredients for Rice:
1.5 cups basmati rice
6 cardamom pods
1.5 tablespoon olive oil
2 ¼ cups (55cl) water
Salt to taste
Ingredients for Topping:
1 English hothouse or large standard cucumber, peeled if desired, quartered lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1 cm pieces (about 2 cups)
1 cup packed herb leaves, 60% mint, 40% cilantro
Lime juice (to taste, reserve a bit from the chicken prep)
1 cup plain greek yogurt (optional)
Directions:
1) Mix chicken, onion, turmeric, chopped garlic, lime juice, 1 Tbsp. oil, 2 tsp. cumin, 1 tsp. salt, and 3/4 tsp. pepper in a medium bowl.
2)Wash the rice well in a mesh strainer. Open up the cardamom pods and remove the seeds.
3) Heat 1 ½ tablespoons of oil in a medium-sized pot and sauté the cardamom seeds on medium heat for about 30 seconds. Next add the uncooked rice and stir-fry quickly for 1 minute, coating it with the oil. Now add the water and salt and increase the flame to high.
4) When the mixture comes to a boil, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid, and immediately reduce the heat to a simmer. Allow it to cook 20 minutes, then turn off the heat, and allow it to sit an additional 2 minutes, still covered.
5) Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbsp. oil over medium-high in a large skillet until very hot but not smoking. Add chicken mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through, 10–12 minutes. Remove from heat.
6) Gently toss cucumber, herbs, and remaining 1/4 tsp. salt and a splash of leftover lime juice in a small bowl.
7)Fluff rice with a fork and divide among bowls. Spoon chicken over. Top with a dollop of yogurt (you can also add it to the chicken itself but for reheating a couple commenters mentioned it was better to just drop it on top) and cucumber salad.
