Here are a few facts about Iraq:

• Capitals: Baghdad
• Population: about 34 million
• Area: 437 072 km²
• Currency: Iraqi dinar

As I said earlier for the Iraqi meal I made chicken with red rice. It’s a whole chicken cut in pieces, with a bunch of spices and cooked in a tomato broth with rice. Here is the recipe!

Iraqi chicken with red rice

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken (about 3 pounds)
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 medium onion
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander or crushed coriander seeds
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 5 cardamom pods
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups rice

Directions:

Start by cutting the chicken in 8 pieces. 2 breasts, 2 thighs, 2 drumsticks and 2 wings. Make sure you leave the skin on.

Chop the onion, measure the spices, the rice and the tomato paste.

Dissolve the tomato paste in 1.5 liter of hot water and set aside.

In a large sauté pan, heat the oil and brown the pieces of chicken. Remove the chicken and set aside.

In the same pan as the chicken, cook the onions until translucent. When the onions are cooked, add all the spices (coriander, pepper, cardamom, bay leaf and 1 teaspoon salt) and the browned chicken in the pan. Stir well and pour the tomato paste and water mixture on top.

Cover and cook for 1 hour.

After 1 hour, remove the chicken from the juice and set aside. Add the rice and 1 teaspoon salt to the pan containing the juice. The rice should be covered in juice with about 1/2 inch over the rice. Bring the rice to a boil and reduce to a slow simmer.

Cover and cook for 20 minutes.

Before serving you can add the chicken back to the pan to reheat it or you can put it in the oven on broil for a couple minutes (this will also make the skin crispy).

Serve the rice on a plate and add the chicken on top.

دعونا أكل