Machboos

The national rice dish — spiced rice cooked with chicken or lamb, dried lime and loomi.

Ingredients

• 2 cups Basmati rice
• 1 kg Chicken
• 2 large Onions
• 3 Dried lime (loomi)
• 2 Tomatoes
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 1 tbsp Ginger
• 2 tbsp Baharat spice mix
• 1 tsp Turmeric
• 1 Cinnamon stick
• 4 Cardamom pods
• 3 tbsp Ghee
• 2 tsp Salt
• 4 cups Water
• ¼ cup Coriander

Method

1. Prepare the rice — Rinse the basmati rice until the water runs clear, then soak it for 30 minutes and drain.
2. Brown the onions — Melt the ghee in a heavy pot and cook the sliced onions over medium heat until deep golden, about 12 minutes.
3. Add aromatics — Stir in the garlic, ginger, cardamom and cinnamon and cook for one minute until fragrant.
4. Brown the chicken — Add the chicken pieces and brown them on all sides, then stir in the baharat, turmeric and salt.
5. Build the broth — Add the chopped tomatoes and pierced dried limes, pour in the water, cover and simmer for 35 minutes until the chicken is tender.
6. Cook the rice — Lift out the chicken, add the drained rice to the broth, bring to a boil, then cover and cook on the lowest heat for 20 minutes.
7. Finish and rest — Return the chicken on top of the rice, cover and rest off the heat for 10 minutes.
8. Machboos is ready — Fluff the rice, scatter with fresh coriander and serve on a large platter.

More United Arab Emirates recipes

• Harees
• Luqaimat
• Balaleet
• Thereed
• Madrouba
• Chabab