Servings 8 | Prep Time 20 min| Total Time 1 hour 20 min
The national dish of Saudi Arabia – this beautifully spiced one-pot-wonder is a crowd pleaser for weeknight dinners or dinner parties on cooler nights. Tender chicken falls of the bone while basmati rice soaks up every drop of flavor.
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 1 Whole 1.4kg Chicken, broken down
- 1 Large Onion, chopped
- 6 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
- 1 Can of Whole or Crushed Tomatoes, 420ml
- 3 Carrots, grated
- 2 Whole Cloves
- 1 tsp Coriander, ground
- salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 400ml Chicken Stock
- 300ml Basmati Rice
- 100ml Raisins or Dried Apricots
- 100ml Slivered Almonds, toasted
Kabsa Spice Mix
- 1/2 tsp Saffron
- 2 tsp Saigon Cinnamon blend
- 1 tsp Ground Allspice
- 1/2 tsp Ground Dried Limes
Saigon Cinnamon Blend
HOW TO
- Melt butter in a large stock pot, or cast iron pan to medium heat.
- Add chicken pieces (skin-side down if you have skin-on chicken) and brown on both sides. Remove from the pan.
- Add the onion and garlic, and sauté until tender, fragrant, and translucent.
- Stir in tomato paste and stir, cooking for a few minutes.
- Add tomatoes, carrots, cloves, coriander, salt, pepper, and the Kabsa spice mix. Cook for a couple of minutes util the spices are fragrant.
- Add the chicken back to the pot. Follow with the chicken stock and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, cover and reduce the heat to a simmer for 30 minutes.
- Add rice to the pot and stir carefully. Cover again and simmer for an additional 25-30 minutes or until the rice is tender.
- Add the raisins or chopped dried apricots. Cover and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
- Place the rice on a large serving dish, topped with the chicken & garnished with almonds.
- Serve with hot ‘Shattah’ sauce if you’re a traditionalist.
As one of the most popular and traditional Arabic dishes and of course being the national dish of Saudi Arabia, Kabsa is widely available across the country from Jeddah to Riyadh.
