Afghan Chicken Stew with Chickpeas and Crispy Rice (Chelo Nachodo)

Stew

•    5 cup of water

•    4 Chicken legs AND

•    4 Chicken thighs, loose skin - discarded

•    1 cup of Dried chick-peas, soaked in water overnight & drained

•    2 md (1 cup) onions, chopped

•    1 Rib celery w/leaves, sliced

•    1 large Carrot, sliced diagonally

•    1 (1/2 lb) zucchini, sliced

•    1 tablespoons of Salt, or to taste

•    1/4 tablespoons of Pepper

•    1/4 tablespoons of Ground cuminseed

•    1/4 cup of Fresh coriander, chopped

•    1/4 cup of Fresh dill, chopped

•    1/4 cup of Lemon juice

Rice

•    4 cup of Water

•    1 tablespoons of Salt

•    2 cup of Raw rice, well rinsed

•    1/4 cup of Corn oil

1. To prepare stew: Bring water to a boil, add chicken pieces, & remove foam as it cooks. Add chick-peas, onions, celery, carrots, zucchini, salt, pepper, & cuminseed. Cover pan & cook over moderate heat for 45 mins. Add coriander, dill, & lemon juice & simmer over low heat for 15 mins more. This is sufficient to tenderized chicken & ingrate all seasonings.

2. To prepare rice: Bring 4 c water & salt to a boil in pan. Add rice & cook over moderate heat for 5 mins. Drain rice in colander & rinse w/cold water. Return rice to pan and pour oil over all. Cover pan & cook over low heat for 1/2 hr. No other water is added & rice cooks only moisture clings to it after rinsing. The rice will develop a crisp bottom layer.

Serve rice & stew separately. Each diner takes their own portion of rice & covers it w/as much stew as they wish. Serve warm.