I came across Rubina of ‘All Floured up’ through a facebook group called ‘Muslimah Bloggers’. Rubina loves to cook fresh and organic produce. Her blog also includes recipes for kids and reviews on local halal eat outs. Today Rubina is going to share with us a rich and regal delicacy of Arab Cuisine ‘Chicken Kabsa’….a very close cousin of our Chicken Biryani…This is one perfect one pot meal you can enjoy as a family on Iftar table.
{Ramadan Special} – Chicken Kabsa by Rubina of ‘All Floured Up’
I’m a big fan of chicken and rice dishes: it’s easy, it’s loved by everyone, it’s fulfilling, and it’s so versatile. Best of all, chicken and rice are two ingredients that we almost always have in our kitchens. This chicken kabsa dish that I will share with you is a special meal that I love making during Ramadan nights.
What is Kabsa?
Kabsa is a traditional Saudi dish that consists of meat that cooks with spices, broth infused with turmeric and Baharat spices, and rice that has a delicious tomato and onion base. Everything in this dish comes together fairly quickly and it makes a lot- this is a dish to have with family gathered together to break the fast.
Basically, you make a broth with the chicken (or any other type of meat) and spices. The broth is saved for cooking the rice, and the meat is shredded. The rice is cooked with tomatoes, onions, more spices (and lots of turmeric!), and the flavored broth. To serve, I love putting the fluffy spice-infused rice onto a large platter, topping it with shredded meat, chopped cilantro leaves, and fried raisins and sliced almonds.
Spices in Kabsa:
The flavors are amazing in this dish: nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, black pepper, cardamom, paprika, and my favorite: turmeric. Both the broth and the rice have turmeric added. The result is a golden rice dish that’s absolutely delicious with the hints of sweetness from the raisin and the subtle flavors of all the nutty, smoky spices.
Yield: 4
Chicken Kabsa Recipe
Arabic Chicken Kabsa is a golden rice dish that's absolutely delicious. Made with chicken, rice and special spices, this one pot meal is crowd pleaser. The flavour and aroma of chicken kabsa is simply amazing.
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
50 minutes
Total Time
1 hour 10 minutes
Ingredients
INGREDIENTS FOR BHARAT SPICE MIX:
- 1 tbsp. black Pepper powder
- 1 tbsp. Coriander powder
- ½ tsp. Cinnamon powder
- 1 tsp. ground Cloves
- ½ tsp. ground Cardamom
- 1 tsp. ground Nutmeg
- 1 tbsp. Paprika
INGREDIENTS FOR BROTH:
- 1 small Chicken, cut into pieces
- 1 small Onion, chopped
- 4 cloves Garlic, crushed
- 1 tsp. Turmeric powder
- 1 tsp. Baharat spice mix
- ¾ tsp. salt
- 6 cups Water
INGREDIENTS FOR RICE:
- 2 cups Basmati rice
- 3 tbsp. Oil
- 1 small Onion, thinly sliced
- 1 large Cinnamon stick
- 4-5 Cardamom pods
- 2 Tomatoes, chopped
- 1 tsp. Turmeric powder
- 2 tsp. Baharat spice mix
- 1 tsp. Red chili powder (or cayenne pepper)
- 1 Green chili, cut in half
- 4 cups of the saved Chicken broth
- 2 tsp. Salt, or to taste
FOR GARNISH
- ½ cup Raisins, soaked for 15 min
- ½ cup sliced Almonds
- 2 tbsp. minced Coriander leaves
Instructions
First start by making chicken broth,
How To Make Chicken Broth For Kabsa
- Place all the ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil.
- Cover with lid, reduce heat to medium low, and cook for about 45-50 minutes, or until the chicken is tender.
- Remove the chicken pieces and strain the chicken broth into a clean bowl.
- Keep the chicken broth for the rice. Shred the chicken and save for the end.
- Mix all the ingredients mentioned under 'Bharat Spice Mix' and set aside.
How To Make Arabic Chicken Kabsa Recipe
- Rinse the rice and soak in water for 15 minutes. In a large pot, heat up oil and add onions.
- Stir fry until golden brown. Add the tomatoes, cardamom, cinnamon stick, turmeric, chili powder, and Baharat spice mix. Cover with lid, with heat on low.
- Cook for 5 min, or until tomatoes are softened. Add the green chili and the chicken broth.
- Add the salt to taste. Bring to a boil and add the drained soaked rice.
- Cover the pot partially on medium heat until most of the water is evaporated, you'll see little holes in the rice.
- Cover completely, put the heat on low and cook for 10 minutes, or until all the water is evaporated.
- Turn heat off and keep lid on for 10 minutes before fluffing the rice.
- Fry the soaked raisins and the sliced almonds in some oil for 1-2 minutes.
- To serve, dish the rice onto a platter, top with shredded chicken, raisins, and almonds.
- Top with chopped cilantro for garnish. Enjoy!
Notes
Lubna's Serving Suggestions:
Generally chicken kabsa is served with a fresh mixed tomato, cucumber, carrot and lettuce salad. You can serve this with kachumber and onion raita.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 452Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 2584mgCarbohydrates: 54gFiber: 7gSugar: 17gProtein: 15g
Thank you Rubina for being part of this event and introducing this flavoursome recipe to the readers.
You can find Rubina @ Facebook|Instagram|Pinterest
Back in,
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2014 – Joy From Fasting To Feasting – VII – Shorba Frik from Asmaa
2013 – Joy From Fasting To Feasting – VI – Piyaju from Lail
Jodi says
I was looking for a Kabsa dish to make because I teach a lot of Saudi students esl. I decided to make it since they always talk about their ‘national’ dish.
My family and I enjoyed this dish so much. Thank you for having such a delicious recipie. My only advice, if you have little kids who aren’t used to the red chili powder or the green chilies is to omit them all together or add less than 1/4 of red chili powder. Or just serve with cucumber and yogurt to cool it down for their little tongues. But overall this dish is wonderful!
Kayla says
Beautiful dish! We’ve made this recipe a few times and every time I’ve made it I fall more and more in love with it (which I didn’t think was possible).