Upside-Down Spiced Rice with Chicken and Roasted Aubergine
Inspired by techniques from NYT Cooking.
A showstopping Palestinian one-pot of spiced rice layered over roasted aubergine, tomato and tender chicken, then flipped onto a platter so it stands like a cake. Finished with golden nuts and served with cool yoghurt.
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Method
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Equipment
- large saucepan
- sieve
- 2 large baking trays
- baking paper
- pastry brush
- heavy nonstick pot with straight sides and a lid (24-26 cm wide, at least 5 litres)
- heatproof plate a little smaller than the pot
- large flat serving platter wider than the pot
- small frying pan
- clean tea towel
- instant-read probe thermometer
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 638 kcal |
| Protein | 36.2 g |
| Carbohydrate | 69.2 g |
| of which sugars | 8.8 g |
| of which free sugars | 0 g |
| Fat | 24 g |
| of which saturates | 3.9 g |
| Fibre | 6.5 g |
| Salt | 1.85 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
5.7 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
Metric · 6 servings
Chicken and broth
- 800 g boneless skinless chicken thighs, halved
- 1 l water
- 1 medium onion, halved about 150 g
- 4 green cardamom pods, lightly cracked
- 4 whole cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 4.5 g fine sea salt or table salt about ¾ tsp
Aubergine
- 2 medium aubergines, cut into 1.5 cm rounds about 700 g
- 4 tbsp neutral oil
- 1.5 g fine sea salt or table salt about ¼ tsp
Rice
- 400 g basmati or other long-grain rice
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 3 g fine sea salt or table salt about ½ tsp
- 3 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 1 large tomato, cut into 1 cm slices
To serve
- 30 g flaked almonds
- 20 g pine nuts
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 10 g flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 300 g plain whole-milk yoghurt, to serve
- 1
Simmer the chicken. Put the chicken, water, onion, cardamom, cloves, bay leaves, cumin and salt into the large saucepan and bring to the boil, skimming off any foam. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through (74 °C). Lift out the chicken, strain the broth and keep 750 ml hot, topping up with water if needed; this fragrant broth is what flavours the rice.
- 2
Rinse, soak and season. Rinse the rice in the sieve until the water runs almost clear, then soak it in cold water for 15 minutes and drain. Toss the grains with the cinnamon, allspice, turmeric, pepper, salt and garlic. Rinsing removes loose surface starch and soaking hydrates the grains, so they cook up separate rather than gluey.
- 3
Roast the aubergine. While the chicken simmers, heat the oven to 220 °C (200 °C fan). Line the trays with baking paper, lay the aubergine rounds on them in a single layer, brush both sides with the oil and sprinkle with the salt. Roast for 25-30 minutes, turning once, until deep golden and soft right through; roasting rather than frying gives a rich, caramelised flavour with far less oil.
- 4
Build the layers. Brush the base of the pot with oil and line it with a round of baking paper. Lay the tomato slices over the base, add an overlapping layer of aubergine, then the chicken, and spread the rice evenly on top, pressing it down lightly. The tomato forms the crown once the pot is turned out, and the paper helps the whole thing release cleanly.
- 5
Add broth and weight. Slowly pour in the hot broth until it sits about 1 cm above the rice. Set the heatproof plate on the rice to keep the layers in place. Pouring gently stops the broth disturbing the neat layers below.
- 6
Cook the rice. Cover and bring to a boil over medium heat, then cook for 10 minutes. Lift out the plate, cover again and cook on the lowest heat for 15-20 minutes until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Steady, low heat lets the grains steam evenly without scorching the base.
- 7
Rest and toast nuts. Take the pot off the heat, lay the tea towel under the lid and rest for 15 minutes; this firms the layers so they hold their shape. Meanwhile, fry the almonds and pine nuts in the oil in the small frying pan over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring, until golden.
- 8
Turn it out. Remove the lid, set the platter upside down over the pot and, holding both firmly with oven gloves, flip in one quick movement. Leave it for 2 minutes, tap the base, then lift the pot off slowly and peel away the paper. Scatter over the nuts and parsley and serve with the yoghurt.
Storage
Cool quickly, refrigerate within 1 hour and use within 24 hours. Reheat once, covered, until piping hot (74 °C). Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
