Dish of Today - Carrots with Rice

Carrots with Rice (Polou)
Iran

Serves 6
Cooking time 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 hours

1 kg chicken breasts or 1 whole chicken
500 g carrots
1/4 cup butter
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 tsp turmeric
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 water
1 quantity Polou steamed rice

1. Cut chicken breasts into quarters; if using whole chicken, joint and halve large pieces.
2. Scrape carrots and cut into sticks 5 mm thick and 5 cm long.
3. In a frying pan heat half the butter and brown chicken pieces on each side. Remove to a plate and season with salt and pepper.
4. Add remaining butter to pan and gently fry onion until transparent. Sprinkle in turmeric, add carrots and cook, stirring often, for further 5 minutes.
5. Add lemon juice, brown sugar and water and stir to lift browned sediment. Return chicken to pan, cover and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
6. Prepare rice up to step 5. place chicken pieces on top of rice and spread carrot mixture on top. Spread remaining rice over carrots and add the remaining butter mixture from the rice recipe.
7. Cover rim of pan with 2 paper towels. Put lid on and cook over medium low heat for 40 minutes. Alternatively layers of dish may be layered in a casserole dish and cooked in a moderate slow oven 170 C for 30 minutes.

Steamed rice

Serves 6
Cooking time 50 minutes

2 cup basmati rice
8 cups water
2 tbsp salt
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup water

1. Pick over rice and remove discoloured grains and stones. Place in a sieve and wash well under running water until water is clear. Drain.
2. Bring 8 cups water to the boil in a heavy based pan. Add salt and rice, and stir until water returns to the boil.
3. Boil rice for 5 minutes. Pour immediately into a large sieve or colander and drain.
4. In a small pan heat butter with 1/4 cup water until bubbling. Pour half of this into pan in which rice was cooked and swirl to coat base and sides.
5. Spread half of partly cooked rice in base of pan, and even out with back of spoon.
6. Spoon remainder of rice on top in a mound. Make a hole in the centre with the end of a wooden spoon and pour remaining butter mixture on top.
7. Cover rim of pan with a doubled tea towel or 2 paper towels and place lid on firmly.
8. Cook rice over medium low heat for 10 minutes, reduce to low and cook for further 35 minutes. The cloth absorbs the steam and makes the rice fluffy light.
9. Stir rice gently with a fork to distribute butter evenly and serve with kebabs or khoreshes and use as a basis for polous.