Bahraini Machboos
Machboos or Majboos is claimed to be the national dish of the Kingdom of Bahrain. It is full of Arabian flavors. Different from other baharat spice blends, Omani baharat includes dried limes and roses. Dried limes, also called Loomi, Omani limes, or black limes, are an important ingredient in the cuisine around the Persian Gulf. No other lemon has this heavenly sweet-tangy citrus flavor.
Ingredients
- 2 lb chicken drumsticks
- 2 large tomatoes chopped
- 2 tbsp chopped cilantro or parsley
- 8 oz carrots shredded
- 2 cups hot chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 cup Basmati rice
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic grated
- 1 inch ginger grated
- 2-3 lemon for juice
- butter & oil
- salt & pepper
Machboos Culinary Spice Kit
- Pouch [1] Omani limes, roses, turmeric, cinnamon, paprika, cardamom, cloves, coriander, nutmeg
- Pouch [2] Cardamom
Optional
- 1 green chile finely chopped
- lemon wedges
- dates
- red onions sliced
Instructions
Prepare
- Rinse rice and cover with cold water.
- Add 1.5 tbsp lemon juice.
- Let soak 1/2 - 24 hours in the fridge.
- Drain. Set aside.
- Season chicken with salt and pepper.
Cook
- In a large POT, fry onions in 2 tbsp butter over medium heat until translucent.
- Add garlic, ginger, chili (optional), and Machboos [1] spices.
- Stir-fry for 2 minutes.
- Add chicken, tomatoes, and broth.
- Cover. Cook 20 minutes over medium-low heat.
- Take chicken out and set aside.
- Add rice and salt to taste. Mix well.
- Cover. Bring to a boil.
- Turn heat to low. Cook about 15 minutes until rice is cooked. Don’t stir!
- Turn off. Mix in herbs.
Fry
- In a PAN, heat 1 tbsp oil. Fry chicken over high heat until browned on all sides.
Salad
- Mix carrots with Machboos [2] spices, lemon juice, salt & pepper, and 1 tbsp oil.
Serve
- Serve chicken on top of rice and with the carrot salad. Add lemon juice to taste.
- Optionally, serve with lemon wedges, dates, and sliced red onions.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Substitute chicken with 1 lb fish filet or paneer. Don’t cook it. Only fry it.
Marceline Reid-Jaques
2022-12-14
Karen Jones
2022-12-05
Wonderful, flavorful meals using readily available ingredients!
ann davis
2022-11-29
My daughter gave me a subscription as a Christmas present while our families were quarantining together. It was so much fun! It introduced us to several cuisines that were totally new to us. The recipes were easy to follow and the spices were transformative - fresh and pungent and delicious.
Jessica Brown
2022-05-22
The best way to try new dishes!