Ramadan Day 11 ✨🌙 Perde Pilav

Perde Pilav (translates to curtain rice) rice seasoned with a blend of tasty spices. You can customize it with your choice of chicken or meat like lamb or beef, along with veggies, almonds, and raisins for added flavor and texture. The magic happens when you wrap all these ingredients in dough and bake it until golden brown and crispy. I took the easy way out this time and used Saj bread that I got from my local middle eastern market. Once it’s out of the oven, simply flip it over and serve. You’ll be amazed at how delicious this Perde Pilav turns out—it's sure to become a favorite in your household! This dish is not only delicious but also easy to make, perfect for gatherings or a cozy dinner at home.

——Chicken Ingredients——

4 chicken breasts diced small

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon 7 spice

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

——Rice Ingredients——

2 cups basmati rice (wash and soak)

1 cup vermicelli

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder

1 tablespoon 7 spice

1 teaspoon cumin

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon chili flakes

4 cups hot water

——Rest of the Ingredients——

4 potatoes (peel and dice)

1/2 cup raw almonds

1/2 cup raw cashews

1 cup raisins

2 cups frozen peas and carrots

2 Saj flatbread

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (2 tbsp to oil the pot and 2 tbsp for over the perde pilav before going into the oven)

1. Wash 2 cups of rice until the water runs clear then soak the rice in warm water for 20-30 minutes.

2. Make the Chicken— Dice the chicken into small pieces and place in a large bowl. Season the chicken with all the seasonings and mix well. Place a pan on medium-high heat. Add in 1/4 cup oil, then the chicken and cook the chicken until golden and cooked through, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes. Then set aside.

3. Make the Rice— Put a pan on medium-high heat. Add in oil, wait for the oil to heat up, add in the vermicelli and toast the vermicelli until golden brown. Drain the rice and add to the vermicelli, next add in the seasonings and mix until well combined. Add in the hot water, stir and cover the pan and cook until water reduces down. Then lower the heat to really low and allow to cook for 15 minutes.

4. Peel, wash and dice the potatoes into small pieces. Fry the potatoes until golden brown. Fry the almonds and cashews until golden, before removing them from the oil add in the raisins and fry for about 30 seconds just until they puff up then remove. Lastly fry the peas and carrots for 1 minute. Add all the fried ingredients to the cooked chicken and mix together.

5. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Crease a oven safe pot or baking dish with 2 tablespoons oil. Line the pot with the saj flatbread then start filling.

6. Assemble the Perde Pilav— start layering, first layer half of the chicken and veggie mixture, next add half of the cooked rice and continue with rest of the chicken and veggie mixture and rice until filled to the top.

7. Fold over the over-hanging flatbread, to cover the top of the rice. You can add more pieces of flatbread to the top if needed.

8. Drizzle the top of the flatbread with oil. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown all around and on top and crispy. Take out of the oven and allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes.

9. Carefully invert on to a serving dish. Serve and enjoy!

#lemon8partner #perdepilav #ramadanday11 #ramadanrecipes #foodie