Mung Bean Rice with Chicken and Tahdig
Recipe Summary
- This recipe guides you through preparing a delicious Persian-style meal featuring tender chicken pieces cooked with aromatic spices and onions. It's served with fluffy mung bean rice and a crispy bread tahdig, finished with a squeeze of fresh lemon.
All Ingredients - Main Ingredients
- Mung beans 1 cup
- Rice (Basmati or long-grain) 2 cups
- Chicken pieces (thighs and drumsticks) 4
- Cooking oil 3 tbsp
- Onions 3 medium, sliced
- Salt 1 tsp
- Black pepper 1/2 tsp
- Turmeric 1 tsp
- Cinnamon 1/4 tsp
- Brewed saffron 1/4 cup
- Water 2 cups
- Lavash bread 3 pieces
- Lemon 1
Tools You'll Need
- Pot
Don't have an ingredient? Try these swaps
No Onion?
- 1 tbsp onion powder (per medium onion)
- 3 tbsp dried minced onion
- Shallots or leeks (1:1)
No Saffron?
- 1/4 tsp turmeric (color only, no flavor match)
- 1/2 tsp safflower threads
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Prepare Mung Beans
Pour 1 cup of mung beans into water and cook for about two hours until tender.
Step 2: Prepare Rice
At the same time, cook two cups of rice in boiling water until it becomes slightly tender (parboiled).
Step 3: Fry Chicken
Heat some oil in a pot. Add the chicken pieces and fry them until they are nicely golden brown on all sides.
Step 4: Slice Onions
Slice 2-3 medium onions into thin strips.
Step 5: Layer Onions and Chicken
In a separate pot, spread half of the sliced onions at the bottom. Place the fried chicken pieces on top of the onions.
Step 6: Season Chicken
Pour the remaining sliced onions over the chicken. Add salt, black pepper, turmeric, and a touch of cinnamon. Drizzle a bit of brewed saffron over the chicken and onions.
Step 7: Simmer Chicken
Add two cups of water to the pot. Cover and let everything on low heat until the chicken is fully cooked and tender, about .
Step 8: Combine Rice and Mung Beans
Once the rice is parboiled, add the cooked mung beans to the rice in the same pot. Immediately drain the rice and mung beans mixture.
Step 9: Prepare Tahdig
In a clean pot, add a little oil. Arrange pieces of lavash bread (or similar flatbread) at the bottom to create a crispy tahdig layer.
Step 10: Steam Rice
Carefully pour the drained rice and mung beans mixture over the tahdig layer in the pot. Cover the pot and let it on low heat until the rice is perfectly cooked and fluffy, about .
Step 11: Finish Chicken
Once the chicken is fully cooked, squeeze the juice of one lemon over it for extra flavor.
Step 12: Serve
Serve the mung bean rice with the chicken, onions, and crispy tahdig. Enjoy your meal!
Pro Tips
• Ensure the mung beans are tender but not mushy.
• Adjust spices to your preference.
• For a crispier tahdig, ensure the oil is hot before adding the bread and cook on medium-low heat.
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