Rice pilaf. With chicken, onions, garlic and carrots.

Here is an easy, light and tasty rice and chicken one pot dish inspired by traditional Uzbekistan dish - "Plov".  This dish is comforting, satisfying and extremely delicious. Make it for dinner and pack for lunch the next day. My family asks to prepare it again and again.

Chicken rice pilaf served, carrot and onion mix, chicken precooked

Chicken Carrot Rice Pilaf (Plov - Плов)

Ingredients
rice, basmati 1 1/2 cups
olive oil, about 3 tablespoons
chicken meat, 1 pound  cut to bite pieces (dark meat or chicken breast)
carrots, 5-6 peeled and grated
onions, medium 4-5, cut to half rings
garlic, 7-12 gloves, peeled and roughly diced
sea salt
black pepper
bay leaves, 2 (optional)

optional spices
cumin, ground
coriander seeds, ground
turmeric
thyme 
chili flakes

Method
Wash the rice under cold water. Cover with water and leave to soak while preparing other ingredients. In big heavy pot, heat 1 tables spoon olive oil on medium low heat. Add chili flakes, if using. Add onions and cook until the onions are soft and slightly brown for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove onions from the pot to plate. Add 1 table spoon of olive oil and carrots to the pot and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add onions back to pot and turn off the heat. Heat large skillet on medium heat, add oil and chicken. Add salt, black pepper and other spices, if using. Cook for about 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, to brown the chicken. No need to cook it completely. Add the chicken to onion carrot mixture and mix. Add garlic on top. Discard rice water and place rice on top of the mix. Carefully, without destroying the structure (rice on top of vegetables and chicken), add water to cover the rice. This is how it will look.

chicken carrot rice pilaf assembled (plov)

Add salt and spices, cover and cook on low heat for about 20-30 minutes, till rice is cooked. Let rest for 10 minutes, if you can. Mix and serve. 



I will tell you a secret - this chicken carrot rice pilaf is delicious cold. As a child I used to eat it straight from the pot in refrigerator.

Whole meal meatballs. With vegetables inside.

The meatballs for yesterday dinner were made with rice and packed with vegetables. It is a whole balanced meal in one dish.  My parents used to make those meatballs for me and my brother when we were children.  Now I make this dish for my children. Also for my Yemeni husband.

This is actually a speedy version of Russian stuffed cabbage, called "tefteli". It is packed with vegetables and herbs - carrot, tomatoes, onion, garlic, parsley. I have added half cup of butternut squash. None of my picky eaters noticed it. Unlike other versions, this version made without breadcrumbs and without cheese - dairy free and gluten free. Light and satisfying.

Rice meatballs with beet salad, zucchini and arugula, ingredients in a bowl, meatballs simmering in tomato sauce

Rice meatballs with vegetables

Ingredients

meatballs
onion, 1 small, cut to 4 pieces
garlic, 2 gloves
parsley, leaves from few strings
water, cold, 1/3 cup
beef, ground 1 pound (I have used 85% fat free, grass fed)
rice, basmati 1/3 cup (or regular rice)
egg, 1
sea salt, 1 teaspoon or to taste
black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon or to taste
turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon or to taste
cumin ground, 1/4 teaspoon or to taste
chilli powder,  1/4 teaspoon or to taste

sauce
spices you like, to taste (1/4 garam masala adds a great aroma)
tomatos, crushed or pureed, 14 ounches
carrots, 1-2 peeled, cut to few pieces
butternut squash, cooked and pureed, 1/2 cup (optional)
sea salt, 1 teaspoon
bay leave (optional)

Method 

In small food processor, place onion, garlic, parsley and water. Pulse until pureed. In a large bowl, place beef, rice, onion garlic parsley puree, egg and spices. Start heating large skillet, that will include meatballs in one layer, with 1 inch of cold water on medium low heat. With your hands, mix meatballs ingredients. Gently, with your hands, form ping pong size meatballs and fill the skillet.
In the same food processor, no need to wash, pulse carrot until chopped. Cover the water with tomato sauce, put in carrot and squash puree. Season the sauce. Stick in bay leaves. Lower the heat to let the dish simmer, cover and cook for 50 minutes. The rice will stick out.

Note
brown rice can be used, half cooked.

Meatballs in skillet

Those meatballs keep well. Excellent solution for speed lunch packing and enjoying over few days. Reheat and put in a lunch thermos. Pack another box with fruits and vegetables as a side.

Questions? Comments? I will be glad to start the conversation. This is the best part.