Turkish chicken Rice Saffron Recipe is a saffron-and-barberry variation of perde pilavı, or Turkish curtain pilaf. Chicken rice is enclosed in a thin pastry shell and baked until the crust turns golden, then the whole dish is inverted for serving.
Turkish Chicken Rice in a Pastry Crust
Traditional Siirt-style perde pilavı layers chicken and seasoned rice inside dough. This version keeps that structure while adding potatoes, barberries, walnuts and saffron. Let the filling cool before it meets the dough; hot rice creates steam too early and softens the shell.
Preparation: about 2 hours, including cooking and cooling
Baking: 1 hour
Serves: 6
Ingredients
For the pastry
- 1 cup plain flour, plus extra for rolling
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- About ⅓ cup water, added gradually
For the chicken rice
- 3 cups basmati rice
- 250 g cooked chicken, shredded or finely chopped
- 2 medium potatoes, cut into small cubes
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 1 tablespoon barberries, rinsed and dried
- 50 g walnuts, chopped, optional
- 1 tablespoon strong brewed saffron
- ½ cup cooked peas, optional
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- Fine salt and black pepper, to taste
- Chicken stock, for cooking the rice
- Neutral oil or melted butter, for frying and greasing
The saffron is mixed into the filling rather than the pastry. Prepare a concentrated infusion with our guide to brewing saffron, then cool it before use.
Make and Rest the Dough
Mix the flour and salt in a bowl. Add the olive oil, then work in water one tablespoon at a time until a soft dough forms and no dry flour remains. It should feel smooth without sticking to your fingers.
Knead for 4–5 minutes, cover and leave it at room temperature for 30 minutes. This rest makes the small quantity of dough easier to roll thinly without tearing.
Prepare the Chicken Rice Filling
Cook the chicken first if it is not already prepared. The thickest part should reach 74°C/165°F, following the official FoodSafety.gov temperature chart. Reserve its strained cooking liquid as stock, then remove the bones and shred 250 g of meat.
Rinse the rice and cook it in lightly salted chicken stock until the grains are just tender. Drain away any excess liquid and spread the rice across a tray to cool.
Fry the potato cubes in a shallow layer of oil until golden and tender, then drain them. In the same pan, soften the onion. Add the shredded chicken, cinnamon, allspice, black pepper and a little salt.
Stir in the barberries, walnuts, potatoes, brewed saffron and optional peas. Remove from the heat, fold in the cooled rice and taste for seasoning. Leave the filling until completely cool.
Line the Baking Dish
Heat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Grease an ovenproof bowl or deep round baking dish, about 18–20 cm across, over the base and all the way up the sides.
Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface into a thin circle substantially wider than the dish. Lift it gently into the bowl, press it into the curve without stretching, and leave the excess hanging over the rim.
Fill and Seal the Curtain Pilaf
Spoon the cold chicken rice into the lined dish. Settle it with the back of a spoon but do not compress it heavily; densely packed rice becomes stodgy as it bakes.
Fold the overhanging pastry across the filling, trimming only if the overlap is very thick. Pinch any gaps closed, then brush the exposed dough lightly with oil or melted butter.
Bake and Turn Out
Bake for about 1 hour, until the pastry is evenly golden and pulls slightly from the side of the dish. If the top colours too quickly, cover it loosely for the final part of baking.
Rest for 10 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edge, set a large platter over the bowl and invert both together in one confident movement. Lift the dish away carefully.
Cut the Turkish chicken rice into wedges at the table so the saffron rice, chicken, potatoes, barberries and walnuts are visible inside the crisp shell. A cucumber-and-yoghurt salad or simple green salad is enough alongside it.
