Parsi Chicken Soup with Rice

This is one of my favorite cold-weather meals. Jason goes back for seconds, so you know he really likes it. I think it originally came from a San Francisco newspaper, which I used to read when I lived in Napa in 1998.

3 lbs chicken, cut into chunks
6 c. water
1 tsp. salt
3 Tblsp. oil
1 c. onion, cut into chunks
1/2 inch piece of ginger root, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 tsp. chopped garlic
1/2 tsp. red chile flakes
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 c. tomato paste
cooked basmati rice

Cook the chicken in the 6 cups of water with salt over medium heat for 20 minutes.

In a food processor, or with a hand blender**, puree the onion, ginger, and garlic.

Heat oil in a skillet and over medium heat, fry the onion paste for 3 minutes.

Add the cumin and chile flakes and stirfry the mixture for 3 minutes more.

Add the mixture to the chicken and water, along with the tomato paste and simmer over moderately low heat for 20 more minutes.

Serve over rice, or add the rice to the pot. Yum!


**Mine is this same set, but I just checked, and when I bought it in 2006, it cost me $24.99. If you can find one at a reasonable price, they are incredibly useful and convenient. But I don't think it's worth $114.99. And certainly not $199!!