Degchi
Chicken Machboos
Serves 4 · Total 65 min · Prep 20 min · Cook 45 min
The everyday Gulf rice dish: chicken simmered with onion, tomato, dried lime and warm spices, then layered with basmati and slow-cooked until the rice drinks up the broth. Found on nearly every Emirati and Saudi family table, usually with a side of daqoos (tomato chilli sauce).
Quick answer: 65 min in total · serves 4 · main ingredients: Chicken, Rice, Onion, Tomato · amounts in metric and US
Ingredients
- 1000 g 2.2 lb Chicken, cut into 8 pieces
- 400 g 2 cup Rice
- 2 pc 2 pc Onion, sliced
- 2 pc 2 pc Tomato, chopped
- 2 tbsp 2 tbsp Tomato paste
- 4 clove 4 clove Garlic, crushed
- 1 tbsp 1 tbsp Ginger, grated
- 2 pc 2 pc Dried black lime, pierced with a fork
- 2 tsp 2 tsp Mixed Arabic spice blend
- 0.5 tsp 0.5 tsp Turmeric
- 3 tbsp 3 tbsp Clarified butter
- to taste to taste Salt
- 2 tbsp 2 tbsp Dry fruits, fried raisins and almonds for garnish (Optional)
Steps
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- Rinse the rice in several changes of water until it runs fairly clear, then soak it for 20 minutes.⏱ Soaking rice · 20 min
- Heat ghee in a large pot and fry the onion until golden.⏱ Frying onion · 6 min
- Add garlic, ginger, baharat and turmeric; fry for a minute until fragrant.⏱ Frying spices · 1 min
- Add chicken, tomato and tomato paste; cook until the chicken firms up.⏱ Browning chicken · 5 min
- Pierce each loomi (dried lime) twice with a fork, then add it with the salt and 900 ml water. Cover and simmer until the chicken is tender.⏱ Simmering chicken · 25 min
- Lift out the chicken and strain the broth. Measure exactly 3 cups (700 ml) for the 2 cups (400 g) of rice, which is about 1 part rice to 1.5 parts broth. Top up with water if short.
- Drain the rice and add it to the broth. Bring to a boil.⏱ Bringing to a boil · 3 min
- Lower the heat to the minimum, place the chicken on top, cover tightly and cook without lifting the lid until the rice is tender. Switch off the heat and rest it covered for 5 minutes.⏱ Rice on dum · 20 min
- Fluff the rice, plate it with the chicken on top and scatter the fried raisins and almonds.
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Frequently asked questions
How long does Chicken Machboos take?
65 minutes in total: about 20 minutes of prep and 45 minutes of cooking.
Is Chicken Machboos hard to make?
Degchi rates it medium. The method has 9 steps, and 7 of them have a timer you can start on this page.
How many people does Chicken Machboos serve?
This recipe serves 4. Use the toggle above the ingredient list to see the amounts in metric or US measures. For more or fewer portions, scale every amount in the same proportion, or use the servings control in the Degchi app.
Is Chicken Machboos halal, vegetarian or eggless?
It is marked halal in our recipe data. It is not vegetarian. It has no egg. It has no beef. Check the labels on any packaged ingredients for your own needs.
What will I probably need to buy for Chicken Machboos?
Everyday staples that Degchi counts as pantry basics: tomato paste, mixed Arabic spice blend, turmeric, salt. Spice-box items: dried black lime. Fresh items you will probably need to buy: chicken, onion, tomato, garlic, ginger, clarified butter. Lentils, grains and other dry goods: rice.
Any tips for making Chicken Machboos?
Rice rule: 2 cups (400 g) basmati to 3 cups (700 ml) strained broth, about 1 : 1.5. If the grains are still firm, sprinkle 3 to 4 tablespoons of hot water, cover and give it 5 more minutes. Machboos or kabsa? They are close cousins. Machboos (Emirati, Bahraini, Kuwaiti) usually leans tangier from dried lime and is a little moister; Saudi kabsa is often drier with a different spice blend. Cooks disagree, so treat it as a tendency, not a rule.
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