When I made this, I told my spouse I was thinking of calling it Illinois Pilaf.

“Why?” They asked, “There’s no corn in it.”

It’s true (though you could always add corn if you want to!). I was working from a recipe called Pakistani Rice, which I found in my mom’s recipe box, attributed to someone named Jenny Jar. Is it authentic to Pakistani cuisine? My search engine indicates that Jar is a plausible Pakistani name, though I never met her and can’t say for sure if she accurately represented the cuisine in her recipe. The spices have been toned down more than I would have expected — in fact, it’s not spicy at all. However, this could have been an intentional move for Midwestern taste buds in the 1980s.

In any case, it is authentic to Illinois. So…Illinois Pulao, referring to the Pakistani word for pilaf.

How does it taste? While the flavor is fairly bland unless you punch up the spices beyond what’s listed below, the chicken broth gives the rice a richer flavor than if it had been cooked in water. The chicken and vegetables make it a hearty, nutrient-rich dish. Compare it to a fried rice but with less fat. I added garlic and carrots to Jenny Jar’s version to give it a little more substance.

The original recipe calls for leftover chicken, which is a good way to use up leftovers. I had some raw chicken thighs that needed to be used instead, so I’ve altered the version below to include instructions for starting with raw chicken. Feel free to skip this step if you have leftover cooked chicken.

This makes 5-7 servings depending on how large you make the portions.

2 c. uncooked rice
1 large onion
2 carrots, chopped
3-4 tsp. garlic, minced
2 tsp. salt
2 bay leaves
8 peppercorns
6 cloves
2 2-inch sticks of cinnamon
3 c. chicken stock
1 package chicken thighs or breasts, or use what you have of leftover chicken
1 package frozen peas

Cut the chicken into half-inch pieces. If you are starting with raw chicken, heat about 2 tbsp. oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven on medium heat. Brown the chicken, then add the onions, carrots, and garlic. Add the salt and cook for a few minutes.

Add everything else except the peas and cook slowly (enough to cook the rice, maybe 20-25 minutes). Add the peas in the last 10 minutes.

Pile on a platter and serve hot.