Bulgur Chickpea Pilaf with Chicken (Burghul Bidfeen)
Bulgur wheat and chickpeas simmered in chicken broth, topped with shredded chicken.
Course
Main Course
Cuisine
Lebanese
Keyword
Authentic, Comfort food, Soul food
Cook Time1hour30minutes
Servings6
AuthorZaatar and Zaytoun
Ingredients
For the chicken broth
1quartered baby chicken or 2-3 chicken breasts
1onion peeled, halved
1carrot peeled
2-3cardamom pods
5-7black peppercorns
2-3bay leaves
1small cinnamon stick
For the Pilaf
2cupscoarse bulgur wheat
1can chickpeasdrained
2large onionschopped
1teaspoon7 spice
1teaspoonground cinnamon
1teaspoonblack pepper
1teaspoonground caraway
2tablespoonbutter
2teaspoonsaltapprox
Instructions
To make the chicken broth
Flash fry the quartered chicken on high heat in a nonstick pan with a little regular olive oil for a few minutes
Transfer to a large pot and add the peeled onion, carrot, cardamom, peppercorns, cinnamon stick, bay leaves and salt
Boil around 1 litre of water in a kettle and add to the chicken pot. Bring to the boil again for a few minutes then simmer for around 45 minutes
Once the stock has finished simmering, take out the chicken pieces and shred the meat. Cover and set
Drain the remaining broth in a fine sieve and set aside
To make the pilaf
Sauté 2 onions in a new pot with ¼ cup of regular olive oil until golden
Add the ground cinnamon and caraway, 7 spice, black pepper and approx 2 teaspoon of salt along with the bulgur wheat
Sauté for another few minutes then add the drained can of chickpeas and enough broth to cover by 2cm (approx 3 cups)
Bring to the boil then simmer for around half an hour until all the liquid has been absorbed, stirring every now and then to avoid sticking to the bottom of the pot
Add the butter to the pilaf five minutes before the end and taste just before you turn the heat off. Adjust the salt as necessary
Plate up the pilaf by adding the shredded chicken on top and serve with either yoghurt or salad
Recipe Notes
You can use 2-3 chicken breasts instead of a quartered chicken if you prefer.
You can also sprinkle on toasted nuts for extra flavour and texture.