Saudi Kabsa

Ya Salam Cooking's Note:

Kabsa is the main dish of Saudi Arabia. While the ingredients may be long, this recipe is anything but hard. Each spice used in this recipe is a popular Middle Eastern spice so the combining spices make this dish about as authentic as you can get. Every home has their own style, this is mine and I hope you enjoy.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 30 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces
• 1 cup basmati rice, washed and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 chicken bouillon cube
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, diced
• 6 green cardamom pods, whole
• 5 cloves
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 black limes
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1 teaspoon cardamom, ground
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 4 hard-boiled eggs (optional)
• pine nuts and raisins (optional)

Directions:

1. NOTE: place basmati rice in bowl with water over it to expand, it will not cook and will stay hard unless you do this. Leave for 15 minutes at the least.
2. 1. In an 8-quart stockpot on medium-high heat add onions, garlic and. Allow onions to turn golden. Add bay leaves, cardamom pods, cloves, cinnamon sticks, black limes, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, ginger and ground cardamom. Blend well and allow to sauté for 30 seconds.
3. 2. Add tomato sauce and chicken bouillon. Mix well until sauce thickens, reduce heat to low-medium. Add chicken allow to sauté for a 1 minute. Rotate chicken so that it gets all of the flavors. Add water until chicken is completely covered. Bring to a full boil then reduce to low. Cook for 35 minutes covered.
4. 5. After the chicken has cooked reserve broth for rice. In a 2-quart saucepan, add rice and enough sauce from the chicken just so that the rice is covered. Bring to a boil then immediately turn heat to low and cook covered for eight to ten minutes. Meanwhile, why the rice is cooking turn oven on high broil. Add chicken to a roasting pan and broil for five minutes or until golden.
5. 8. Add cooked rice to a serving platter with chicken arranged on top. Garnish plate with hard-boiled eggs, pine nuts, and raisins.