Chicken Kabsa
A delicious Saudi Arabian one-pot dish with aromatic spices, golden-brown chicken, and fragrant basmati rice.
Servings: 3 people
Calories: 860.14kcal
Ingredients
- 1½ cups basmati rice washed and soaked for 30 mins and drained completely
- ¼ cup cooking oil olive oil or vegetable oil.
- ⅓ cup almonds blanched, peeled and sliced
- ¼ cup black raisins fried till puffed
- 4 green cardamom
- 4 to 6 cloves
- 2 inch cinnamon stick
- 1 dried black lime (loomi)
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 medium-sized red onions diced finely
- 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
- 300 grams tomatoes chopped or pureed (2 large)
- 60 grams carrot grated (half of a small carrot)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 800 grams whole chicken with skin or skinless (cut into 2 or 4 pieces)
- 1 teaspoon black pepper powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- ¼ teaspoon allspice powder or cinnamon powder
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder
- salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon orange zest optional
- 2¼ cups water see notes
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a wide-mouthed deep pot with a flat heavy bottom on a medium flame.¼ cup cooking oil
- Fry the prepped almonds until golden brown and remove with a slotted spoon and keep aside.⅓ cup almonds
- Fry the raisins till puffed, remove and keep them aside.¼ cup black raisins
- Add all the whole spices and saute until fragrant.4 green cardamom, 4 to 6 cloves, 2 inch cinnamon stick, 1 dried black lime, 1 bay leaf
- Add the chopped onions, and saute until translucent.3 medium-sized red onions
- Add the ginger-garlic paste and saute until onions start to brown. ( 5mins)1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
- Add the cut chicken skin-side down and cook until browned. Cook on high, partially covered, until chicken turns white.800 grams whole chicken with skin
- Add all the spice powders and salt, and give it a good mix. Here you can also add a teaspoon of orange zest.1 teaspoon black pepper powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder, 1 teaspoon cumin powder, ¼ teaspoon allspice powder, ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder, salt to taste, 1 teaspoon orange zest
- Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, and grated carrot and cook until the oil surfaces.300 grams tomatoes, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 60 grams carrot
- Add at least 2 cups of water and adjust the salt. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low to medium until chicken is cooked.2¼ cups water
- Remove the chicken pieces and place them in a baking pan.
- Add the drained rice, more hot water if required and adjust the salt. (make sure there is water above the grains)1½ cups basmati rice
- Cook on medium to high flame until you can see the grains on the surface. (5 mins)
- Turn the heat to its lowest setting. To ensure even cooking and prevent scorching, slide a flat pan under the pot. Cover the pot with foil or a clean cloth, seal it tightly with a lid, and let it cook for 10 minutes. Switch off and don't disturb for another 10 minutes.
- Take the chicken pieces and grill or broil them in a hot oven or stovetop with some butter until browned.
- Serve Kabsa topped with the roasted chicken pieces and the fried almonds and raisins, along with salads and yoghurt.
Notes
Allspice powder: Allspice is not garam masala. You may use nutmeg powder or cinnamon powder instead, or skip it. You may skip all the spice powders I have used and use store-bought Kabsa spice mix instead. Use 2 teaspoons of Kabsa spice mix for this recipe.
Water: The total amount of water will depend on the rice quality and whether it was soaked or not soaked.
Orange rinds: You may add some orange zest or rinds along with shredded carrots for a different flavour.
Nutrition
Calories: 860.14kcal | Carbohydrates: 92.18g | Protein: 52.88g | Fat: 32.96g
