One-Pot Chicken and Pumpkin Pulao

Equipment

• A Uighur man sits in the shade with his teapot and bowl of tea, in Kashgar, in western Xinjiang .

Ingredients

• 2½ cups medium-grain Mediterranean-style rice, such as arborio, baldo, or Valencia
• 1 tablespoon salt, or to taste
• ¼ cup peanut oil or vegetable oil
• 2 medium onions (¾ pound), coarsely chopped
• 2 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped 4 cups water
• ¾ cup Jinjiang (black rice) vinegar or cider vinegar, diluted with ¼ cup water, or to taste
• 2 lemons, cut into wedges (optional)

Instructions

1. 1Rinse the rice well with cold water. Place it in a medium bowl with enough lukewarm water to cover it by an inch, stir in 1 teaspoon of the salt, and set aside to soak.
2. 2Remove the excess fat from the chicken. Finely chop about 3 tablespoons of the fat and set it aside. Use a cleaver to chop the chicken into approximately 2-inch pieces, leaving the bones in. Rinse and pat the chicken dry. Surface moisture prevents proper browning.
3. 3Peel the daikon and grate it on a coarse grater, or cut it into matchsticks to yield about 2 cups.
4. 4Heat the oil in a large, wide, heavy pot over medium heat. Add the reserved chicken fat and cook until it renders down into crispy cracklings. Scoop out the cracklings and set them aside.
5. 5Raise the heat to high. When the oil is nearly smoking, stir in 1 teaspoon of salt. Carefully add the chicken pieces and brown them, turning occasionally. If your pot is crowded, brown the chicken in batches.
6. 6Once the chicken is browned on all sides, stir in the chopped onions, daikon, and tomatoes. Lower the heat slightly and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the daikon softens and the tomatoes begin to break down.
7. 7Pour in the water and the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a vigorous boil, then lower the heat to medium, partially cover, and boil gently for 10 minutes. Taste the broth and adjust the seasoning if needed.
8. 8Drain the soaked rice and sprinkle it evenly into the pot. The liquid should cover the rice by half an inch; add a little hot water if necessary. Bring back to a boil, cover tightly, lower the heat to medium, and cook for 5 minutes until the liquid drops to the level of the rice.
9. 9Scatter the cubed pumpkin evenly over the rice. Cover tightly again, reduce the heat to its lowest setting, and cook for 30 minutes.
10. 10Remove the pot from the heat and let it rest undisturbed for 10 minutes before removing the lid. The rice needs this time to finish steaming and absorb the remaining moisture.
11. 11Serve directly from the pot, or mound the rice on a large platter with the chicken and pumpkin arranged on top. Drizzle portions with diluted black rice vinegar and serve with lemon wedges.

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