Kabsa is a popular traditional Saudi Arabian dish made with raita, kabsa sauce & grilled chicken without an oven. Spiced grilled chicken and flavorful rice make this the ultimate choice for any special occasion. The step-by-step photo procedure with a detailed video recipe.
Mutton Biryani, Pot chicken dum biryani, Baingan ka Katta or stuffed brinjal curry
When it comes to food, I’m always on the hunt for new inspirations and ideas. Machboos, also known as Kabsa, is a popular Saudi Arabian rice dish made with chicken. I think the ideal way to learn more about food is by exploring new cuisines and cultures. It’s actually made in most Gulf countries and has slight variations from region to region. One thing that remains common is the use of whole spices and cooking the meat in the broth/sauce for the rice to get even more flavour. You may like a chicken pickle.
This was one of the Arabic dishes I ever made and it turned out extremely delicious, a new favourite! If you haven’t tried it and you love Arabic cuisine, I have made it easy and I love my version of it. It’s actually pretty easy to make, and it does come together quickly. Spiced grilled chicken and flavorful rice make this the ultimate choice for any special occasion. This biryani can also be served with any non-veg gravy, gosh ka salan, chicken korma, or even with any veg gravy, or special bhaji recipe.
Ready-made kabsa spices are now available under several brand names. These reduce preparation time but may have a flavour distinct from traditional kabsa. The spices used in kabsa are largely responsible for their taste; these are generally black pepper, cloves, cardamom, saffron, cinnamon, bay leaves, and nutmeg. Please prefer basmati rice as I have used basmati rice as it adds a whole new level of flavour to this dish. Of course, you can use any kind of long-grain rice, but basmati is my favourite.
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Chicken and rice are cooked in a beautiful spice mix making this one of the best one pot rice recipes ready to entertain you and your friends on any special occasion. For this chicken kabsa recipe, you’ll need large pieces of chicken. We’ll be cooking chicken in two stages. First in the pan and then on the grill. And that’s the secret of the unbeatable taste of this dish.
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Tips for a perfect chicken kabsa:
- Prefer to take big chicken pieces.
- Cook the chicken a little bit because we are grilling it.
- Measuring rice and water is the most important step for perfect biryani rice.
- I have taken 4 cups of rice and added 5 1/2 cups of water.
- Taste the water and adjust the salt.
- Cover with aluminium foil or cotton cloth for perfect dum rice.
- For kabsa sauce after chopping tomatoes with the rest of the ingredients can cook for a minute. This is optional.
- Better serve Arabian chicken kabsa with kabsa sauce and raita.
chicken kabsa recipe video:
Chicken kabsa recipe card:
Kabsa is a popular traditional Saudi Arabian dish made with raita, kabsa sauce & grilled chicken without an oven. Spiced grilled chicken and flavorful rice make this the ultimate choice for any special occasion.
- Ginger and garlic paste – 2 spoon
- Salt-1/2 spoon
- pepper powder – 3/4 spoon
- turmeric powder – 1/4 spoon
- red chilli powder – 3/4 spoon
- garam masala powder – 1/2 spoon
- cumin powder – 1/4 spoon
- Ghee-1 spoon
- lemon juice – 1 spoon
- chicken pieces – 750 g
- ghee – 2 spoons
- butter – 1 spoon
- cashew nuts – 1/4 cup
- almonds – 1/4 cup
- raisins – 1/4 cup
- onion slices
- basmati rice – 1/2 kg
- ghee – 2 spoons
- oil – 2 spoons
- mace(javitri) – 2
- nutmeg(jaiphal) – 1
- cloves- 4
- cinnamon- 2
- star anise- 1
- cardamom- 4
- bay leaves- 3
- chopped onions – 1 cup
- slit green chillies – 3
- ginger and garlic paste – 1 spoon
- tomatoes – 1 cup
- coriander leaves – 1/2 cup
- mint leaves – 1/2 cup
- water – 1/4 glass + 5 1/2 cups
- salt – 1 spoon(as required)
- lemon wedges – 3
- orange-red food colour – 3 pinches
- saffron strands – 10
- rose water – 1 spoon
- Ghee-1 spoon
- butter – 1/2 spoon
- chopped onions – 1 cup
- finely chopped green chillies – 2
- finely chopped corainder leaves – 1 cup
- salt – 1/4 spoon
- curd – 3 spoons
- tomato – 1
- green chillies – 2
- lemon juice – 1/2 spoon
- salt – 1/4 spoon
- coriander leaves – 1/4 cup
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Take a bowl add 2 spoons of ginger and garlic paste.
