Canucks, Take Boom Boom Afridi's Advice and Have Some Pilao and Cuchumber

Bad day for Canucks fans, oh yes it hurts and my little eyes are so red from cryin'.  So on Monday, the Canucks lost to the Bruins by 7 goals, with the final score being 8-1 in favour of Boston, and then earlier today (I'm on Australian time, kidz) the Canucks got clobbered again by 4 goals.  Ugh!  This Stanley Cup final is getting to be too much for my poor little heart.

I just started to get into NHL hockey; and now I can see why so many people like it.  Especially Bruins fans.  Bah!   I like the Canucks because I'm from Vancouver Island, but man come on.  They need help.  They've lost their canuckiness.  Even my favourite cricketer, the ridiculously handsome Shahid Afridi, reacted to the news of the loss today:

The 'nucks lost?  WTF?

And I bet right now the Canucks are really regretting the terrible snacks and meals they've been eating.  You know how I know they haven't been eating well?  Because they didn't play as well as they could have.  They looked a little lethargic...and that's what happens when you drink pop and eat cotton candy and popcorn all day long!  Come on guys, this isn't a day at the fun-fair with your best girlie by your side!!!!  This is the Stanley Cup!  Macho up and take a tip from Shahid Afridi:  eat proper Pakistani food and just watch the scores accumulate in your favour. 

That's right.  Although this is a recipe I've posted before, it's necessary to spread that Pakistani love around again because this is an emergency.  Canucks, take a lesson from cricket:  eat some One Day International Pilao (named for the One Day International cricket matches) with Goaltender's Cuchumber.  And someone PLEASE get this recipe to Alain Vigneault on the double so that Luongo and the lads get it on time so they're fit and happy and win on home ice on Friday!

Pilao?  Oh yes please, I'd love some.

Proper One Day International Pilao with Goaltender's CuchumberMake the cuchumber first because it tastes better after resting for about 30 minutes.

Goaltender's Cuchumber
1 cup of finely chopped cucumber
1/2 very finely chopped onion
2or 3 very finely chopped green chilies
3 very finely chopped tomatoes (use more or less, according to how much you like tomatoes)
juice of 4 or 5 lemons or limes
lal mirch
salt

Toss everything together, and let it sit for at least 30 minutes.

Ingredients for Pilao
1 chicken, no skin, cut in 8 or 10 (the butcher can do this for you)
1 onion, finely chopped
7 or 8 cloves of garlic, crushed or very finely chopped
3 cm piece of ginger, crushed or very finely chopped
1 bay leaf
1 stick of cinnamon
1 black cardamom pod
1 star anise
5 black peppercorns
5 green cardamom pods
5 cloves
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon lal mirch (red chili powder)
salt to taste
3 cups of rice
4.5 cups of water
chopped green chilies to taste
chopped coriander for garnish
oil for cooking

1. Fry the onion until golden and a bit crispy, like you would for Basic Vegetable Salan.
2.  Add the cinammon stick, bay leaf, black cardamom, green cardamom, star anise, peppercorns and cumin seeds.
       You may notice that I do not grind the spices.   Cooking with whole spices is
        the old fashioned way and is how you get the authentic, subtle flavour. Do
        not take them out later on, just be careful when you're eating!
3.  Add the garlic and ginger, fry for a minute or two, but DO NOT BURN THE GARLIC!  Also you can add the chilies at this point.
4.  Add tumeric and lal mirch.  Fry for a few seconds.
5.  Add 4.5 cups of water, plus a little more (1/4 cup), bring to boil
6.  Add chicken and salt, let it boil about 10 minutes, so the chicken is just about cooked through.
7.  Add the rice, give it a stir
8.  When it boils again, turn down the heat to very low and cover.
9.  Let it cook for about 20 minutes or so, and add more water if the rice is still a bit hard.
10  Fluff up the rice, garnish with coriander,and serve with cuchumber on the side.

A quick note:  if you want a more flavourful pilao, ALWAYS use chicken with the bones in, and you can always add a few chicken necks.  Using only boneless chicken breast meat will give you a bland dish without all of the vitamins and minerals that come from the bones and marrow.  You may also use chicken broth instead of plain water.

Right, now there are absolutely no excuses for the Canucks to lose.  None!  So be good lil' kitchen helpers, make up some pilao and give it to your favourite Canuck.  I've already called dibs on Luongo, so the rest of you can cook for the other lads on the team.  Canucks, go out there and play some hockey and make us all proud!

Happy Hockey, Happy Canuckiness!