This Moroccan chicken with rice and eggplant recipe is basically a do-it-yourself recipe. Say hello to the perfect one-pot easy weeknight dinner recipe.
The spice is fairly mild and earthy and complements the eggplant and chicken well. If you want it hotter, add 6 teaspoons and 4 tablespoons of harissa pasta, plus a sprinkle of dried chili flakes.
The salty green olives add a nice saltiness to offset the sweetness of the sultanas. You can use raisins instead or a combination of both.
It’s sprinkled with fresh pomegranate seeds for a mouth-watering, delicious flavor. They also make this dish look beautifully jeweled.
Chopped pistachios add the finishing touches and are very tasty. Both raisins and pistachios come from the Northern Cape, where the fruit is grown and produced along the banks of the Orange River.
Wercon boardery – Senqu River Pistachio
My other easy chicken recipes:
Chicken and rice pilaf with orange and spices
cream chicken and mushrooms
Leek and carrot creamy chicken
Roast chicken and Italian sausage with herbs and orange
Coq au Chardonnay
Cream chicken with red pepper and spinach
Moroccan chicken & rice with eggplant
An easy one-pot weekday dinner chicken recipe.
- Preparation time: Ten
- Cooking time: 45
- total time: 55 minutes
- yield: Four
- Category: chicken dinner
- Method: Wampo
- cooking: Moroccan
225g (1 cup) basmati rice
2 tablespoons Olive oil
1 chopped onion
1 Eggplant, cut into bite-size cubes
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ginger powder
Four – 6 teaspoon harissa paste
lemon peel and juice
½ cup raisins or sultanas (or a combination of both)
¾ cup green olives
600ml chicken stock
8 Chicken thigh with bone and skin
2 tablespoons Olive oil
salt and pepper
a handful of coarsely chopped pistachios (or sliced almonds), optional
80Provide ml (1/3 cup) pomegranate seeds (optional).
Preheat oven to 200C/400F.
Soak the rice in water for about 15 minutes and rinse with cold water until it becomes clear.
While the rice is soaking, heat the olive oil in a thick lidded casserole (30cm works well here) and sauté the onion until brown, about 5 minutes. Boil for a minute.
Add eggplant, rice, lemon zest and juice, raisins, green olives, stock and stir until dissolved. Scrape bottom of pan to remove sticky bits. Place the chicken skin side up on top of the rice. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Cook, uncovered, for 40 to 45 minutes, until chicken is golden brown and cooked through. If you’re not sure, heat it up a little more. Sprinkle with pistachio and pomegranate seeds and serve.
keyword: Moroccan, chicken, eggplant, quick weekday dinner, one-pot dinner, raisins
