Murgh palaw is Afghan home cooking at its most comforting: bone-in chicken braised under a blanket of basmati, finished with a drizzle of bloomed saffron and a scatter of raisins and toasted almonds. It's a one-pot dish built for a family table, and the kind of recipe passed down more by feel than by measurement. Herat saffron, hand-packed here in Lynn, MA, is what gives the rice its color and quiet perfume.
At a glance
Serves 4
Prep 15 min
Cook 45 min
Saffron: 25 threads (≈0.10 g)
Ingredients
- 25 threads Raihan Afghan Super Negin saffron, bloomed in 2 tbsp warm water
- 1.5 lb bone-in chicken thighs (skin on)
- 2 cups long-grain basmati, rinsed and soaked
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp cardamom
- 1/3 cup golden raisins
- 1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 3 tbsp ghee
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat ghee in a heavy pot. Season chicken with salt. Brown skin-side down 5 minutes. Flip. 3 more minutes. Remove.
- Sauté onion until golden, 10 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, cinnamon, cardamom. 30 seconds.
- Add rice. Toast 30 seconds. Add stock. Return chicken on top. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce to lowest heat, cook 18 minutes.
- Off heat. Drizzle saffron bloom over rice. Cover, rest 10 minutes.
- Top with raisins and almonds.
Chef's note
Drizzle the saffron bloom over the rice only after the pot is off the heat — direct heat can dull the color before it has time to work through the grains. Let the full 10-minute rest happen undisturbed; the residual steam is what carries the color and aroma evenly through the pilaf.
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