600 g (1 lb 5 oz) basmati rice, washed
and drained
2 Tbsp salt + more to taste
1 small chicken, about 1 kg
(2 lb 3 oz), cleaned and cut
symmetrically into 12 pieces
1 medium onion, peeled and
finely diced
300 g (10 oz) plain or Greek yoghurt
3 eggs
2 tsp ground saffron, mixed with
2 Tbsp hot water
1 Tbsp cooking oil
Put rice and 2 Tbsp salt in a large bowl. Add enough water to cover, stir
through and leave to soak for at least 30 minutes.
Cook chicken and onion in 500 ml (16 fl oz / 2 cups) water over medium heat
until liquid is reduced by half and chicken is tender. Remove from heat and
allow to cool.
Meanwhile, beat yoghurt with a spoon until smooth, then stir in eggs,
saffron solution and salt to taste.
Mix cooled chicken and stock into yoghurt mixture, then cover and
refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Meanwhile, parboil rice as described on pg 82.
Add oil to a 26–28-cm (10–11-in) non-stick stew pan and swirl to coat
bottom evenly. Add just enough yoghurt to form an even layer about
1-cm (½-in) thick.
Add 5 Tbsp rice and mix well with yoghurt, then spread out evenly. Use the
back of a spoon to press down on rice.
Arrange chicken pieces on top and cover with half the rice. Spoon half the
remaining yoghurt mixture all over rice and press surface lightly with the
back of a spoon.
Repeat with remaining rice and yoghurt, pressing more firmly on the
surface with the back of a spoon to pack in ingredients and even out surface.
Wrap pan’s lid with clean cloth before covering, then set pan over medium-
low heat (with flame tamer) or low heat (without flame tamer) for 1½ hours
or until rice on top is cooked.
Remove pan from heat and allow to rest for 15 minutes before turning out:
cover pan with an inverted plate, then turn over both plate and pan. The
rice cake should slide out. Serve immediately.
Tip: Instead of cooking this dish over the stove, bake it in a preheated
oven at 180°C (350°F) for 1 hour for similar results.
Leave cooked chicken to cool in
the stock, then mix both into
prepared yoghurt mixture. If
desired, debone chicken first.
Cover bottom of pan with a 1-cm
(½-in) thick layer of yoghurt, then
mix in 5 Tbsp rice and spread out
evenly. Rice should cover the
entire surface in a thin layer.
To serve, cover pan with a large,
inverted plate, then turn both
plate and pan over. With a few
shakes, the rice cake should
dislodge and fall onto plate.
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