Chicken Kabsa

Kabsa Recipe with Chicken: A Delicacy from Arabia

Kabsa is an iconic dish from Saudi Arabia and Yemen, a true aromatic feast that combines rice with meat and seductive spices. In this guide, I will walk you step by step through the preparation of this delicious recipe, ensuring you achieve a perfect result. The total preparation time is approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes, and the recipe is sufficient for 4 servings.

Necessary ingredients:

- 2 cups long-grain rice (American brown or basmati)
- 2 chicken breasts (or one whole chicken)
- 2 teaspoons ground chicken spice (white pepper, coriander, cardamom)
- 2 teaspoons olive oil (for marinating the chicken)
- Juice of one small lemon (for marinating the chicken)
- 120 g tomato paste
- 2 medium onions, sliced
- 2 teaspoons ground kabsa spice (cinnamon, cardamom, coriander, galangal, cumin, pepper, saffron, bay leaves, nutmeg)
- 1 teaspoon whole cloves
- 3-4 pieces of loomi (dried black lemons)
- 3-4 teaspoons ketchup (for the chicken)
- 4 tablespoons corn oil
- 2-3 tablespoons raisins (soaked in warm water for 15 minutes)
- 3-4 carrots for the chicken soup
- 1 medium whole onion for the chicken soup
- 4 cups strained chicken broth from boiling the chicken
- Pine nuts, almonds, or cashews (optional)

Preparation:

1. Preparing the chicken: Start by marinating the chicken. In a bowl, combine the chicken spices, olive oil, and lemon juice. Add the chicken breasts and let them marinate for 2-3 hours in the refrigerator. This step is essential for giving the meat a rich flavor.

2. Boiling the chicken: In a pressure cooker, add the peeled carrots, whole onion, and loomi. Add 2 liters of water and bring to a boil. When the water starts to boil, add the chicken cut in half. Boil for 25 minutes. This step will ensure that the chicken becomes tender and flavorful.

3. Browning the chicken: Remove the chicken from the water and place it in a heatproof dish. Brush it with ketchup, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with freshly ground pepper. Add a little chicken broth (from boiling), a few sprigs of rosemary, and bake in a preheated oven at 220 degrees Celsius until browned, about 20-25 minutes.

4. Preparing the rice: In a non-stick pot, heat the corn oil and fry the pine nuts, almonds, and cashews until golden. Remove them to a bowl and set aside for decoration. In the same pot, sauté the onion until golden, then add the chicken broth, tomato paste, loomi, cloves, kabsa spices, and raisins.

5. Cooking the rice: When the broth starts to boil, add the rice (previously soaked and washed) and cover. Cook on low heat for 25 minutes, until the rice absorbs all the flavors.

6. Serving: On a large platter, place the rice, top with the browned chicken, and decorate with fried pine nuts, almonds, and cashews. You can serve this dish alongside a mixed salad or yogurt for a refreshing touch.

Useful tips:
- You can experiment with different types of meat, such as lamb or shrimp, depending on preferences.
- Loomi, the dried black lemons, add a unique note of astringency; if you can't find them, you can replace them with fresh lemon, but the flavor will be different.
- Make sure the rice is well washed to remove excess starch, which will make the grains less sticky.

Kabsa with chicken is more than just a meal; it is a culinary experience that brings together tradition and the flavors of the Middle East. Enjoy your meal!

 Ingredients: 2 cups of long-grain rice (American brown, basmati) 2 chicken breasts (or one whole chicken) 2 teaspoons ground chicken seasoning (for marinating the chicken): white pepper, coriander, cardamom 2 teaspoons olive oil (for marinating the chicken) juice of one small lemon (for marinating the chicken) 120g tomato paste 2 medium-sized onions, chopped 2 teaspoons ground spice for kabsa: cinnamon, cardamom, coriander, galangal (blue ginger), cumin, pepper, saffron, bay leaves, nutmeg 1 teaspoon whole cloves 3-4 pieces of loomi (dried black lemons) 3-4 teaspoons ketchup (for chicken) 4 tablespoons corn oil 2-3 tablespoons raisins (soaked in warm water for 15 minutes) 3-4 carrots for chicken soup 1 medium onion whole for chicken soup 4 cups of strained broth from boiling the chicken pine nuts (optional) almond seeds (optional) cashew seeds (optional)

 Tags:  chicken brown rice loomi cardamom raisins pine nuts almond seeds onion