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Saudi Arabia

Wow, it is hard to find the time for creative cooking with a toddler..whew!

Tonight's menu includes Chicken Kabsa. The national dish of Saudi Arabia. It's essentially chicken and rice, but the Middle Eastern version. Who doesn't love chicken and rice? Especially when it's made with cardamon, coriander and black limes. Yes, black limes.

The black limes were an intriguing yet elusive ingredient. I traveled all around town to specialty spice shops looking for these little beasts. I finally located a small Middle Eastern market about 40 minutes from my house and sent Tony on a mission.   He came back with small bag of dried, black limes and a report that the market made very delicious shawarma sandwiches. Double win!

We invited a few friends over and the Saudi Arabian feast began.

Chicken Kabsa


1 cup of basmati rice
1 whole chicken cut into 8 parts
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
1 large tomato, diced
2 bay leaves
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 onion, diced3 garlic cloves, minced
6 green cardamom pods, whole
5 cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
2 black limes
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cardamom, ground
1 (8 oz) can of tomato sauce
4 boiled eggs
Pine nuts and raisins

1. In a 4-quart stockpot on medium heat sauté onions and garlic in 2 tablespoons of oil until the onions start to caramelize. Add bay leaves, cardamom pods, cloves, cinnamon sticks, black limes, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, ginger and ground cardamom. Mix well and allow to sauté for 30 seconds.

2. Add tomato sauce, tomato and chicken bouillon, mix well. Continue cooking until sauce thickens, then reduce heat to low.

3. In a separate pan, quickly brown the chicken in 3 tablespoons oil on medium high heat.

4. Add chicken to tomato mixture and add enough water to just cover the chicken. Bring to a full boil then reduce to simmer. Cover the pot and simmer 35 minutes.

5. In a 2-quart saucepan, add rice and 2 cups of sauce from the chicken. Bring to a boil then immediately turn heat to low and cook covered for 15-20 minutes.  Meanwhile, why the rice is cooking turn oven on broil. Add chicken to a roasting pan and broil for five minutes or until golden.

6. Serve rice on a large platter and arrange chicken on top. Garnish with eggs, pine nuts, and raisin. Pour sauce over the top and enjoy!

Dinner was well received by everyone.

Heidi's rating: 8 out of 10.
Tony's rating: 7 out of 10. "It was good. But, really, it was just chicken and rice."
Baby M's rating: 9 out of 10. Seriously. Chicken. Rice. 

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