Al kabsa was the first Arabic dish I ever made. It turned out extremely delicious and is a new favorite. Serve with fresh mixed cucumber, carrot, lettuce, and tomato salad — preferably with a little lime vinaigrette. Some fresh pita bread on the side would also be nice. Saudis like their kabsa with a hot sauce called shattah. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- saffron: 0.5 tsp
- ground cinnamon: 0.5 tsp
- ground allspice: 0.5 tsp
- whole lime powder: 0.5 tsp (dried)
- ground cardamom: 0.25 tsp
- ground white pepper: 0.25 tsp
- butter: 0.25 cup
- onion: 1 piece (chopped)
- garlic: 6 clove (minced)
- whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces: 1 piece (3 pound)
- tomato puree: 0.25 cup
- tomatoes, undrained: 1 can (14.5 ounce can, diced)
- carrots: 3 piece (grated)
- whole cloves: 2 piece
- pinch ground nutmeg: 1 piece
- pinch ground cumin: 1 piece
- pinch ground coriander: 1 piece
- salt and freshly ground black pepper: (to taste)
- ¼ cups hot water, plus more: 3 piece (if needed)
- cube chicken bouillon: 1 piece
- ¼ cups unrinsed basmati rice: 2 piece
- raisins: 0.25 cup
- slivered almonds: 0.25 cup (toasted)
Metric Conversion
Stages of cooking
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Make spice mix: Stir together saffron, cinnamon, allspice, lime powder, cardamom, and white pepper in a small bowl; set aside.
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Make dish: Melt butter in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook and stir onion and garlic in butter until onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Add chicken and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Mix in tomato purée.
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Stir in canned tomatoes with juice, carrots, cloves, nutmeg, cumin, coriander, salt, black pepper, and reserved spice mix. Cook for about 3 minutes; pour in water and add chicken bouillon cube.
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Bring sauce to a boil, then reduce heat, and cover the pot. Simmer until chicken is no longer pink and the juices run clear, about 30 minutes.
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Gently stir in rice. Cover the pot and simmer until rice is tender and almost dry, about 25 minutes; add raisins and a little more hot water, if necessary. Cover and cook until rice grains separate, 5 to 10 minutes.
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Transfer rice to a large serving platter and arrange chicken on top. Sprinkle with toasted slivered almonds.
