Chicken Kabsa (Saudi Spiced Rice with Chicken)

Ingredients

• Whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces 1 (1.4 kg)
• Basmati rice, rinsed and soaked 30 minutes 500 g
• Vegetable oil 3 tbsp
• Onions, sliced 2 medium (260 g)
• Garlic, minced 6 cloves (24 g)
• Tomatoes, chopped 2 medium (250 g)
• Tomato paste 2 tbsp (32 g)
• Carrot, grated 1 medium (80 g)
• Kabsa spice mix (baharat) 2 tbsp (14 g)
• Whole spices: cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, dried limes (loomi) 4 pods, 1 stick, 2 leaves, 2 limes
• Hot water 750 ml
• Salt 3 tsp (18 g)
• Golden raisins 40 g
• Slivered almonds, toasted 30 g

Instructions

1. 1

   Heat the oil in a large heavy pot and fry the onions over medium heat for 8-10 minutes until golden, then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

2. 2

   Add the chicken pieces and brown them for 5 minutes, then stir in the tomato paste, tomatoes, carrot, spice mix and whole spices and cook for 3 minutes.

3. 3

   Pour in the hot water, add the salt, cover and simmer for 35-40 minutes until the chicken is tender.

4. 4

   Lift out the chicken and roast it under a hot grill at 230C for 8-10 minutes until the skin is browned.

5. 5

   Bring the broth and softened vegetables left in the pot back to a boil, add the drained rice and raisins (the liquid should cover the rice by about 1 cm; add a little hot water if it does not), cover and cook on low heat for 20-25 minutes until the rice is tender and the liquid absorbed.

6. 6

   Remove the whole spices, fluff the rice and pile it on a large platter.

7. 7

   Arrange the chicken on top of the rice, scatter with the toasted almonds and serve hot.