Romanian Pilaf with Chicken

romanian chicken pilaf in an large brown bowl with parsley and bowl of salt behind it.

4.67 from 3 votes

Sticky, soft Romanian chicken pilaf or rice with chicken and vegetables, this is traditional Romanian comfort food at its best!

Prep Time20

Cook Time2

Total Time2 20

Course: Pasta and Rice

Cuisine: Romanian

Servings: servings

Calories: 718kcal

Author: Adina

Ingredients

Chicken broth:

2 pieces chicken breast or 2 whole chicken legs, Note 1
1 small onion
1 carrot
1 small piece of celeriac or 2 celery sticks
2 bay leaves
5 allspice corns
1 cube chicken stock optional, Note 2
fine sea salt and ground black pepper

Pilaf:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 onions
3 medium carrots
1 small red bell pepper
1 ½ cups short-grain rice
about 7 cups chicken stock or broth
10.5 oz cooked chicken meat
fine sea salt and ground black pepper
a small bunch of parsley

US - EU

Instructions

Chicken stock:

Place the chicken parts into a large soup pot. Add the onion, carrot, celeriac or celery sticks, bay leaves, allspice corns, and 2 liters/ 8 ½ cups water, some salt, and pepper. Bring to a slow simmer.
2 pieces chicken breast + 1 small onion + 1 carrot + 1 small piece of celeriac + 2 bay leaves + 5 allspice corns + water + fine sea salt and ground black pepper
Simmer for about 30 minutes for the breasts and 40-50 minutes for the legs (check to see if they are cooked through).
You could add one or two cubes (to taste) of chicken stock to the broth; it will increase the flavor.
1 cube chicken stock
Shred chicken: When the meat is cooked, remove it from the pot and set it aside. Discard the vegetables and the spices; you can keep the carrot, slice it, and add it to the pilaf together with the meat. When cool enough to handle, remove the skin and the bones and shred the meat into smaller pieces. Set aside.

Pilaf:

In the meantime, start cooking the pilaf. Measure the needed stock and keep it warm all the time; you can leave the pot on a low heat source for the entire cooking process. I use a jug pot for this recipe, it makes pouring easier.
Prepare vegetables: Chop the onions finely. Slice the carrots and chop the red bell pepper into fine strips.
2 onions + 3 medium carrots + 1 small red bell pepper
Cook onions: Heat the oil in a medium heavy-bottomed pot. Add the onions and cook them gently until translucent. Add ½ cup/ 120 ml chicken stock and stir. Turn the heat down to low and cook the onions, uncovered, for about 5 minutes.
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Add the carrots and the peppers and cook gently for another 5 minutes, stirring a few times in between. Add another ½ cup/ 120 ml chicken stock and let it bubble away for a further 5 minutes or so.
Add the unwashed short-grain rice and stir well for about 2-3 minutes. Add 2 cups/ 500 ml of the chicken stock and stir well. Cook gently for another 5 minutes, and add some salt.
1 ½ cups short-grain rice
Add stock: Now, it will be a bit like making a risotto, without continuous stirring. Start adding the remaining stock (about 4 cups/ 1 liter left) little by little, stirring well after each addition.
Cook pilaf: Cover the pot, leaving a crack open, and cook the rice for about 50 minutes, making sure that you add some stock and stir regularly every 5 minutes or so.
Add chicken: After 30 minutes, add the chicken (and the leftover cooked carrot if you wish), stir well, and continue adding the stock and stirring for a further 20 minutes or until the rice is soft and sticky.
If the liquid is not enough, you can add more from the pot or more water if you are out of chicken stock.
10.5 oz cooked chicken meat
Adjust the taste with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.
fine sea salt and ground black pepper + a small bunch of parsley
It is best served immediately, but it can easily be reheated on low heat with the addition of some more chicken stock.

Notes

Chicken stock and chicken: You could make the pilaf using already-cooked chicken and bought chicken stock; it is faster, but not so authentic. You will need about 10.6 oz/ 300 g of chicken meat for the pilaf.
Stock cubes: If only cooking chicken breasts/legs in water for a short time, I would recommend using 1-2 chicken stock cubes as well, which will increase the flavor. When using chicken stock made from a whole chicken or chicken bones cooked for a longer time, the stock cube will not be necessary; the liquid will have enough flavor as it is.

Nutrition