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Add salt-1/2 spoon, pepper powder- 3/4 spoon, turmeric powder- 1/4 spoon, red chilli powder- 3/4 spoon.
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And also add garam masala powder- 1/2 spoon, cumin powder- 1/4 spoon, ghee – 1 spoon, and lemon juice- 1 spoon mix well.
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Add 750 g of cleaned chicken pieces. Prefer to take big pieces.
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Mix well until all the masala coated to chicken pieces.
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Cover and marinate for 1 hour.
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Take a bowl add 1/2 kg basmati rice. Rinse under running water for 2-3 times.
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Cover and soak for at least half an hour.
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Take a bowl add few saffron strands.
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Add a spoon of rose water mix and set aside.
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Heat a pan over a medium flame add 2 spoons of ghee and a spoon of butter.
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Add cashew nuts- 1/4 cup, almonds- 1/4 cup and raisins- 1/4 cup.
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Stir and fry until they turns golden color. Set aside.
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Add a cup of onion slices, stir and fry until they turns golden colour and set aside.
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Heat a pan over a medium flame add 2 spoons of ghee and 2 spoons of oil.
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Add mace(javitri)- 2, nutmeg(jaiphal)- 1, cloves- 4, cinnamon- 2, star anise- 1, cardamom- 4 and bay leaves- 3.
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Add a cup of chopped onions and 3 slit green chillies. Fry for a minute.
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Add a spoon of ginger and garlic paste.
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Fry until the raw smell disappears.
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Add a cup of chopped tomatoes and mix well.
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Add a cup of coriander and mint leaves.
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Stir and fry for a minute.
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Cover and fry until the tomatoes turns mushy.
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Add marinated chicken pieces.
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Stir and fry for a minute in a high flame.
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Reduce the flame to medium and cook the chicken.
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Pour 1/4 glass of water mix well.
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Cover and cook the chicken until it becomes a little bit soft.
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Remove the chicken pieces from pan without water and set aside.
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Dry the water in remaining masala mixture.
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Measuring rice and water is the most important step for a perfect biryani rice.
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I have taken 4 cups of rice and added 5 1/2 cups of water.
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Add a spoon of salt mix well.
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Taste the water and adjust the salt.
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Boil the water.
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Drain the water in soaked rice and add to the pan mix well.
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Cook on medium flame until 3/4 of water is dried.
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Carefully mix without breaking the rice.
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When 1/4 of water is remained in rice the we should start dum process.
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Spread the rice evenly. Add saffron water.
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Remove the seeds and place the lemon wedges or dried lemon.
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Take a bowl add 3 pinches of orange-red food color in a little water mix and add on the top of the rice. This is optional.
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Cover with aluminum foil or cotton cloth.
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Cover the lid and dum for 10-15 minutes over a low flame.
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Heat a grill pan or normal pan over a medium flame.
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Add a spoon of ghee and 1/2 spoon of butter.
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Place the marinated and boiled chicken pieces.
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Do not over crowd fry on batches.
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Flip and fry on both sides until they turns golden brown.
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Take into a plate and set aside.
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Take a bowl add a cup of chopped onions.
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Add 2 finely chopped green chillies.
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Add a cup of finely chopped coriander leaves.
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Add 1/4 spoon of salt and mix well.
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Add 3 spoons of curd.
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Mix well all of them.
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Garnish with mint leaves and set aside.
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Halve one tomato. Add tomato and 2 green chillies in chopper.
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Add 1/2 spoon of lemon juice, 1/4 spoon of salt and a handful of coriander leaves.
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Chop all of them coarsely. Do not make it paste.
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Transfer into a bowl and set aside.
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After dum process switch off the fire and let it set for 5 minutes.
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Remove the foil and lemon wedges.
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Kabsa rice is ready, shift the rice into a thali.
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Mix with fork spoon slowly without breaking the rice.
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Place the grilled chicken around the thali.
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Garnish with fried cashew nuts, almonds, raisins, lemon wedges and fried onions.
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Arabian traditional chicken kabsa biryani is ready to serve.
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Better serve with kabsa sauce and raita.
