Whenever I crave for chicken and rice, this is my go-to recipe. I always make extra for leftover. My favorite part of this dish is the crunchy, burnt rice on the bottom (you can see in the photo), we call them in Filipino TUTONG and I used to hate them before but they are nutty and crunchy, they are so irresistible.
It is a type of dish you can play with because you can add spices if you like it Mexican, Italian, or Indian, how ever you prefer it. It is very versatile dish for everyone and a crowd-pleaser. But if I were to serve it for a crowd, maybe I will use chicken breasts fillet or boneless thighs because that is much easier to eat. I will add more vegetables like peppers, eggplant, or perhaps serve it with some greens on the side for some texture and color and top it with some boiled eggs. But since these are the only ingredients I have in my fridge, I still think it will turn out pretty good and it did.
CHICKEN AND RICE
Ingredients:
2.2 lbs (1kg) whole chicken cut into serving pieces
vegetable oil (you can use V.O)
1 medium onion,diced
4 garlic cloves finely minced
1 zucchini, diced
3 tsps. spanish paprika
2 tsps. dried oregano
1 tsp cayenne pepper (add more if desire)
1 cup plain tomato sauce
2 cups white rice ( I used an ordinary white rice but you can use any rice you like)
2 chicken bouillon cube (this serve as my broth)
4 cups water or stock ( add more if needed)
salt and pepper to taste
lemon or lime wedges to squeeze on top
greek yogurt or sour cream (optional)
1. In a skillet that has high sides, heat some oil. Meanwhile, pat the chicken to dry and season both sides with salt and pepper and sear for 5-6 minutes until both sides turns golden brown.
2. Remove any excess oil on the skillet and start cooking the onion until it softens for 5mins then toss in the garlic, stir for 1 min. Add the spices and cook it until fragrant.
3. Add the tomato sauce, rice and bouillon cube. Let the rice absorb all the liquid.
4. Add in the water. Bring it to a boil and add in your seared chicken and diced zucchini. Bring it back to a boil then lower the heat and cook the chicken and rice over low heat for 20-30 mins. Add more water or stock if needed. Top with lemon.
Note:
1.There are different type of rice and some needs different cooking time and requires more or less liquid.
2. Avoid opening the lid. Check rice doneness after 20mins. Adjust cooking time if needed.
And that's it. The spices are easy to find. They are optional but it enhances the flavor and makes the dish extra flavorful. Again, choose spices according to your liking and adjust the heat just how you prefer it.
