Afghani Chicken with Rice & Carrots (Kabuli Palow)

Servings: 8 Ingredients: 2 C Basmati rice (see sidebar) 1/4 C ghee or butter (see sidebar) 1 yellow onion (sliced thinly) 3 lb. chicken pieces (without skin) 2 T tomato paste 2 1/2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. garlic (crushed) 3 1/2 C water 1 T garam masala (see sidebar) 2 carrots (shredded or julienned into matchsticks) 1/2 C raisins 1/3 C slivered almonds 1/2 C hot water

Cooking Instructions: Rinse Basmati rice several times in cold water - draining and rinsing until rinse water is clear. Bring 6 C of water to a boil and add Basmati. Cook for only 6 minutes. Drain rice and set aside. Discard the rice liquid. In a large skillet, heat ghee or butter. Add onion slices and caramelize, cooking till dark brown. This will take a while. Remove onions and set aside, leaving most of the ghee or butter in the pan. Add chicken pieces to skillet and brown on all sides. Remove chicken, saving ghee, and place chicken pieces in a good-sized pot. Add salt, garlic and 3 1/2 C water to the chicken. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer over medium heat for 20-30 minutes or till chicken is tender. Remove chicken and set aside in a warm place. Reserve chicken liquid. In a food processor, blend caramelized onion with 1/2 C water or chicken liquid, tomato paste, and salt. Pour tomato paste mixture back into chicken broth and boil for 10 minutes. Add rice and garam masala to chicken broth mixture. Cover and simmer rice until liquid is reduced and rice is tender. While the rice is simmering, cook shredded carrot in the skillet with left over ghee till golden brown. Drain ghee from skillet, add raisins, almonds and 1/2 C water to the carrots and cook till all the water is reduced. Place rice on a platter or in a large shallow bowl. Arrange chicken pieces on top of the rice and garnish with the carrot-raisin-almond mixture.

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