Afghan Narenj Palaw (Orange Peel and Carrot Rice with Chicken)

About This Recipe

Afghan Narenj Palaw is a real, traditional Afghan dish, known as Orange Peel and Carrot Rice with Chicken. Fragrant rice studded with candied orange peel, sweet carrots and pistachios, served with saffron-spiced braised chicken.\n\nNarenj palaw is a celebratory Afghan rice dish, its distinctive use of candied orange peel reflecting Persian culinary influences shared across the region, traditionally reserved for weddings and special occasions.\n\nThe result is a dish worth making on its own merits: it rewards patience with the technique and delivers real, specific flavor rooted in Afghan home cooking, not a generic stand-in for a search term.

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 1.2 kgbone-in chicken thighs
• 4 tbspneutral oil
• 1yellow onion(diced)
• 0.5 tspsaffron threads(steeped in warm water)
• 3 cupslong-grain basmati rice(rinsed and soaked)
• 3carrots(julienned)
• 1orange, peel only(julienned and blanched twice)
• 100 gsugar
• 50 gslivered pistachios
• 50 gslivered almonds
• 1 tspground cardamom
• 1 tspfine sea salt(to taste)

Instructions

1. 1

   Braise the chicken

   Brown the chicken with onion in oil, then add water to partially cover, along with the steeped saffron. Cover and simmer for 35 minutes until tender.

2. 2

   Candy the orange peel and carrots

   Blanch the julienned orange peel twice in fresh water to remove bitterness, then simmer with the julienned carrots and sugar until softened and glossy, about 15 minutes.

3. 3

   Parboil the rice

   Parboil the soaked rice in salted water for 6 minutes, then drain.

4. 4

   Layer and steam

   In a pot, add a bit of the chicken braising liquid, then layer the parboiled rice on top, sprinkling with cardamom. Cover tightly and steam over low heat for 30 minutes.

5. 5

   Combine

   Gently fold most of the candied carrot and orange peel mixture into the steamed rice, reserving some for garnish.

6. 6

   Serve

   Mound the rice on a platter, top with the reserved candied orange peel and carrots, slivered pistachios and almonds, and serve with the braised chicken alongside.

Variations

• •

  Use lamb instead of chicken for a richer, more traditional celebratory version.

• •

  Some households add raisins alongside the nuts for extra sweetness.

• •

  Adjust the sugar level in the candied carrot and orange peel mixture to taste.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or stock to loosen the texture.

Frequently Asked Questions