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Umm Abed said:
Why whole? I dont like the looks of it, rather cut it up, its even easier to serve that way. I dont even like whole roasted chicken, prefer it in portions. The further it looks from its real shape the better, otherwise it is unpalatable.+o(

Rabbit must be as delicate as chicken. Pigeon must be very tender meat, although Id think there's barely any meat on pigeon.
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It's quicker to braai it whole one time. And when cutting it up, some parts might get wasted. When it's whole, on the other hand, people can just cut off whichever piece they want. Some people like the neck. Someone else might want the head.
 
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Fresh dates in Saudi Arabia.
 
Kabsah:

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[h=1]SAUDI ARABIAN KABSA {CHICKEN AND RICE**[/h]AMANDA MOUTTAKI JULY 8, 2015 CHICKEN, GLUTEN-FREE, MAIN DISH, SAUDI ARABIA 8 COMMENTS 11632 VIEWS
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Today’s post is from Aysh of WordsnNeedles. She currently lives in Saudi Arabia and shares all about her multicultural life and crafting passions on her site. Her story of learning this recipe reminded me a lot of my first experiences with Moroccan cooking. While the ingredient list and multiple steps in this kabsa recipe might look intimidating they lead to a tasty and impressive result. You can follow Aysh on her website, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Enjoy!
Hi! I am Aysh from WordsnNeedles. I am an Indian expat living in Saudi Arabia. Today, I am sharing with you Kabsa, a traditional Saudi dish. Kabsa is a chicken and rice main course dish that is popular not just in Saudi Arabia but across the Arab world.
When I first moved to Riyadh in 2005, I was just married and knew nobody there except my sister in law. Coincidently, it was Ramadan then too. We would often go to the Salam Park in the evening to break our fast and play badmintin before Iftaar. Kabsa is one of those dishes that I learnt then. This recipe that I am sharing is how my sister in law taught me and it is by far the tastiest Kabsa I have tasted.

Kabsa is made of chicken that is slowly simmered in a spicy broth of tomatoes and spices. This chicken is then removed and either fried or grilled while the broth is used to cook the rice. The result is a mouth-watering aromatic dish which smells lemony and spicy. The rice absorbs the juices from the chicken and vegetables and is moist. The chicken is cooked till just tenderness and then steamed with the rice so it is all in one with the rice when you serve it out.
This is a kind of dish that you can make when you want something special. It tastes great when it is steaming hot and usually you will find it served at most Saudi occassions. It is like the Arab version of Biryani and much similar to Mandi, a Yemeni mutton dish. Mandi is made in a vessel that is half buried like an earthen oven in the ground. Kabsa in made on a stove in the kitchen.
My family loves Kabsa. My seven year old has tried it a few times and he often remarks that he can eat it every day! Since I don’t add too much chilli, my two year old and one year old eat it too. I have found that they eat quite well actually. It is a fantastic way to sneak in the veggies.
There are quite a few variations to how Kabsa is made. Most Arab ladies have their own family recipe. This recipe that I am sharing today is how my sister in law makes it. She learnt it from a Saudi neighbour. I like the taste of fresh lemon compared to the dried lime or Lomi (as it is locally called). Lomi has a different taste and smell. I also like the chicken to be steamed with the rice rather than placed on top of a bed of rice.
[h=2]Ingredients[/h]
  • 1 chicken with skin, cut into 4-8 pieces.
  • 3 cups of rice
  • 2 onions chopped finely
  • 2 fresh tomatoes blended with skin
  • 1 tsp of tomato paste
  • 1tsp garlic paste
  • 1 tsp ginger paste
  • 1 grated medium sized carrot
  • Half a lemon cut into thick slices
  • 1 tsp of coriander powder
  • 1/2 tsp of cumin powder
  • 1/2 tsp of garam masala powder(all spice)
  • 1/4 tsp of black pepper powder
  • 1/2 tsp of red chilli powder(or to taste)
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 3 cardamom pods
  • 5 black pepper
  • 5 cloves
  • A few raisins and pine nuts for garnishing
  • A cup of oil
  • 4 cups of water or more
[h=2]Instructions[/h]Please Note: The chicken will be cooked with the skin on to keep it moist. You can removed the skin before steaming with the rice. If you choose to grill or fry the chicken pieces then the skin helps give it a crispy outer layer.
You can wash and make slits in the chicken before hand. Rub in a little salt and garlic-ginger paste too. This helps the chicken absorb the juices well.
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You will need to use a large pot that can accommodate the chicken pieces well.

  • Start by heating the oil in the pan. Add the whole spices (cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper and cloves) and let them splutter before you add the onions.
  • Fry the onions on medium high till they are golden.
  • Add the ginger and garlic paste and fry a little before you add the tomatoes and the powdered spices. Keep stirring and fry till the tomatoes are all mushy and the oil starts to separate.
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  • Add the chicken pieces and some salt.
  • Saute the chicken on high heat till the oil separates again.
  • Add 4 cups of water and reduce heat when it starts to simmer.
  • Reduce heat and let this cook till the chicken pieces are tender.
  • Usually it takes about 15-20 minutes on medium low heat.
Wash and soak the rice while the chicken cooks.

