Saudi Kabsa Fragrant Rice (Print Version)

A festive Middle Eastern dish with tender meat, aromatic spices, raisins, and toasted almonds.

# What You'll Need:

→ Meat

01 - 2.2 lbs bone-in lamb or chicken pieces
02 - 1 tbsp vegetable oil
03 - 1 large onion, finely sliced
04 - 3 cloves garlic, minced

→ Spices

05 - 2 tsp ground cumin
06 - 2 tsp ground coriander
07 - 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
08 - 1 ½ tsp ground black pepper
09 - 1 tsp ground turmeric
10 - 1 tsp ground cardamom
11 - ½ tsp ground cloves
12 - ½ tsp ground allspice
13 - 2 dried bay leaves
14 - 1 dried black lime (loomi), pierced (optional)

→ Vegetables

15 - 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
16 - 1 medium carrot, grated

→ Rice

17 - 3 cups basmati rice, rinsed and soaked 20 minutes
18 - 5 cups chicken or lamb stock

→ Garnishes

19 - ½ cup golden raisins
20 - ½ cup slivered almonds, toasted
21 - ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
22 - Salt, to taste

# Steps to Follow:

01 - Heat vegetable oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add sliced onions and sauté until golden brown.
02 - Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add bone-in lamb or chicken pieces and brown on all sides for approximately 8 minutes.
03 - Stir in ground cumin, coriander, cinnamon, black pepper, turmeric, cardamom, cloves, allspice, bay leaves, and pierced dried black lime. Cook for 1–2 minutes until aromatic.
04 - Incorporate chopped tomatoes and grated carrot. Cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
05 - Pour in chicken or lamb stock, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 35–40 minutes for chicken or 60 minutes for lamb until meat is tender.
06 - Take out the meat pieces and keep them warm while retaining the cooking liquid.
07 - Add soaked and drained basmati rice along with salt to the broth. Return the meat to the pot, nestling it into the rice. Scatter golden raisins on top. Cover and cook over low heat for 25–30 minutes until rice is tender and liquid absorbed.
08 - Discard bay leaves and dried black lime. Gently fluff rice with a fork. Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle with toasted slivered almonds and chopped fresh parsley.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • The spice blend creates a warmth that tastes both familiar and adventurous, like discovering something you didn't know you were missing.
  • One pot means less cleanup but feels like you've made something restaurant-worthy, which honestly never gets old.
  • It's the kind of dish people remember you for making, the one they ask for months later.
02 -
  • The difference between good kabsa and great kabsa lives in the spice bloom—don't skip that 1-2 minute window when spices hit hot oil, because that's when they transform from powder to personality.
  • Oversalting the broth before adding rice is nearly impossible to fix, so taste and be conservative; you can always add more at the table.
  • If your rice seems dry before the 25-30 minutes are up, it likely means your heat is too high—dial it back to actual low, not medium-low.
03 -
  • Toast your almonds in a dry pan just before serving rather than in advance—they stay crisper and bring genuine texture instead of softening into the rice.
  • The black lime is worth ordering online; it adds a floral complexity that no other single ingredient can replace, and one goes a very long way.
  • If you prefer to use chicken, reduce the simmering time to 35-40 minutes, as it dries out quickly compared to lamb's gentle, prolonged cooking.
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