Kabsa, a Middle Eastern rice dish that combines many beautiful spices, vegetables, and rice into one meal has now become one of my favorite dishes. I wasn't really introduced to the dish until I got married and my mother in law made it for us. Her method is so simple and I picked up a few things from her to make a perfect and delicious recipe! Although many people cook chicken with the Kabsa and may add a few different ingredients, I prefer it on a simpler end with the chicken cooked on the side and then served on top. I used Basmati rice as the base and incorporated vegetables like carrots, bell peppers, tomatoes, and onions. I also spiced the rice with some cinnamon, bay leaves, dried and preserved lemons, and a few others amazing flavors. Everything is cooked in one pot making it easy for you, especially if it's your first time attempting this dish!
I served this warm rice dish with a cooler cucumber salad that you can find on my Instagram!
The three most important spices for this dish are cinnamon, preserved lemons, and bay leaves. They add such a unique taste to the rice and they are picked up nicely by the vegetables!
I'm a big rice person, so any time I try a new way to make rice I get really excited. This kabsa meal is probably now one of my all time favorite rice dishes. Whenever my mother in law would ask us what she should cook, I would always suggest her kabsa! I decided to finally attempt making it, using my own methods and measurements and it came out better than I expected! All the ingredients flowed together and the topped chicken was the perfect touch.
For the chicken, I just dry seasoned the chicken breasts with a blend of roasted garlic and herbs spice, garlic sriracha spice, Cajun spice, paprika, salt, and pepper. I placed them on an aluminum foil-lined pan and laid them on a bed of sliced onions. I covered the pan and cooked the chicken for about 2 hours on 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Just 10 minutes before serving, I broiled the chicken to get a beautiful color on the outside and for some added texture.
Prep Time: 5 minutes Serves: 4 People
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup Basmati Rice, soaked and rinsed
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1/2 Yellow Onion, diced
1/2 Green Bell Pepper, diced
1 Roma Tomato, diced
1 Large Carrot, peeled and shredded
2 Large Cloves of Garlic, minced
1 Bay Leaf
1 Cinnamon Stick
2 Dried and Preserved Lemons
1 Packet Sazón
1/2 Tbsp. Tomato Paste
2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Cumin
1/2 tsp. Allspice
1/4 tsp. Black Pepper
INSTRUCTIONS:
In a medium sized pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat.
Add in the onions and green peppers and saute them for 5 minutes until they begin to soften and gain transparency. Add in the carrots and tomatoes and continue sauteing until all of the water from the vegetables is gone.
Stir in the minced garlic and toast it for about 1 minute until the fragrance is released. You don't want it to turn darker than a golden brown.
Pour in the pre-soaked rice on top of the cooked vegetables and add just enough water to cover the rice and vegetables, about 1 1/2 - 2 cups. Mix in the tomato paste until it has dissolved into the water and add in the rest of the spices.
Stir all the ingredients really well with a wooden spoon so that everything is evenly distributed.
Bring the contents to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Once it has reach a boil, reduce the heat to low and cook the rice covered, with no hole for the steam to escape and cook the rice for 20 more minutes until it is cooked well and there is no more water in the pot. I use aluminum foil to cover the hole on the lid to my pot. The steam allows the rice to fully cook without getting mushy or soggy.
Plate the rice and top it with chicken breast or your choice of protein.
Enjoy!
Comments