Best Traditional Bahraini Chicken Machboos Machbous Recipes

TRADITIONAL BAHRAINI CHICKEN MACHBOOS / MACHBOUS

Traditional Bahraini Chicken Machboos / Machbous image

Machboos is a dish of rice & meat, popular in many Gulf countries & across Saudi Arabia. Here is a version which is traditionally made in Bahrain. If you don't have any Buharat / Baharat spice mix, there are a few here on Zaar to choose from. If you don't want to use a whole chicken, your favourite pieces would be fine too!

Provided by Um Safia

Categories One Dish Meal

Time 2h15m

Yield 6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 20

Ingredients

4 1/2 cups water
650 g basmati rice
3 tomatoes, quartered
1 -1 1/2 kg chicken
3 onions, finely chopped
1/4 cup coriander leaves, chopped
1 green hot pepper, as desired
2 black dried limes
2 teaspoons baharat spice mix
1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon cardamom powder
2 garlic cloves
1 slice gingerroot, cut into small pieces
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons rose water
3 tablespoons oil
3 teaspoons salt

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.

MACHBOOS OR FOOGA (TRADITIONAL UNITED ARAB EMIRATES DISH)

Machboos or Fooga (Traditional United Arab Emirates Dish) image

This dish is very similar to the "chicken, rice, and spices" recipe I have on recipezaar but the changes made/added to it make it an authentic dish that is served in the United Arab Emirates. My husband who is from there and also many other locals from there eat this with ketchup. I thought that seemed weird at first but but then again I love the Japanese fried rice with ketchup and egg called omu-rice that is comfort food for Japanese children so I tried it and it is really good!! the dried limes called "loomi" in this recipe can be found at most middle eastern stores. It is important in this recipe. This is usually cooked all in a large pot on a stovetop but basmati rice is not easy to cook just perfect like that. In the oven it is almost impossible to fail at this recipe :D --if you want to increase/decrease this dish the broth is always double the amount of rice you use. If increasing, let it bake in the oven just a tad bit longer.

Provided by .. Ameera ..

Categories Chicken

Time 1h

Yield 3-4 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 16

Ingredients

4 cups water
4 chicken bouillon cubes or 5 teaspoons chicken stock powder
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 -10 bone-in chicken pieces, skin removed (if it is the breast pieces, cut those in half since they are very large)
2 whole dried limes (loomi)
1/8 teaspoon saffron
1 large onion, chopped
1 large tomatoes, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2-3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional) or 1/2 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
3/4-1 teaspoon salt
2 cups basmati rice, rinsed and drained

Steps:

Preheat oven to 375°F and grease a 9x13 baking dish.
Bring water to boiling and add chicken bouillon cubes, lower heat and add dried limes and saffron and let simmer till bouillon is dissolved --keep it hot.
Sprinkle chicken with half the spices (except the garlic).
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet on med-high to high heat and fry the chicken till both sides are brown, lower heat to medium and remove the chicken to a plate.
In that same skillet sauté the onions for 2 minutes, add tomatoes, garlic and remaining spices and sauté another 2 minutes, then turn off the burner.
Add the rice and stir for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, till well coated.
Spread rice in the baking dish and place the chicken pieces over the rice.
Gently press the dried limes on the sides of the pot to distribute flavor in the broth and then poor on the rice and chicken (the whole thing including the dried limes) and cover tightly with foil.
Bake for 40-45 minutes--do not open the foil cover at all until the time is up.
If you want to eat this the authentic way, you can lay newspaper on the floor (for easy cleanup of spills), put all of this on a very large platter or on a couple large sheets of aluminum foil laid on the newspaper and everyone sits around and eats with their right hand!