Tah Cheen - A tasty combination of rice and saffron with chicken & eggplant.

For this recipe you need:
• Chicken breast 500gr
• Onion 1 medium
• Eggplant 2 medium
• Rice 500gr
• Plain yogurt 150gr
• Ground Saffron 1/8tsp
• Egg 1
• Olive oil 5tbs
• Salt & pepper to taste

Serves 4 to 6 people

Instructions:
1. Put the saffron and 2 ice cubes in a small bowl and set them aside. (You could use boiling water instead of ice cubes)

2. Cut the eggplants lengthwise into slices of half inch thick and spread in a greased baking tin and brush with olive oil. Sprinkler some salt on them.
3. Bake in the pre-heated oven at 360˚F (180˚C) for 30 min or until they are soft.

4. Cut the chicken in small chunks and slice the onion.
5. Put a pan over medium low heat and add some olive oil. When hot enough add the onions and sauté for few minutes.
6. Add the chicken, salt & pepper, and let cook together for about 20min, or until the chicken is not pink anymore.

7. Wash the rice and add it to 1.5 litres of salted boiling water over high heat.
8. After 10min strain the rice in a sieve (depending on the type of rice you use, this step may be shorter or longer).
9. Divide the rice into two equal portions and let them cool down.
10. In the meantime, in a mixing bowl crack the egg, add the yogurt, saffron & salt and mix well until well incorporated and smooth. Some olive oil can be added too.
11. Add half of the rice to this mixture and mix gently.
12. Put a non-stick 11-inch pan with some olive oil over medium low heat. Then pour the rice mixed from step 11 into the pan and spread it evenly.
13. Layer the chickens & eggplants on top of the rice. After that spread the other half of the rice as the last layer.
14. Let cook on medium low for 5min, then lower the heat and let cook for 30-40min.
15. To serve it, place a large platter over the pan and flip the pan so the dish is upside-down on the platter.
16. For garnishing I sautéed barberries, sugar, pistachios and lemon juice. Be careful not to burn it. It usually takes 1-2 minutes on low heat.