Chicken Machboos (Bahraini Spiced Chicken and Rice)

Chicken Machboos (Bahraini Spiced Chicken and Rice)

Recipe source :  Adapted from The Daring Gourmet

This chicken machboos is very  similar to our local "Nasi Briyani". It is so ironic that I have not  cooked our local "Nasi Briyani" all these years,  yet I am now cooking a Bahraini spiced chicken and rice!. Unbelievable!

I modified the cooking style by taking the short cut and cooked this very fragrant and savoury rice in an electric rice cooker.  This is because I have not cooked rice the conventional way for such a long time that I was worried that I might end up with a pot of burnt rice. It is better to be safe than sorry!

If you like spicy food, this is delicious! More or less like our local "Nasi Briyani".

Ingredients

1 large onion, diced
2 tbsp cooking oil
1 tbsp Baharat     (please refer to above link on how to prepare this Baharat)
1 tsp turmeric
2 whole chicken drumsticks  ( cut into 2 pieces each )
2 red chilli padi, sliced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
5 cloves garlic, sliced
2  large tomatoes
2-3 dried limes  (loomi)       ( I omitted this )
5 cardamon pods
2 cloves
1 stick cinnamon ( about 2 inches long )
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 cups chicken stock
250g rice
2 stalks fresh cilantro, chopped

Top left : turmeric powder. Top middle: cardamon pods. Top right : cloves

Bottom left : cinnamon bark. Bottom right : red chillies

Top left : tomatoes

Middle left : ginger.

Centre : garlic 

Bottom left :  large onion

Far right : cilantro

Instructions

1.  Heat oil in a wok and brown the chicken pieces. Remove and set aside.
2.  Using the remaining oil in the wok, fry the diced onions until brownish.
3.  Add in minced ginger, sliced garlic and red chillies.
4.  Add in the Baharat and turmeric and cook for another minute.
5.  Switch off the flame and remove contents of the wok into a rice cooker.
6.  Add in the washed rice and chicken pieces together with water.
7.  Add in tomatoes and cilantro.
8.  Add in cardamon pods, cloves and cinnamon bark to the rice-cooker
9.  Add in salt and stir to mix well.
10.  Switch on the rice-cooker and let it auto-cook until done.
11.  Once the indicator shows "done", fluff up the rice and scoop out the rice to a serving plate and arrange the chicken pieces around the rice.

I am submitting this post to Asian Food Fest : West Asia 

hosted by  Shannon of Just As Delish

Yemeni Chicken Soup

Yemeni Chicken Soup

Recipe source :  Queen of Sheba  ~ Yemeni Recipes


This is the first time I am cooking a dish from Yemen. As I blog around for recipes, I noticed that the foods of many  West Asian countries use plenty of spices which are very similar to our local Malaysian Indians and Malays. However, I have come across some ingredients which I am not familiar and I have no idea where to buy them. Thus I have to give them a skip even though they look very interesting.

This Yemeni chicken soup is very spicy, which is very different from the Chinese soup I used  to boil for my family.

Ingredients

1/2 onion, chopped                  (  I used 1 whole big onion ) 
1/2 green chili                           ( I used 2 red chilli padi or bird's eye chilli ) 
3 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp ground pepper
3 - 4 cardamons
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp salt                                    ( I used 1 1/4 tsp )
1/2 tsp ground coriander
2 lbs chicken with bones          ( I used 3 whole chicken drumsticks )
1/4 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 tbsp canned tomato paste    ( I used 1 fresh tomato - cut into small cubes )
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into halves length-wise
5 cups water

Left: potatoes- Right: cilantro

Middle top: tomato- Middle bottom: Onion

Clockwise from top : cardamons, turmeric powder, cumin, pepper, ground coriander, red chilli padi. 

Centre : garlic

Chicken drumsticks

Instructions

1.  Saute onion, garlic, and green chili in oil until garlic is browned and onion translucent. Add cumin, pepper, cardamom, turmeric, coriander, and salt. Then mix thoroughly.
2. Add chicken and cook for 5 minutes until the outsides are slightly browned. Add tomato cubes, cilantro, water, and potatoes. Cover and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour over medium heat, adding more water if necessary. 
3. NOTE: If you prefer potatoes firm, slow-cook chicken first then add potatoes at the end and cook for about 30 minutes. ( I added the potatoes and chicken together and simmer for 25 minutes only. The meat and potatoes were already tender after 25 minutes )  
4. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Notice that the turmeric powder gave a lovely yellowish tinge to the potatoes and chicken

I am submitting this post to Asian Food Fest : West Asia 

hosted by  Shannon of Just As Delish