Traditional Bahraini Chicken Machboos Machbous Recipes

TRADITIONAL BAHRAINI CHICKEN MACHBOOS / MACHBOUS

Steps:

• Cut the chicken in half. Heat the water and leave aside. In a small bowl, mix the buharat, turmeric, cumin, and cardamom together and add to the mixture one teaspoon of salt. Sprinkle half of the spice mixture on the chicken halves.
• Heat oil in a large cooking pan, fry the onions until golden brown, then add to the pepper and the black limes - you MUST make a hole in each limes.
• Add the chicken to the onion mixture and turn it over a few times in the pan. Sprinkle on the chicken a teaspoon of cinnamon and the rest of the mixed spices. Turn the contents all together so the chicken is coated with the spices, cover the pan and let it cook on medium heat for 3 minutes.
• Add the garlic, chopped ginger, and tomato cubes to the pan and turn the ingredients in the pan a few times. Cover again for 3 minutes on medium heat. Sprinkle with the rest of the salt and pour on it water while its still hot.
• Cover the pan and let it cook for about 1 hour, or until the chicken is cooked. Add the copped coriander 5 minutes before you remove the chicken from the stock in the pan. While the chicken is cooking, wash the rice well and soak for 10 minutes in cold water, then drain.
• Remove the chicken from the pan and put on an oven tray, brush with some oil and sprinkle with the rest of the cinnamon powder and grill in the oven until the chicken is golden brown.
• Add the rice to the chicken stock, stir, then let it cook on low heat until the rice absorbs the stock and is almost done.
• Sprinkle rose water and lemon juice over the rice and place the butter pieces on the top. Cover the pan and cook on low heat for 30 minutes.
• Serve the rice on a large serving plate and place the grilled chicken halves on the top.

CHICKEN MACHBOOS (BAHRAINI SPICED CHICKEN AND RICE)

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and fry the chicken pieces on both sides until the skin is brown and crispy. Transfer the chicken to a plate and leave the remaining oil in the Dutch oven.
• Add the ghee (or butter), reduce the heat to medium, and fry the onions until starting to brown, about 10-12 minutes.
• Add the ginger, garlic, and green chile pepper and saute for another 2 minutes.
• Add the baharat and turmeric and cook for another minute.
• Return the chicken pieces to the Dutch oven along with the tomatoes, dried limes, cardamom pods, cinnamon, ground cloves and salt. Add the chicken stock and stir to combine. Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for one hour.
• Add the cilantro, parsley and drained rice and stir to combine. Return it to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for another 15-20 minutes until the rice is done and has absorbed the liquid.
• Transfer the chicken and rice to a serving dish (either leave the chicken pieces tossed in with the rice, or place the chicken on top of the rice), and sprinkling with 1-2 tablespoons of rosewater (optional).
• Serve with a green salad and yogurt raita.

EMIRATI CHICKEN AND RICE (MACHBOOS OR FOGGA)

Steps:

• If using the oven method heat to 350°F.
• Rince chicken and remove skin.
• Rub with sea salt and bahrat.
• Gently fry in 1 1/2 tbs butter until browned on both sides.
• Transfer to a pot, add light olive oil, stock, crushed garlic, loomi, cinnamon, cardamom, curry leaves and tomato. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile fry slices of onion in remaining butter until soft and browned, remove from heat and add dark raisins to onions.
• Taste stock pot for salt.
• Rice white Basmati rice until the water runs clear.
• Remove chicken pieces from pot and add rice then set them on top of the rice with the onion/raisin mixture.
• Bring to a boil and then cover pot and reduce heat to low for 15 minutes.
• Once the liquid has been absorbed, arrange the 4 sheets of paper towel around the pot's rim and tightly cover. (This makes for fluffier rice). Also you may bake it in the oven until done from this point which I prefer as I find it cooks the rice more evenly in a greased pan.
• Remove from heat and leave to steam, unopened, for 15-20 minutes.
• Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Serve hot on a platter with lime wedges or halves and plain yogurt.