Arabian cuisine is my all-time favorite, which was introduced by my bestie to me. There are list of foods in Arabian cuisine which I like the most, one among those was Pitta Bread and chicken kabsa. Recently I got to have Chicken Kabsa in fattoush restaurant, my kids liked it to the core. As of Ramadhan, thought of trying out the dish and so called one of my neighbor (my hometown) who has worked in a Restaurant in UAE, got the recipe from him and prepared it at home.

Chicken Kabsa was delicious, aroma filled not only our house but also my neighbor’s: P. A easy, simple and delicious recipe which can be made at home. The key ingredient here is the kabsa masala – mixture of spices. Let us move on to the recipe…

Chicken Kabsa

Chicken Kabsa

Ingredients:

• For Kabsa Masala:

o   Cinnamon – 2 sticks

o   Cloves – 6 nos

o   Star Anise – 5 nos

o   Cardamom – 5 nos

o   Bay leaf – 2 nos

o   Coriander seeds – 3 tbsp

o   Black peppercorns/ Black Pepper – 1 ½ tbsp.

• Chicken – ½ kg
• Carrot – 2 nos
• Onions – 4 nos
• Tomato – 2 nos
• Green chillies – 2 nos
• Garlic – 6 cloves
• Chicken Stock – 6 cups
• Basmathi/Long grain rice – 2 cups
• Lemon – 1 no
• Salt to taste
• Cashew nuts – 10 nos
• Raisins – 10 nos
• Ghee/Clarified butter – 5 tbsp.

Spices getting dry roasted

Roasted spices

About to grind

Grinded chicken kabsa masala powder

Chicken Kabsa Masala

Onions, garlic and green chillies getting fried

Turning brown in color

With chicken

With carrots

With tomato puree and kabsa masala

With lemon

Chicken Stock

With chicken stock

Getting cooked

Chicken is done

rice getting cooked

Rice perfectly cooked

Roasted onions, cashew nuts and raisins

Chicken getting fried

Fried chicken

Chicken Kabsa

Chicken Kabsa

Chicken Kabsa

Preparation:

• For Kabsa Masala: Dry roast all the ingredients given under the Kabsa Masala, until they start crackling or turning dark in color. Remove from fire, bring it room temperature, grind to a fine powder in blender and store it in an air-tight container.
• Peel and thinly slice the onions, halve the green chillies (lengthwise) and finely chop the garlic.
• Peel and thinly slice the carrots and keep it aside.
• Roughly chop the tomatoes and blend them to a fine paste.
• Prick 3 to 4 holes in the lemon and keep it aside.
• Heat a tbsp of ghee/clarified butter, add in the cashew nuts and fry until they turn golden brown.
• Add in the raisins and fry until they turn doubles in size, remove both cashewnuts and raisins to a plate. Keep it aside.
• Add in ¼ th portion of sliced onions, fry until they turn brown in color and remove to the plate.
• Add in the leftover onions, green chillies and garlic, fry until they turn brown in color.
• Add in the carrots and chicken pieces, along with the tomato puree, lemon, 2 tsp of kabsa masala and salt. Cook until the chicken gets ¼ th portion cooked.
• Now pour in 4 cups of chicken stock and cook until the chicken is perfectly cooked. Remove the chicken and transfer it to a plate.
• Now add in the basmathi/long grain rice along with salt, 1 tsp of kabsa masala and 2 cups of chicken stock. Cover and cook until the rice is done.
• Meanwhile fry the chicken pieces with a tbsp of ghee or grill in microwave, for few mins or until you get the glassy appearance.
• Transfer the rice to a large bowl, sprinkle the fried onions, cashew nuts and raisins over the rice along with the chicken pieces to the side of the rice.

Serve hot.

For more non-veg rice recipes- Click here, For more veg rice recipes Click here and For Biryani varieties click here.