Chicken Machboos

Chicken Machboos

Machboos is a dish of rice & meat, popular in many Gulf countries such as Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates.

4 cups water
650 g basmati rice
3 tomatoes, quartered
1-1 1/2 kg chicken
3 onions, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh coriander leaves, chopped
1 green hot pepper, as desired
2 black dried limes/loomy
11/2 tsp arabic mix spice
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tspn cardamom powder
2 garlic cloves
1 slice ginger root, cut into small pieces
3 tbsp ghee
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tbsp rose water
3 tbsp oil
salt to taste

Cut the chicken in half. Heat the water and leave aside. In a small bowl, mix the spices (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.