If you came over on any given weekend when we were growing up on the Northwest side of Chicago, you’d encounter a couple of staple things. The smell of Windex in the air as weekends were for cleaning, the sound of cartoons playing on our old-school box tv, and the smell of something cooking on the stove. And more often than not, you’d probably see or smell this dish, so familiar to me, I can imagine the taste and smell with my eyes closed. Pilav, most often with chicken, is burned into my core memory. It’s a simple, filling dish, often inexpensive, and makes enough for 2 days worth of meals. I also always associate it with springtime, so there’s no better time than now to share this recipe with you all. The sun is teasing us these days in Chicago with what we like to call “Fool’s Spring”. And as I write this, it is lightly snowing outside.

Pilav or Pilaf requires just a handful of ingredients and the preparation varies widely depending where in the Balkans you’re from. The appearance and makeup of the dish itself nods to the Turkish influence in the area. I’ve seen it in many forms; colorless, tinted red or yellow, more saucy and also on the drier side. It really depends on your taste and preference. I like both the saucier version and the middle ground. The one I’m sharing today is the middle ground one, not too dry but not swimming in sauce either. It makes the perfect side dish to any meal. When I serve it as a side, I leave out the meat but when serving as the entree I’ll add chicken thighs and drumsticks most often.

Pilav is typically vegetarian and doesn’t contain meat. But in our home it was always made with chicken. My mom called a vegetarian version of this dish “rizi bizi”. I never knew what it meant but have come to learn that Rizi Bizi is actually a rice and pea side dish popular in Croatia. So not technically correct but as with all dishes, just make it your own. Now, you may be thinking this looks an awful lot like Djuvec, another very popular dish in Southeastern Serbia. However, this doesn’t contain tomato and a few other staple ingredients that are required for Djuvec. Think of it as something in-between Pilav and Djuvec. 🙂

I hope you give this a try very soon, no matter what you call it. It’s a great dish to have in your arsenal. For other entree dishes, check out this section of the website! And if you’re looking for sides, look here!

Do you follow me on Instagram? Make sure to follow me there to see everyday cooking, bonus recipes on stories, and ask questions while you’re cooking – I’m pretty responsive.

Pilav sa Piletinom/Chicken Rice Pilaf

Recipe by The Balkan HostessCourse: MainCuisine: Balkan, Serbian

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

A cross between a Djuvec and classic Pilav. Served as a main or side dish, with or without meat, it’s a great traditional addition to your menu rotation.

Ingredients

2 cups (390 g) rice of your choice, washed and drained
2 carrots, diced
1 large onion, diced
1 cup (165 g) frozen or canned peas
1 medium potato, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
Chicken/Meat of choice
1-2 tablespoons (13 g) Paprika (Aleva)
4 cups (500ml) water, or enough to fill pot
Salt
Pepper
Vegeta Seasoning
Oil

Directions

To a medium pot add oil, onion, carrots, potatoes, and peas. Begin to saute on medium heat until vegetables soften. Lastly, add the garlic and stir well.
To the vegetables add salt and pepper to taste and the paprika. Stir. Next, immediately add in the chicken and pour enough water to cover all the ingredients. Stir well to ensure nothing is sticking to the bottom. Bring to a boil, then cover and cook for 15 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Grease your desired baking dish with oil and spread the rice in an even layer. Once the meat and veggies have cooked for the listed amount, carefully transfer both to the baking dish. Pour the liquid into the baking dish to the top. Reserve any remaining liquid.
Preheat oven to 350 F/175 C. Place baking dish in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes until golden brown. Keep an eye on the dish during baking and add additional liquid as needed to ensure the rice cooks through and the dish is not dry. For a more saucier consistency, add more liquid. If you run out, simply substitute with water.
Enjoy hot!