Machboos Rubyan is a delicious and popular rice dish from Bahrain and other neighbouring Gulf countries. It is a traditional Arabian rice dish with a flavorful combination of spices, rice, and prawns or shrimp (rubyan).
Prep Time30 minutesmins
Cook Time1 hourhr5 minutesmins
Total Time1 hourhr35 minutesmins
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: arabic, Emirati, middle eastern
Keyword: prawns and rice, shrimp and rice
Servings: 3People
Calories: 613kcal
Author: Famidha Ashraf
Equipment
1 stock pot (for preparing the stock)
1 thick and flat-bottomed pot with a lid (for preparing rice)
1 skillet (for frying the prawns)
1 heat diffuser (for under the pot of rice)
Ingredients
For prawns/shrimp stock:
500gramsprawnscleaned, peeled and deveined (shells and heads reserved)
1medium onionhalved
½whole bulb of garlic
½Lemon wedgeshalved
1inchcinnamon stick
1teaspoonsalt
For marinating prawns:
½teaspoongaram masala
¼teaspoonturmeric powder
2garlic clovesminced
2teaspoonolive oil or butter
Salt and pepper to taste
For machboos:
1 ¼cupbasmati rice
1tablespooncooking oil
2teaspoonghee or butter
4green cardamom
½inchcinnamon stick
3cloves
1loomi(black dried lime)
1small red oniondiced finely
1bell pepperchopped
1teaspoonginger garlic paste3 garlic and ½ inch ginger
3 to 5green chillieschopped
¼teaspoonturmeric powder
1teaspooncoriander powder
1teaspooncumin powder
2medium-sized tomatoes
2 ½cupstockprepared prawns stock
Fresh coriander leaveschopped
salt to taste
10gramsbutter
For frying prawns or shrimp
1tablespooncooking oil
1teaspoonghee or butter
Fresh coriander leaves
a squeeze of lemon
Instructions
Prepare Prawns/Shrimp Stock:
In a large pot, add the prawn shells and heads (reserved from the cleaning) along with the halved onion, garlic bulb, lemon, cinnamon stick, and salt.
500 grams prawns, 1 medium onion, ½ whole bulb of garlic, ½ Lemon wedges, 1 inch cinnamon stick, 1 teaspoon salt
Cover the ingredients with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 20-25 minutes to extract the flavours.
Strain the stock through a fine sieve and set it aside for later use.
Marinate the Prawns/Shrimp:
In a mixing bowl, combine the cleaned and deveined prawns with garam masala, turmeric, minced garlic cloves, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix well to coat the prawns evenly with the marinade.
½ teaspoon garam masala, ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, 2 garlic cloves, 2 teaspoon olive oil or butter, Salt and pepper to taste
Allow the prawns to marinate for at least 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, you can start preparing the ingredients for the rice.
Cook the Basmati Rice:
Rinse the basmati rice gently until the water runs clear. Soak for 30 minutes in room temp water. Drain the rice and set it aside.
1 ¼ cup basmati rice
In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and 2 teaspoons of ghee over medium heat.
1 tablespoon cooking oil, 2 teaspoon ghee or butter
Add the whole spices and sauté for a minute until aromatic.
4 green cardamom, ½ inch cinnamon stick, 3 cloves, 1 loomi
Add the diced onions and sauté until the onions become translucent.
1 small red onion
Add the chopped bell pepper and sauté until they soften.
1 bell pepper
Stir in the ginger garlic paste and green chillies and cook for another minute until the raw smell disappears.
1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste, 3 to 5 green chillies
Add the roughly chopped tomatoes along with ground spices and mix well to coat the vegetables with the spices. Cook until the tomatoes start to break down. Here, you may add a few tablespoons of prepared stock or water to prevent burning the spices.
Pour in the prepared prawns/shrimp stock (about 2 ½ cups) and bring it to a boil. Then stir in the chopped coriander leaves.
2 ½ cup stock, Fresh coriander leaves
Stir in the drained basmati rice and bring the whole thing to a full boil on medium to high heat. Check the salt and add as needed. Boil until the water reduces and the rice surfaces.
salt to taste
When the rice surfaces, reduce the heat to the lowest, cover the pot with foil and then a lid, and place a heat diffuser below. Let the rice cook for 5 to 8 minutes.
Open and gently stir the rice, cover again, switch off and let it rest for another 8 to 10 minutes.
Lastly, add a knob of butter or ghee on top of the rice for added richness.
10 grams butter
Fry the Prawns/Shrimp:
In a separate small pan, heat 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and a knob of butter over medium-high heat.
1 tablespoon cooking oil, 1 teaspoon ghee or butter
Fry a few prawns on medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes until they turn golden brown and crispy on both sides.
Switch off and stir in the freshly chopped coriander leaves and lemon juice.
Fresh coriander leaves, a squeeze of lemon
Serve Machboos Rubyan:
Transfer the prepared Machboos Rubyan to a serving dish. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and a squeeze of lemon juice for added freshness. Arrange the fried prawns on top of the Machboos. Serve with salted yoghurt or laban and any Arabic salad.
Notes
Remember, cooking times may vary based on your stovetop and the size of the pot, prawns/shrimp, so always keep an eye on the dish to ensure it is cooked to perfection. Enjoy your delicious homemade Machboos Rubyan!