Saudi-style chicken kabsa: fragrant spiced basmati rice cooked in chicken broth, topped with roasted chicken, raisins and almonds.
About this Middle Eastern recipe
Kabsa is a one-pot spiced rice and meat dish from the Arabian Peninsula and a national dish of Saudi Arabia. Dried black lime, loomi, gives it a distinctive sour note.
Ingredients you will need
The main ingredients are chicken pieces, ghee or oil, onions, garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste. Exact quantities are in the recipe card below.
How long it takes
Allow 1 hr 30 min in total: 20 min of preparation, 1 hr 10 min of cooking. The recipe serves 6.
Chicken Kabsa
Saudi-style chicken kabsa: fragrant spiced basmati rice cooked in chicken broth, topped with roasted chicken, raisins and almonds.
Ingredients
Method
- Fry the onions in the ghee for 8 minutes until golden. Add the garlic and chicken and brown lightly.
- Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, spice mix, loomi, cinnamon and cardamom.
- Add the water and salt and simmer for 40 minutes until the chicken is tender.
- Remove the chicken and roast at 220°C for 15 minutes to crisp.
- Add the drained rice to the broth, making sure the liquid sits about 1.5 cm above it. Cover and cook on low for 20 minutes.
- Pile the rice on a platter, top with the chicken and scatter with raisins and almonds.
Notes
Pierce the dried lime before adding it so its flavour infuses the broth.