Chicke meatballs with cooked cabbage seasoned with bezar spice mix are nestled into majboos rice.
Prep Time25 minutesmins
Cook Time25 minutesmins
Total Time50 minutesmins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: arabic, middle eastern
Servings: 2people
Author: Famidha Ashraf
INGREDIENTS
For the chicken meatballs: Yields 14
150gramscabbagechiffonade and cooked
300gramsboneless chickenchopped roughly
½medium onionchopped roughly
2 to 3green chillieschopped roughly
2 to 3garlic cloves
2tablespoonchopped coriander leaves
½teaspooncumin powder
1teaspoonbezar spice mix
¼teaspoonturmeric powder
¼teaspooncinnamon powder
2tablespoonoats flour
Salt and pepper to taste
1tablespoonghee or butteror olive oil
For majboos rice
2tablespoonolive oil
1loomidried lime
1inchcinnamon stick
2green cardamom
2cloves
1bay leaf
¼teaspoonblack peppercorns
1large oniondiced finely
1medium-sized tomatochopped finely
¼teaspoonbezar spice mix
150gramsbasmati rice⅔ cup, washed and soaked for 30 minutes and drained
a pinch of saffron strandsbrewed
11/2cuphot water
INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare chicken meatballs
Keep all the ingredients ready. Add all the meatballs ingredients except the oil into a large mixie grinder and pulse a few times until well combined. You should stir and wipe down the contents and pulse until mixed thoroughly. Transfer to a bowl and make equal-sized meatballs (approx 14)
Let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes in the fridge for the flavours to marry. At this point, you can freeze it individually and then pack it in a box or bag.
Heat some choice of oil in a pot and brown the meatballs until cooked - 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the meatballs and keep them aside. Use the same pot for making the rice.
Prepare majboos rice
Heat ghee or olive oil and add the whole spices and saute until fragrant.
Add the onions and sauté until almost caramelized.
Add the tomatoes and bezar spice mix and sauté until cooked down.
Add the drained rice and fry for a few seconds. Pour enough HOT water to submerge the rice
Drop the meatballs carefully and bring to boil on high flame. Let it boil until there is no water on the surface.
Reduce to the lowest flame. Sprinkle the saffron water and give a stir. Cover the pot with foil and then close with a tight lid. Keep a flat pan below this pot to prevent burnt food.
Cook for 10 minutes and switch off the flame. Let it stay undisturbed for 8 to 10 minutes. Open and serve warm with yoghurt or green salad.