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Kabsa | Kabsa Rice Recipe | Kabsa Chicken | Kabsa Biryani Recipe

Kabsa is a mixed rice dish originated in yemen. It has rice cooked with tomatoes, dried lime and spices which is then topped with a grilled chicken. It is a popular arab recipe.
3.31 from 13 votes
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Arabian, Yemen
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • Basmati Rice - 3 cups
  • Chicken - 1 whole chicken cut into 8 pieces with skin on
  • Oil - ¼ cup
  • Onion - 2 large chopped finely
  • Garlic - 3 tblspn finely chopped
  • Tomatoes - 4 large chopped finely
  • Baharat Spice Mix - 4 to 6 tblspn
  • Tomato paste - 3 tblspn
  • Orange Zest - 2 tblspn
  • Ghee - 2 tblspn
  • Carrot - 1 medium size grated
  • Salt to taste
  • Water - 4.5 cups

Whole Spices:

  • Cinnamon / Pattai - 4 cm piece
  • Bay Leaf - 3
  • Cardamom / Yelakai - 6
  • Cloves / Krambu - 6
  • Dried Lime - 1

For Topping:

  • Ghee - 4 tblspn
  • Almonds - ½ cup
  • Kishmish / Sultanas - ¼ cup

For Baharat Spice Mix:

  • Cinnamon / Pattai - 5 cm piece
  • Dry Red Chilli - 8
  • Kashmiri Dry Red Chilli - 8
  • Cardamom / Yelakai - 10
  • Cloves / Krambu - 10
  • Whole Coriander Seeds / Malli - 1 tblspn
  • Nutmeg - 1 tblspn
  • Whole Black Pepper - 2 tblspn
  • Cumin Seeds / Jeerakam - 1 tblspn
  • Dry Ginger Powder / Chukku Podi - 1 tblspn

Instructions
 

For Baharat Spice Mix:

  • Take all the ingredients except ginger powder in a pan and roast on low heat till golden.Add in ginger powder and saute for 20 more sec.Now let them cool a bit, add it in a blender and powder it finely.Spread on a paper and let them cool a bit.Store in a air tight container.

For Kabsa:

  • Wash and soak basmati rice for 1 hour. Soak almonds in hot water till use.
  • Heat a large pan with oil. Add in onions, garlic and salt. Saute for 2 mins or so.
  • Now add in chicken skin side down and sear it for 10 mins on each side..
  • Add in tomatoes, baharat, tomato puree, whole spices, orange zest and mix well. Now add in water and mix well. Bring it to a boil, cover and simmer for 30 to 40 mins till the chicken is cooked completely.
  • Now preheat oven to 250 degree C. Set oven to grill or broil mode.Line a baking tray with foil and grease it well with oil.
  • Now remove the cooked chicken from the mix and arrange it skin side up on a baking tray. Sprinkle the top with some more baharat and drizzle some oil over it and pop it into the oven and grill for 5 mins or so till the skin is crispy.
  • Heat some 2 tblspn ghee in a pan, add in carrots and saute it for 5 mins.
  • Now add the drained basmati rice into the liquid, Add in sauted carrots and mix well. Cook on high heat till everything comes to a boil. Now cover with a tight lid or a foil and a lid and simmer it for 20 to 30 mins till the rice has absorbed all the liquid,
  • Now peel off the almonds and slice it. heat some ghee in a pan, add in almonds and fry till golden. Add in kishmish and saute till golden.
  • Once the rice is cooked, Fluff it with a fork. Cover and set aside for 30 mins.
  • Spoon rice onto a serving plate, cover with broiled chicken and sprinkle with nuts.
  • Serve.
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