MounasKitchen An Indian Food Blog

ITS AN ARABIC RECIPE ORIGINATING FROM SAUDIA ARABIA BUT ALSO COMMONLY EATEN IN UAE.TRULY ARABIC!

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups Arabic Rice(thick)-cleaned & rinsed (Do not use other kinds of rice for this recipe)
• Water (amount varies according to the size of boiler-pot you are using)
• 1 Tomato cut up in small pieces
• 1 small to medium onion chopped
• 2 heaping teaspoons of Baharat spice ground
• 3 heaping teaspoons of cardomon ground
• 3/4 can of tomato paste
• 6 teaspoons of olive oil
• 1 small snack box of raisins
• 1 small chicken cut in sections (a frying chicken will do)
• salt to taste
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 dried black lemon (Completely dried lemons are used in the Middle East as a souring agent in chutneys, soups and stews and even ground into flatbreads. The powder made from black lemons has a sweet-tart flavor that is unique and has no substitute)
• 2 heaping teaspoons powdered garlic

Method

1. Thaw chicken.
   
2. In a large boiler-pot add oil, chopped onions and 1 heaping teaspoon of cardomon stirring until browned on medium high heat.
   
3. Add boiling water to the boiler-pot until half full.
   
4. Add salt accoriding to your own taste, 2 heaping tablespoons of cardomon, 2 heaping teaspoons of garlic powder, the cut tomato, 3/4 can of tomato paste, 1 black lemon and the raisins to the already browned onions.
   
5. Stir on medium heat and try a little of the broth (add spices to suit your own taste).
   
6. Add chicken to the broth and keep at medium heat. Cover with aluminum foil and then the pot lid.
   
7. Boil chicken on medium high for approximately 30 minutes. Turn down heat to medium temperature and take the chicken out of the broth and place in an oven baking dish into a preheated oven at 300 degrees F and bake.
   
8. Strain the broth. Keep the strained ingredients in one bowl and the broth in another bowl.
   
9. Put the ingredients (e.g. onions, tomato, black lemon, etc.) back into the boiler-pot.
   
10. Add the 1 1/2 cups of Basmati rice along with 3 measured cups of the kapsa broth that you had previously set aside in a bowl.
    
11. Bring the Basmati rice, the Kapsa broth and all the ingredients to a boil, then immedietly turn down heat to low and cover sealing tightly again with aluminum foil.
    
12. Cover with a lid over the aluminum foil. Do not open or peek at it for atleast 10 minutes.
    
13. Then periodically check to see if rice is light and fluffy, but do not stir rice.
    
14. The Kapsa rice is done when all the broth has been absorbed. Remember to check on the chicken in the oven every so often to make sure that it doesn't overcook and become dry.
    
15. The chicken should be moist. Turn off the heat and take off the aluminum foil and allow the extra steam to escape. If the Basmati rice appears dry and not completely cooked add a little bit of the extra broth and recover until finished.
    
16. Do not mix the water and rice, just add over the top.
    
17. Serving Directions: Pour rice on to a large circular platter. Place the chicken from the oven in the middle and on top of the rice. Serve with boiled eggs or fries.