Ā© All Rights Reserved.
Today we have a delicious and special dish from the north of Iran. Khoresht-e Porteghal ( chicken and orange stew) is a delightful combination of chicken and orange. Citrus fruits are very popular in north Iran, such as Mazandaran and Gilan. These regions are the source of all kinds of citrus fruits, including oranges, lemons, and tangerines. also in the north of Iran, there are aromatic herbs specific to these regions, and people have different recipes with these kinds of herbs.
Using citrus fruits in the main meal is a creative idea to create a new taste and provide the needed vitamins to the body. Orange is one of those fruits that almost everyone likes and is easily available everywhere in the world, and you can make Khoresht-e Porteghal at home.
Natural orange juice is used to prepare this stew, and you should not use packaged juices because they have a lot of sugar. This special and flavorful stew is cooked with different recipes, of which we have prepared the best recipe for you in Cookery Magazine. If you want to experience new flavors, we recommend you try Khoresht-e Porteghal.
ingredients
| chicken breast | 4 pieces |
| sugar | 1 Tbsp |
| orange | 2 |
| Juice orange | 2 cups |
| Sliced zest orange | 2 Tbsp |
| brewed saffron | 1 Tbsp |
| salt and oil | as needed |
How to make Khoresht-e Porteghal
First step: Frying the chicken breast
1-To prepare Khoresht-e Porteghal, cut the chicken breast into cubes, put a suitable pot on the heat, and pour some oil. Let it get hot, then add the chicken and fry well. After the chicken becomes golden, add the sliced zest orange and continue roasting for a few more minutes.
2-Next, add 2 glasses of orange juice, which you have already obtained with the juicer, along with a little salt, to the pot, then put the lid on the pot so that the chicken and the sliced zest orange are cooked completely with a gentle heat.
Second step: Adding orange pieces
peel the oranges and cut them into cubes, and set aside. Let the chicken cook completely, then add oranges. If you add the oranges to the chicken too soon, they will stay in the stew for a long time, which will cause the oranges to get crushed, and the stew will have a bad appearance.
Third step: Cooking the Khoresht-e Porteghal
After adding the orange, add sugar and saffron to the stew. Reduce the heat under the pot until the stew is ready to serve.
Topping and serving Khoresht-e Porteghal
Serve the stew on a serving platter with orange pieces arranged on top, garnish with pistachio or almond slices, and serve it with steamed Persian saffron rice or Kate (Persian rice cooked the easy way).
Additional tips about cooking Khoresht-e Porteghal
1- The taste of orange stew depends on the type of oranges used in this stew. If you use oranges that have a very sour taste, you can use more sugar.
2- Using neither sweet nor sour oranges for the best taste is better. Another point is that you can use tangerine for cooking this stew if you don’t have oranges.
3- When roasting the chicken, use a little butter to give the orange stew a special aroma.
4- After adding the orange pieces, do not stir the stew at all because the orange will be crushed, and the appearance of the stew will be lost.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can we use tangerine instead of orange?
Yes, you can use a tangerine if you donāt have an orange available.
What kind of orange should we use?
Using neither sweet nor sour oranges is better for the best taste.