Step-by-step procedure for chicken kabsa:
Stepi: 1 Marinating chicken:
Take a bowl and add 2 spoons of ginger and garlic paste. Add salt-1/2 spoon, pepper powder- 3/4 spoon, turmeric powder- 1/4 spoon, red chilli powder- 3/4 spoon. And also add garam masala powder- 1/2 spoon, cumin powder- 1/4 spoon, ghee – 1 spoon, and lemon juice- 1 spoon.
Mix well all the masala. Add cleaned chicken pieces. Prefer to take big pieces.
Mix well until all the masala is coated into chicken pieces. Cover and marinate for 1 hour.
Step: 2 Soaking rice and saffron strands:
Take a bowl to add 1/2 kg basmati rice. Rinse under running water 2-3 times. Cover and soak for at least half an hour. Take a bowl to add a few saffron strands. Add a spoonful of rose water mix and set aside.
Step: 3 Frying dry fruits and onions:
Heat a pan over a medium flame and add 2 spoons of ghee and a spoon of butter.
Add cashew nuts- 1/4 cup, almonds- 1/4 cup and raisins- 1/4 cup. Stir and fry until they turn a golden colour. Set aside.
Add a cup of onion slices, stir and fry until they turn golden color and set aside.
Step: 4 Boiling Chicken:
Heat a pan over medium flame and add 2 spoons of ghee and 2 spoons of oil. Add mace(javitri)- 2, nutmeg(jaiphal)- 1, cloves- 4, cinnamon- 2, star anise- 1, cardamom- 4 and bay leaves- 3.
Add a cup of chopped onions and 3 slit green chillies. Fry for a minute.
Add a spoonful of ginger and garlic paste. Fry until the raw smell disappears. Add a cup of chopped tomatoes and mix well.
Add a cup of coriander and mint leaves. Stir and fry for a minute. Cover and fry until the tomatoes turn mushy.
Add marinated chicken pieces. Stir and fry for a minute on a high flame. Reduce the flame to medium and cook the chicken. Pour 1/4 glass of water and mix well. Cover and cook.
Cook the chicken until it becomes a little bit soft. Remove the chicken pieces from the pan without water and set them aside.
Step: 5 Biryani Dum Process:
Dry the water in the remaining masala mixture. Measuring rice and water is the most important step for perfect biryani rice. I have taken 4 cups of rice and added 5 1/2 cups of water.
Add a spoonful of salt and mix well. Taste the water and adjust the salt. Boil the water.
Drain the water in soaked rice and add to the pan mix well. Cook on medium flame until 3/4 of the water is dried.
Carefully mix without breaking the rice. When 1/4 of the water has remained in the rice we should start the dum process. Spread the rice evenly.
Add saffron water. Remove the seeds and place the lemon wedges or dried lemon. Take a bowl add 3 pinches of orange-red food colour in a little water mix and add on top of the rice. This is optional. Cover with aluminium foil or cotton cloth. Cover the lid and dum for 10-15 minutes over a low flame.
Step: 6 Grilling Chicken without Oven:
Heat a grill pan or normal pan over medium flame. Add a spoonful of ghee and 1/2 spoonful of butter.
Place the marinated and boiled chicken pieces. Do not over-crowd fry on batches.
Flip and fry on both sides until they turn golden brown. Take it into a plate and set it aside.
Step: 7 Raita Process:
Take a bowl to add a cup of chopped onions. Add 2 finely chopped green chillies. Add a cup of finely chopped coriander leaves. Add 1/4 spoonful of salt and mix well.
Add 3 spoons of curd(prefer to take beaten curd). Mix well all of them.
Garnish with mint leaves and set aside.
Step: 8 Kabsa sauce(shattah):
Halve one tomato. Add tomato and 2 green chillies in the chopper.
Add 1/2 spoonful of lemon juice and 1/4 spoonful of salt.
Add a handful of coriander leaves. Chop all of them coarsely. do not make it paste. After chopping, tomatoes with the rest of the ingredients can cook for a minute. This is optional.
Transfer into a bowl and set aside.
Step: 9 Serving Chicken Kabsa:
After the dum process switches off the fire and let it set for 5 minutes.
Remove the foil and lemon wedges. Kabsa rice is ready, shift the rice into a thali.
Mix with a fork or spoon slowly without breaking the rice. Place the grilled chicken around the thali.
Garnish with fried cashew nuts, almonds, raisins, lemon wedges, and fried onions. Arabian traditional chicken kabsa biryani is ready to serve. Better serve with kabsa sauce and raita.
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