Perde Pilavi or “curtain rice” is one of those dishes that looks intimidating until you realize that the trick is mostly putting it together. This is not a quick weeknight bake. It’s a layered, baked centerpiece that requires patience. However, if you want to bring a piece of Turkish culinary tradition to the table, the effort is worth it.
The dish gets its name from the thin layer of dough that covers the filling which you pull back like a curtain when served. It sounds complicated, but the process is straightforward if you follow the steps in order. Here you can find out what you need and how to put it together stress-free.
The ingredients you need
Before you start, gather your supplies. For the base, you need a whole chicken.
- 1 whole chicken
- 750 grams of rice, suitable for pilaf
- 500 grams of flour
- 1/2 cup yogurt
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 4 eggs
- a pinch of baking soda (carbonate)
- 1 tablespoon shelled pistachios
- 2 tablespoons of raisins
- 100 grams of sliced almonds
- 2 teaspoons of black pepper
- 7 spice blend (often includes cumin, coriander, cinnamon and others)
- Salt to taste
Step 1: Prepare the chicken and rice
Start by cooking the whole chicken until fully cooked. When the meat is cool enough to handle, pull the meat off the bone. Cut into bite-sized pieces.
Here is the secret to the texture: toast these shredded chicken pieces in a warm oven. You want them to be slightly golden brown. This gives the dish a depth of flavor that simply boiled chicken lacks.
While the chicken is roasting, rinse the rice thoroughly until the water runs clear. Drain well. Add olive oil and rice to the pot. Sauté the grains until they are translucent and coated with oil. This step prevents the rice from becoming mushy later.
Add enough water or stock to cook the rice, but not so much that it boils over. When the rice has absorbed the liquid, turn off the heat. Cover the pot and let it steam. Don’t touch it. Let it rest and fluff up.
Step 2: Toast the nuts and dried fruit
Heat some oil in a separate small pan. Add pistachios and sliced almonds. Roast them until they smell nutty and darken a bit. Be careful not to burn them.
Remove the nuts from the pan and set them aside. Add the raisins to the same pan. Heat them up to plump up. You can add the spice mix here if you want the flavors to blend, but adding it to the rice later is also traditional.
Step 3: Mix the filling
When the rice has rested and steamed, open the lid. It should be dry enough to hold its shape, but moist.
Fluff the rice with a fork. Mix in the roasted almonds, pistachios and raisins. Add the spice mixture, black pepper and salt. Taste it. Adjust the seasoning. The filling should be flavorful on
