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Chicken Kabsa

Saudi-style chicken kabsa: fragrant spiced basmati rice cooked in chicken broth, topped with roasted chicken, raisins and almonds.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Calories: 650
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1.2 kg chicken pieces
  • 3 tbsp ghee or oil
  • 2 onions chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tomatoes chopped
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp kabsa spice mix
  • 1 dried black lime (loomi) pierced
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 4 cardamom pods
  • 1 l water
  • 450 g basmati rice soaked for 30 minutes
  • 50 g raisins
  • 50 g toasted almonds
  • Salt

Method
 

  1. Fry the onions in the ghee for 8 minutes until golden. Add the garlic and chicken and brown lightly.
  2. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, spice mix, loomi, cinnamon and cardamom.
  3. Add the water and salt and simmer for 40 minutes until the chicken is tender.
  4. Remove the chicken and roast at 220°C for 15 minutes to crisp.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.