Chicken Pilau with Sweet Potato Sauce

Pilau is a common East African dish. It is an amazing rice dish full of spices and aromas. It can be made with Beef, Chicken or even cashew nut and dried grapes; for a vegan option.

Any pilau dish needs an accompanying sauce or vegetable. I served mine with a thick, coconut, sweet potato sauce and raw capsicums.

Ingredients

For the pilau

• 1 and 1/2 tablespoon of coconut oil.
• 1 large onion bulb. (cut)
• 3 garlic cloves.
• 1kg of chopped chicken breast.
• Salt to taste
• 2 teaspoons of pilau masala.
• 1 teaspoon of cloves powder. (optional)
• 1 teaspoon of cumin powder. (optional)
• 2 cups of rice. (rinsed and soaked for at least 15 minutes)
• 1 and 3/4 cups of water.

For the sauce:

• 1 large onion bulb.
• 3 large tomatoes.
• coconut oil.
• 2 knorr chicken cubes.
• 2 tablespoons of coconut cream.
• 5 medium-sized pre-boiled sweet potatoes.

Instructions

Sweet potato sauce:

1. Pour coconut oil in a small pot, let it get hot, add onions and let them brown.
2. Lower the heat, add the diced tomatoes and chicken cubes. (Do not mix)
3. Cover and let the tomatoes soften into a paste.
4. Add coconut cream mixing it into the paste and let it simmer for about 5 minutes on medium heat.
5. To the coconuty tomato paste, add the pre-boiled sweet potatoes and let it cook for about 8 minutes stirring occasionally.

The chicken pilau:

1. Pour coconut oil into a cooking pot, once the oil is hot add the onion and crushed garlic. Let it turn golden brown.
2. Add salt, pilau masala, cumin and cloves wait for 2 minutes then add the cubbed chicken breast.
3. Cook the chicken till it browns and caramelizes stirring occasionally.
4. Stir in the rice, add water, cover and wait till the water reduces.‌
5. ‌(Soaking the rice longer and using hot water to cook the rice cuts the cooking time in nearly half)
6. Once it is ready to serve with the sweet potato sauce and fresh capsicums. Enjoy!