I live in a small town in Connecticut. Small as it may be, it still has an annual chili festival. There are about 20 to 30 participants with quite a few delectable offerings. Since the festival is on the town green right outside my house, it is hard for me to miss. As I browsed through the various stalls I realized that though chili has latin american roots, we have a similar loving for kidney beans in north India - the famous "Rajma Chawal" (literally kidney beans and rice). Hence, since quite some time I have been thinking of a way of combining something like a chili with rice. The last attempt was a complete disaster, when the concoction turned out to be a mish-mash of ingredients, and VERY hot with 2 habanero chilies. However, recently, at the local Chipotle it hit me. I should make the rice, and chili separately and serve in layers. So I tried again. The end result - I loved it!
Here's what you need -
Chili
1 lb ground chicken (dark meat)
1lb canned red kidney beans (cooked)
2 cubes chicken bouillon (mixed in 1 cup hot water)
1 medium onion (chopped)
1 cup chopped hot cherry peppers
1/2 cup cilantro/coriander (finely chopped)
6 oz crushed/pureed tomatoes
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp paparika
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp sugar
3 tbsp cornmeal (or makka flour)
4 cloves garlic (finale chopped)
4 cloves
1 stick cinnamon
Rice
1.5 cups basmati rice
1/2 cup green peas
1 tsp cumin
Toppings
1 medium onion (julliene and mixed with salt and 1/2 lemon)
Sour cream
Hot sauce
Or anything you want to top the dish with!
Cooking -
Chili
1) On medium heat heat 1tbsp oil and fry the chopped onion till soft and golden.
2) Add garlic and fry for 1 minute
3) Add the chicken and turmeric and fry for 5 minutes
4) Add the tomatoes, cloves, cinnamon and fry on high heat until tomatoes leave oil
5) Add this mixture, bouillon, peppers, paprika, ground cumin, coriander/cilantro, kidney beans, cornmeal and 1 cup water in a pressure cooker
6) Close the lid and cook for 3 whistles or about 10 minutes. Switch the heat off and let the pressure release on its own.
7) When all pressure is released, add the sugar and salt to taste - the chili is ready!
Rice
8) Wash and soak the rice for 10 minutes
9) In a broad pan/skillet, heat 1 tbsp of oil. When hot, add the cumin and let it crackle.
10) Add the peas and fry for 2 minutes.
11) Drain the soaked rice and add to the pan. Add 5.5 cups of water (The proportion of rice and water should be (1 : 3.75)
12) Add 1/2 tsp of salt, mix well and cover the pan
13) Cook for about 10 - 15 minutes till the top rice is just about done. Do not stir or disturb the rice at this point. Take the pan off the heat, cover it and let it sit for 15 minutes. After that just once of twice gently turn the rice in the pan - the rice is done!
To serve (as you see in the pic), serve the rice on the plate, then the chili on it. You can then put a side of sour cream, chopped cilantro, cheddar cheese, pickled onions etc, that people can serve to their taste.
The dish came out really amazing! It's really versatile. Goes well with rice and the chili tastes amazing just by itself. I am very glad with the outcome. A traditional chili, but very reminiscent of the Indian "Rajma Chawal".
Definitely a MAKE... and a very tasty combination. You can play with the heat, or soothe is down to your taste by adding (or not adding) various peppers while cooking and by adding the condiments like cheese and sour cream to cool down the heat. It's a dish that you can customize to your palette as you serve!
Here's what you need -
Chili
1 lb ground chicken (dark meat)
1lb canned red kidney beans (cooked)
2 cubes chicken bouillon (mixed in 1 cup hot water)
1 medium onion (chopped)
1 cup chopped hot cherry peppers
1/2 cup cilantro/coriander (finely chopped)
6 oz crushed/pureed tomatoes
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp paparika
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp sugar
3 tbsp cornmeal (or makka flour)
4 cloves garlic (finale chopped)
4 cloves
1 stick cinnamon
Rice
1.5 cups basmati rice
1/2 cup green peas
1 tsp cumin
Toppings
1 medium onion (julliene and mixed with salt and 1/2 lemon)
Sour cream
Hot sauce
Or anything you want to top the dish with!
Cooking -
Chili
1) On medium heat heat 1tbsp oil and fry the chopped onion till soft and golden.
2) Add garlic and fry for 1 minute
3) Add the chicken and turmeric and fry for 5 minutes
4) Add the tomatoes, cloves, cinnamon and fry on high heat until tomatoes leave oil
5) Add this mixture, bouillon, peppers, paprika, ground cumin, coriander/cilantro, kidney beans, cornmeal and 1 cup water in a pressure cooker
6) Close the lid and cook for 3 whistles or about 10 minutes. Switch the heat off and let the pressure release on its own.
7) When all pressure is released, add the sugar and salt to taste - the chili is ready!
Rice
8) Wash and soak the rice for 10 minutes
9) In a broad pan/skillet, heat 1 tbsp of oil. When hot, add the cumin and let it crackle.
10) Add the peas and fry for 2 minutes.
11) Drain the soaked rice and add to the pan. Add 5.5 cups of water (The proportion of rice and water should be (1 : 3.75)
12) Add 1/2 tsp of salt, mix well and cover the pan
13) Cook for about 10 - 15 minutes till the top rice is just about done. Do not stir or disturb the rice at this point. Take the pan off the heat, cover it and let it sit for 15 minutes. After that just once of twice gently turn the rice in the pan - the rice is done!
To serve (as you see in the pic), serve the rice on the plate, then the chili on it. You can then put a side of sour cream, chopped cilantro, cheddar cheese, pickled onions etc, that people can serve to their taste.
The dish came out really amazing! It's really versatile. Goes well with rice and the chili tastes amazing just by itself. I am very glad with the outcome. A traditional chili, but very reminiscent of the Indian "Rajma Chawal".
Definitely a MAKE... and a very tasty combination. You can play with the heat, or soothe is down to your taste by adding (or not adding) various peppers while cooking and by adding the condiments like cheese and sour cream to cool down the heat. It's a dish that you can customize to your palette as you serve!
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