  • Once the chicken is done, with a slotted spoon remove the chicken pieces on to a dish and cover with foil.
  • Measure the broth. For every cup of rice that you are using, you will need one and a half cup of water. If the broth is not enough then you can add some water to make it equal to what you need.
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  • Start the heat again. Add the grated carrots and sliced lemon to the broth.
  • When the water starts to boil, add the drained rice to it. Check and adjust the salt.
  • Let it cook on medium high till the water reduces and it becomes difficult to stir. If you want the chicken in the rice then now is the time to add them.
  • Remove the skin first and then drop them in to the rice and stir it.
  • Close the lid tighly, reduce the heat to the lowest and let it steam for 15-20 minutes.
  • If you are not adding the chicken to the rice but would like it grilled or fried then you can proceed to steaming without the chicken.
To grill the chicken, just brush it will oil and place it in the oven for 5- 10 minutes. You can fry it hot oil too to get a golden crispy texture to it too.
Once the rice is cooked, slowly tilt the lid slightly to let the steam escape. (Be careful the steam will escape fast!)
You can fry the raisins and pinenuts in a little butter and oil in the meanwhile and pour this on the rice for garnishing. After the steam escapes, you can serve the rice with the chicken.
You can serve it as it is with a fresh salad or with a bowl of hot fresh tomato sauce (tomato and green chillies blended). Enjoy!

 
I could just eat dates everyday, unfortunately they're very seasonal around here - you find them mainly during Ramadan.

The Arab crockery sets are just beautiful ma'sha'Allah, I'm not a coffee fan but I wouldn't mind drinking coffee from a set like that lol, although the cups are so small, maybe just two or three sips. Do you just keep on refilling it until you are done, or are you only meant to have a small amount?

Although in Arabic 'qahwa' means coffee, but in Urdu/Persian 'qahwa' means green-tea.
 
I like both Coffee and Tea equally. Both are equally nice.

When drinking with the Arabs, they'll keep filling your cup until you're done. Some prefer to keep the coffee sugarless, while others make it very sweet. Very strong and very sweet.
 
Yes both tea and coffee are equally nice but with milk and sugar added.

I notice the kabsah rice dish has very little amount of spices, as for chillie powder, very little, its more on the bland side. Not so spicy like our food.
 
Umm Abed said:
Yes both tea and coffee are equally nice but with milk and sugar added.

I notice the kabsah rice dish has very little amount of spices, as for chillie powder, very little, its more on the bland side. Not so spicy like our food.
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I don't drink either tea or coffee, I've never had a taste for it.

That dish reminds me a little of Kabuli Pilaf, a classic Afghan dish made a lot in my house. It usually just has salt, cardamom powder and garam masala, but it's delicious. I actually prefer it to Biryani :D.
 
Yes. That's because Arabs generally don't go in much for spices. Unlike Indians and Pakistanis (or basically everyone from the Indian Subcontinent), they don't like hot or spicy food. It gives them heartburn. So, their foods are generally much more bland as compared to the foods of India.

To each his own, as they say.

But personally, I like all kinds of cuisine. I would not restrict myself to just one.
 
The funny thing is even when some of them Indians/Pakistanis get heartburn due to overly spiced food they still will not eat less spice its because they've become accustomed to spicy food, so spoilt, but bland is good; I like balancing it with some bland some spicy food, in that way its not too excess.

[MENTION=38090]noraina[/MENTION] the fragrant spices I know, that goes with pulau. I like it too but it must have some potato in, but still I prefer biryani the best:D
 
Ful Mudammas:


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Spicy Ful Mudammas (Fava Beans) With Olive Oil and Chili Recipe
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[Photograph: Max Falkowitz]


  • [*=center]YIELD:serves 3 to 4
    [*=center]ACTIVE TIME:10 minutes
    [*=center]TOTAL TIME:10 minutes
    [*=center]RATED:


Ful mudammas, stewed fava beans, is a staple dish all over the Levant. Some versions are mild-mannered and comforting. This one, loaded with olive oil, lemon, garlic, cumin, and a kick of chili flakes, is anything but. Serve it as a bean stew or mash up the beans and use it as a high octane dip.
Why this recipe works:


  • Toasting cumin seeds, then mashing them with garlic and chili flakes in a mortar and pestle releases maximum flavor.
  • Replacing some of the bean broth with olive oil makes for an intense grassy and pungent base for an abundance of spices and garlic.

INGREDIENTS


  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds, freshly toasted
  • 2 teaspoons chili flakes
  • Kosher salt
  • 2 (15-ounce) cans fava beans
  • 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
  • 1 tablespoon tahini
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons lemon juice from 2 lemons, or more to taste
DIRECTIONS


  • 1.
    Put garlic cloves, cumin seeds, chili flakes, and a pinch of salt in a mortar and pestle and crush until seeds are cracked and garlic is in small, flimsy chunks. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, mince garlic very fine.
  • 2.
    Empty one can of fava beans (with liquid) into a medium saucepan; drain second can and add additional beans, garlic paste, olive oil, and tahini. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until liquid retains some brothiness but turns thick and sauce-like, about 5 minutes.
  • 3.
    Add lemon juice and salt to taste. If desired, mash one third of beans with a potato masher for a thicker stew, or mash all beans for a rich dip. Serve with additional olive oil at the table.


 
Diner food:

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Burger and fries, with a "Frankie's Olde Style Cinnamon Cola - Bringing you the taste of yesteryear."
 
It's actually fava beans in a spicy sauce. It's a very famous dish in Egypt. It's known as "Ful" (pronounced as "Fool").
 

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