Kabsa

Kabsa

Living in Khobar in the Eastern Province of KSA for the last two years and being exposed to the fascinating Gulf traditions and culture,  I have realized that particular spices  such as cardamom, saffron, and  bay leaves  are essential ingredients for all the ethnic dishes and recipes.

 One of those traditional mouth-watering dishes, is the so-called Kabsa , which is popular in Jordan and several Gulf States.

Traditional Kabsa is usually composed of rice, meat, vegetables, nuts and most importantly a mixture of spices. The dish can either include chicken,  or lamb, goat, camel, fish or shrimp etc.

So yesterday I have decided to try my very own twist of Chicken Kabsa. The below recipe is very convenient for weekdays, where everyone is looking for a easy and quick dish, yet full of nutritional benefits. Therefore, I have used chicken fillets and the ready-made Saudi Kabsa Mixed Spices (available in all big grocery stores and supermarkets) to make it a fast and simple recipe. 

The main ingredients for Chicken Kabsa are:

For the Chicken:

5 pieces of chicken filets;

1 piece of onion;

1 tablespoon of butter;

1.5 tablespoons of Saudi Kabsa Mixed Spices  (Turmeric, Cumin, Cloves, Black Pepper, Red Chilly, Coriander, Cinnamon, Black Cardamom, Ginger).

For the Rice:

½ tablespoon of butter;

2 cups of basmati rice;

1 tablespoon of tomato paste;

4 cups of water;

Chicken stock;

3 cloves (2ornofel);

3 cardamoms (7abhan/ hel) ;  

3 Bay Leaves (war2 lawra);

2 mastic (mesteka);

½ teaspoon saffron (za3faran) 

Garnish:

Pine Nuts (sonobar) 

Coriander

Tools:

1 bowl

1 cooking pot

1 Sauté Pan

The Method:

Cut the chicken in 1 inch long pieces and chop the onion (use a different cutting board and a different knife) into very small pieces.

Place the chicken in a bowl and add 1 tablespoon of Kabsa spices mixture, leaving it a bit to set.

 Heat the cooking pot on medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of butter.

As soon as the butter is melted and starts to sizzle, add the onion with some salt, black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of the Kabsa spices mixture.

When the onion starts to get a caramel color, add the chicken on high heat.  

Sauté the chicken until they turn into a golden brown color.

Remove the chicken from the pot and set them aside.

Use the same pot (where you sautéed the chicken without cleaning it) and add another small piece of butter (1/2 teaspoon)

Once the butter is melted, add the rice, the tomato paste and stir for 1 min.

Add the water, the cloves, the cardamoms, the bay leaves, the mastic, the saffron and finally the chicken stock.

 Once it boils, lower the heat leave it to simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the chicken in the minute 15.00 so that it cooks through, while the rice is finishing up.

Once the rice is cooked, take it off the heat and leave it to rest for 3 min.

At the meantime, in a small sauté pan, add the pin nuts and stir them for 3 min till they turn golden color. (Please note that pine nuts get burnet really easily so you have to take care while cooking them)

Remove the chicken in a bowl and place the cooked rice in your serving dish.

On top of the rice add the chicken and the pine nuts.

Finally, cut some coriander for garnish.

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