an Arabic meat and rice dish cooked in a spiced broth with tomatoes and topped with roasted chicken and nuts.
Prep Time30 minutesmins
Cook Time1 hourhr
Total Time1 hourhr30 minutesmins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: arabic, middle eastern
Servings: 3people
Author: Famidha Ashraf
INGREDIENTS
For the chicken
3chicken whole legsor one 700gms chicken
1teaspoonBezar spice mixor Baharat spice mix
½teaspoonturmeric powder
¼teaspooncumin powder
¼teaspooncardamom powder
½teaspooncinnamon powder
For Chicken Machboos
1tablespoonghee or butter
3cloves
1medium-sized red onion
2 to 5green chillies
1loomidried black lime
2teaspoonsginger garlic paste
1large tomatochopped roughly
salt to taste
2cupshot water
fresh coriander leaves
juice of half a lime
1cupbasmati rice
butter to roast the cooked chicken
INSTRUCTIONS
Marinate the chicken with all the spice powders (bezar, turmeric, cumin, cinnamon and cardamom) and let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes.
Wash and soak the rice for 30 minutes or as per packet instruction.
Heat butter or ghee in a deep wide pot on medium flame.
Add the cloves, the finely diced onion, green chillies, dried lime and saute for a minute.
Add the ginger-garlic paste and saute for a minute.
Add the marinated chicken along with the chopped tomato. Cook on high until all of the chicken pieces turn white. (~5mins) Meanwhile, prepare hot water.
Add the hot water and salt to taste. Bring this to a boil.
Cover and cook on medium flame until the chicken is cooked through. (~10mins)
Remove the cooked chicken pieces and keep them aside.
Add a fistful of chopped coriander leaves and lime or lemon juice.
Stir in the soaked rice and salt to taste. Bring this to boil on a high flame until you can see the grains on the surface.
Reduce the flame to the lowest. Slide a heat diffuser or flat pan underneath, cover the pot with foil and then the lid. Let it cook for another 8 to 10 minutes.
Switch off and open to carefully stir the bottom rice to the top and cover again. Let it sit for another 5 to 8 minutes before you can serve.
Meanwhile, roast the cooked chicken on the stovetop or oven with some butter. You may place back the roasted chicken on top of the rice and serve or transfer the rice to a platter and place the roasted chicken over it.
Serve with salad and laban or yoghurt (some pappadams won't hurt :-))