Growing up, I was very shy and simple. My eldest sister Jennifer was my inspiration and the first one who encouraged me to put makeup. I started with eyeliner and now, just cannot do without it. My favourite is Lakme liquid eyeliner. Whenever I visit Jennifer in Mumbai, she introduces me to new dishes. Few years back, it was sikandari raan, one that I replicated with the recipe posted on the site. During my recent visit in December 2019, she served us raan kabsa so I tried it with chicken for our wedding anniversary on 4th January. Kabsa is a dish made with rice and meat, originated from Saudi Arabia. Commonly, regarded as a national dish in many Arab states of the Persian Gulf. Delicious, attractive and often served for special occasions.
This dish is prepared in many different ways and easy to make at home. Various spices contributes to the major element of the dish that lend a distinctive flavour. Addition of black dried lime also provides to the complexity of the dish. Different meats such as goat, lamb, chicken, beef, camel and even fish or shrimps can be used. Once cooked, the meat or seafood is placed over a bed of steaming long-grain basmati rice, dressed with nuts and raisins. Usually presented in a round platter kept on the floor for a group of people that sit and eat together with their right hand. Kabsa is accompanied with raita and daqqūs, an Arabic homemade tomato sauce.
This dish is prepared in many different ways and easy to make at home. Various spices contributes to the major element of the dish that lend a distinctive flavour. Addition of black dried lime also provides to the complexity of the dish. Different meats such as goat, lamb, chicken, beef, camel and even fish or shrimps can be used. Once cooked, the meat or seafood is placed over a bed of steaming long-grain basmati rice, dressed with nuts and raisins. Usually presented in a round platter kept on the floor for a group of people that sit and eat together with their right hand. Kabsa is accompanied with raita and daqqūs, an Arabic homemade tomato sauce.
Marinated chicken pieces
Chicken pieces cooked in the stock and ready for the oven
Chicken Kabsa
(Serves 6)
Ingredients:
2 whole chicken
2 1/2 cups basmati rice
2 large onions (slices)
2 long green chillies (each cut into two halves)
1/2 cup tomato puree or 1 large tomato (chopped)
8 large cloves of garlic (chopped)
1-inch ginger (grated)
2 cinnamon sticks (1.5-inch each)
6 cloves
4 green cardamoms
1 bay leaf
1 dried black lime
4 cups chicken stock
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
3 maggi cubes (5 gms each, vegetable or chicken)
few cashewnuts and raisins
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon ghee
salt
Kabsa Powder (dry roast and grind to a fine powder)
5 red dried chillies
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
3 cinnamon sticks (1.5-inch each)
8 cloves
15 whole black peppercorns
6 green cardamoms
a pinch of saffron
Method:
Butterfly chickens by cutting off the backbone on either sides with kitchen shears. Reserve backbones for stock. Cut each chicken into four pieces (2 breasts each with a wing and 2 whole legs). Remove the skin and discard. Wash the pieces, drain, season with salt and some kabsa powder keeping the balance to be used for the rice. Cover, refrigerate and marinate overnight or for some hours.
Soak rice in water for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 F or 200 C.
Heat ghee in a thick deep wide-bottomed pan, fry cashewnuts and raisins. Remove and set aside for garnishing. In the same pan, saute onions until golden brown. Add garlic, ginger, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cloves and cardamoms. When fragrant, stir in the black lime, turmeric powder, leftover kabsa powder, tomato puree or tomato, green chillies and crushed maggi cubes. Incorporate the chicken pieces and stock. Cover and cook chicken on medium heat for 20 minutes. Then, remove the chicken pieces in a baking sheet. Drain rice and add to the pan. Stir gently, taste stock and add salt. Cover with a lid and cook on medium heat until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Toss rice with a fork, cover pan and leave undisturbed for 10 to 15 minutes.
Brush chicken pieces with 1 tablespoon melted ghee and bake for 20 minutes or until done.
Serve rice in a platter arranging the chicken pieces all around. Garnish with reserved cashewnuts and raisins.
Note:
(Serves 6)
Ingredients:
2 whole chicken
2 1/2 cups basmati rice
2 large onions (slices)
2 long green chillies (each cut into two halves)
1/2 cup tomato puree or 1 large tomato (chopped)
8 large cloves of garlic (chopped)
1-inch ginger (grated)
2 cinnamon sticks (1.5-inch each)
6 cloves
4 green cardamoms
1 bay leaf
1 dried black lime
4 cups chicken stock
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
3 maggi cubes (5 gms each, vegetable or chicken)
few cashewnuts and raisins
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon ghee
salt
Kabsa Powder (dry roast and grind to a fine powder)
5 red dried chillies
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
3 cinnamon sticks (1.5-inch each)
8 cloves
15 whole black peppercorns
6 green cardamoms
a pinch of saffron
Method:
Butterfly chickens by cutting off the backbone on either sides with kitchen shears. Reserve backbones for stock. Cut each chicken into four pieces (2 breasts each with a wing and 2 whole legs). Remove the skin and discard. Wash the pieces, drain, season with salt and some kabsa powder keeping the balance to be used for the rice. Cover, refrigerate and marinate overnight or for some hours.
Soak rice in water for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 F or 200 C.
Heat ghee in a thick deep wide-bottomed pan, fry cashewnuts and raisins. Remove and set aside for garnishing. In the same pan, saute onions until golden brown. Add garlic, ginger, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cloves and cardamoms. When fragrant, stir in the black lime, turmeric powder, leftover kabsa powder, tomato puree or tomato, green chillies and crushed maggi cubes. Incorporate the chicken pieces and stock. Cover and cook chicken on medium heat for 20 minutes. Then, remove the chicken pieces in a baking sheet. Drain rice and add to the pan. Stir gently, taste stock and add salt. Cover with a lid and cook on medium heat until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Toss rice with a fork, cover pan and leave undisturbed for 10 to 15 minutes.
Brush chicken pieces with 1 tablespoon melted ghee and bake for 20 minutes or until done.
Serve rice in a platter arranging the chicken pieces all around. Garnish with reserved cashewnuts and raisins.
Note:
- To make dried black lime - wash and blanch lime in hot water. Then, cool in an ice bath. Wipe and dry in the sun, dehydrator or in an oven using the lowest setting.
- Prepare stock with the two backbones, chopped vegetables (an onion, a celery stalk and a carrot), a bay leaf and water.
- For lighter coloured rice, omit the puree and use a chopped tomato. Rice will be more fluffier too without the puree.
- Rice is 2 1/2 cups that require 5 cups liquid to cook. Since the rice is soaked, slightly less liquid is used i.e. 4 cups stock with 1/2 cup tomato puree and extra moisture from the chicken is more than enough for the rice to cook through.
