Kabsa is a dish made with rice, meat and spices. Its very popular in Arab countries. Well this is not an authentic kabsa recipe. Its my own creation for easy & delicious kabsa. Few ingredients are used here but yet the outcome was excellent.
In this recipe I have used chicken without skin as my personal preference. However chicken with skin is also much preferred for Kabsa. In this recipe, I have marinated the chicken and fried in a rice pot itself. Then removed the chicken and cooked the rice in same pot.
Kabsa is usually served with kabsa tomato chutney and yoghurt. I have included the recipe for chutney at the end.
Preparation time : 30 minutes
Cooking time : 30 minutes
Serves : 4 – 6
Ingredients :
For chicken marination:
- Chicken – 1 kg, cut into 4 pieces, with or without skin.
- Ginger garlic paste – 2 teaspoons
- Tomato paste – 2 teaspoons
- Turmeric powder – 1/4 teaspoon
- Red chilly powder – 2 teaspoons
- Garam masala powder – 1 teaspoon
- Salt – to taste
Then,
- Oil – 1/4 th cup
- Cinnamon stick – 2 pieces
- Peppercorn – 1 tablespoon
- Cardamom – 5
- Cloves – 3
- Onion – 1, small sized, thinly sliced.
- Chicken stock cube – 1
- Basmati/ long grain rice – 2 cups
- Water – 3.5 cups
Method :
- Wash & soak the rice for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make slit on the cleaned chicken pieces and marinate in ingredients listed under ‘marination’ for 10 minutes.
- In a rice pot, heat 1/4 cup oil, add cinnamon sticks, peppercorns, cardamom, cloves and saute for few seconds.
- Next place the marinated chicken, close the lid and fry for 10 minutes on each sides on medium flame. (Do not burn the sides)
- Since the chicken pieces are bigger in size it takes time to cook. So approximately 20 minutes it will take to cook for both sides.
- Remove the chicken and keep aside. ( You can remove some oil from the pot or proceed as it is)
- Add sliced onions to the same pot, saute till slightly brown.
- Next add 3.5 cups of water, chicken stock cube and mix well. ( Add dried lemon if you have).
- When the water boils, add the strained rice, mix gently. (Do not add salt at all).
- Close the lid and cook till water dries up.
- Switch off the flame, fluff the rice, place the fried chicken on the rice.
- Close the lid and keep for 5 minutes.
- Simple chicken kabsa is ready.
Serve the chicken kabsa with tomato kabsa chutney & yoghurt.
To prepare kabsa chutney:
- Coarsely blend together 3 tomatoes, 1 garlic, little coriander leaves, 1 green chilly, 1 teaspoon vinegar and salt.
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