Tavuklu Nohutlu Pilav (Turkish Street Chickpea Rice with Chicken)
تاووکلو نوحوتلو پیلاو (ترکی ریڑھی والے چنے اور مرغی کے چاول)
All over Istanbul, glass-fronted carts sell one thing: *pilavcı* rice. A mound of glossy, buttery rice cooked in rich chicken stock with chickpeas, topped with shredded chicken and a sprinkle of black pepper, served with pickled peppers and a cold ayran. It's one of the cheapest and most satisfying meals in the city, eaten standing at the cart by workers, students and late-night crowds. At home it's an easy one-pot dinner that uses a whole chicken.
- ⏱ Total: 1 hr 25 min
- Prep: 15 min
- Cook: 1 hr 10 min
- Easy
- Serves 6
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Simmer the chicken with the water, onion, bay leaves and 1 teaspoon salt for 40 minutes, skimming the foam, until tender. Lift out the chicken, strain and keep the stock.
When cool enough, shred the chicken into large pieces, discarding skin and bones.
Melt the butter in the pot, add the drained rice and stir for 3 minutes. Add the chickpeas, 3 cups hot stock, the remaining salt and the pepper.
Bring to a boil, then cover and cook on the lowest heat for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat, lay the shredded chicken on top, cover with a cloth under the lid and rest for 15 minutes.
Serve the rice in mounds topped with chicken and black pepper, with pickled peppers and ayran.
Kitchen notes
Use homemade stock; it's where all the flavour comes from. Freeze any extra for soup.
Street sellers use plenty of butter. Add an extra knob on top before resting for the authentic glossy finish.
Short on time? Use ready-cooked chicken and good-quality stock; the dish is ready in 35 minutes.
The pilaf cart
Pilavcı carts, with their steamed-up glass windows and big copper pots, are part of Istanbul’s street scenery. The rice is kept warm for hours and served fast, with a ladle of chickpeas and a handful of chicken on top. It’s honest, filling food that costs very little, and many Istanbul residents have a favourite cart near their work or home.
Everything from one chicken
The secret is the stock. A whole chicken simmered gently gives both the meat for the topping and a rich, clear stock that the rice and chickpeas cook in. Butter adds the gloss and flavour; black pepper is the only spice.
Familiar but different
South Asian readers will see a resemblance to chana pulao and yakhni pulao. The Turkish version is plainer, without whole spices or fried onions, and that simplicity is the point: buttery rice, tender chicken, soft chickpeas.
Serving
Serve with pickled peppers, a cold glass of ayran and perhaps a çoban salatası.
Questions people ask
Can I use dried chickpeas?
Yes. Soak ¾ cup overnight and simmer (or pressure-cook) until soft before adding them to the rice.
How is it different from chana pulao?
It has no whole spices or browned onions. The flavour comes entirely from chicken stock, butter and black pepper, so it's milder and more buttery.
What's served with it?
Pickled peppers (turşu), ayran, and sometimes a simple salad.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 470
- Protein
- 30 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Carbs
- 55 g
