Arabic Rice Recipe

Arabic Rice

I loved  Arabic Rice from the minute I ate it a few years ago in Bangalore and made up my mind to get the recipe by hook or by crook.  I can’t tell you how many recipes of Arabic Rice I’ve tried from www.google.com and how often we ate the many versions of  Arabic Rice.  To cut a long story short, I was going through my list of recipes last month and decided to google the internet once more and I found the Arabic Rice recipe that I had been searching for.  Here it is, modified by me.  I cooked and froze about 6 boxes of Arabic Rice for the family to use while I am travelling or too lazy to cook.

Arabic Rice is a fragrant, light flavoured rice made with chicken, lemon and spices. It’s worthy of any occasion and I like to make it for a Sunday lunch or when I have guests. It’s quick and delicious and comes together pretty fast.  Best of all it is loved by everyone who happens to taste it.  Happy cooking Arabic Rice.

The Recipe For Arabic Rice

The Ingredients For Arabic Rice:

1 kg skinless chicken, jointed, washed and drained

1 tsp Himalayan salt for chicken

250 gms Low G. I. brown  Basmati rice, washed and drained

1 tsp Himalayan salt for rice

1 large tomato, quartered

a few carrots, keep whole or cut into thick rounds

6 cloves garlic, crushed

juice of 1 lemon

rind of 1 lemon

1 tsp pepper to taste

1/4 cup olive oil

1 stick cinnamon

3 cloves

3 cardamoms

1 large onion sliced

500 ml water

1 tsp salt to taste

3 boiled eggs for garnish, halved

The Method For Arabic Rice:

Mix the spices, garlic, lemon juice, rind, pepper powder, salt and olive oil in a bowl.  Marinade the chicken in half of this mixture for 30 minutes.  Next, boil the chicken, tomato and carrots in 500 ml water and simmer for 5 minutes.  Take the chicken and carrots out and keep warm.  Measure 500 ml stock to cook the rice and keep the remaining aside.
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a non stick pan and stir fry half the onions till glazed.  Add the rice and gently stir fry till coated with oil.
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in another non stick pan and  fry the remaining onions till golden brown.  Add the remaining lemon and olive oil mixture and stir fry for 2 minutes.  Add to the rice and mix well.  Transfer to rice cooker and add the 500 ml stock.  Add the second tsp of salt ( if required) and mix well.  Cook till done.  Transfer to large pyrex or heat proof dish and layer the chicken and rice.  Pour the remaining stock over and bake for 15 minutes at 200 C or 400 F till the chicken on top is brown.  Garnish with carrots and boiled eggs and serve with a mint and cucumber yoghurt.  This is one dish I could eat everyday.  Mmmm…

NB:  My standard measurement for salt is 1 tsp salt for 1 kg chicken and 1 tsp salt for the above quantity of rice.  You may add more or less depending on your taste.

Some More Rice Recipes For You To Try

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