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Machboos

Machboos

Embark on a culinary journey to the Middle East and discover the national dish of Bahrain! This rice and (vegan) chicken cooked in warm whole spices will delight all your senses.

Step-by-step instructions in images

machboos machboos

  • 4 people
  • 30 minutes
  • 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 400 g plant-based chicken(1)
  • 7 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 large onions, diced
  • 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1 hot green chili pepper or 2 red chili pepper(2), sliced
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced or grated
  • 5 roma tomatoes, diced
  • 1/2 fresh lime, sliced
  • 450 g basmati rice
  • 1 L boiling water
  • 3 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Spices for the chicken

  • 1 tbsp za’atar
  • 1 tsp paprika powder (sweet)
  • 1 tsp paprika powder (hot)

Spices for the rice

  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tbsp za’atar(3)
  • 1 tsp ground coriander seeds
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp paprika powder
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 5 green cardamom pods
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp vegetable bouillon powder

Directions

  1. Mix the chicken with 2 tbsp of olive oil and marinate with the chicken spices. Heat up 1 tbsp of olive oil in a pan and fry the chicken until it becomes crispy.
  2. Soak the basmati rice in cold water for at least 15 minutes, then rinse and drain it.
  3. Heat up 5 tbsp of olive oil in a big pot and fry the onions for about 10 minutes until they start to become brown. Add the garlic, chili pepper and ginger and sauté for another 2 minutes.
  4. Add the turmeric, za’atar, coriander, cumin, paprika, nutmeg, cloves and cook for another minute. Now add the fried chicken to the pot, along with the tomatoes, lime slices, cardamom pods, cinnamon, ground cloves and salt.
  5. Add the drained rice, parsley and cilantro to the mixture, cover with hot vegetable stock and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes until the rice is cooked. Add more water if needed. The dish is now ready to be served, optionally with green salad and cucumber raita.

Notes

  • (1)I use planted chicken.
  • (2)Take out the seeds, otherwise it will likely become too spicy.
  • (3)The original recipe calls for baharat instead of za’atar. Have a look at the link below.
  • Credits go to Daring Gourmet of which this recipe is based.

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