Omani Chicken Machboos
A fragrant and flavorful one-pot rice dish where chicken is slow-cooked with aromatic spices, dried limes, and tomatoes, then topped with fluffy basmati rice. The compression of ingredients in one pot is key to its name and deep flavor.
🧂 Ingredients
- 6 tbsp Vegetable oil
- 1 large Onion(chopped)
- 3 cloves Garlic cloves(or 1 tbsp garlic paste)
- 2 sticks Cinnamon sticks
- 8 pods Cardamom pods
- 3 tsp Baharat spice mix
- 2 Green chilies(halved or roughly chopped (optional))
- 2 Dried limes
- 2 tbsp Tomato purée
- 1 kg Whole chicken(cut into 8 pieces)
- 3 Tomatoes(finely chopped)
- 0.5 Red or green pepper(chopped)
- 600 g Basmati rice(washed)
- 50 g Blanched almonds(optional, for garnish)
- 10 g Coriander(finely chopped, for garnish)
- 0.5 Pomegranate seeds(optional, for garnish)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Heat 3 tbsp of oil in a large pan over medium-low heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté for 5 minutes until lightly browned. Add garlic, cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, green chilies (if using), and dried limes. Stir and fry for 2-4 minutes. Stir in the tomato purée.
- 2
Add the chicken pieces to the pan and sear for 6-10 minutes on each side. Add the chopped tomatoes and pepper. Pour in 1 liter of water and season with salt. Increase heat to medium-high, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
- 3
Add the washed basmati rice and the remaining 3 tbsp of oil to the pan. Stir to combine. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Wrap the pan lid with a clean tea towel to create a tight seal, and place it on top of the pan to help generate steam. Cook for 20 minutes until the rice is fluffy and cooked.
- 4
While the rice cooks, toast the blanched almonds in a dry frying pan over medium heat until golden brown.
- 5
Fluff the rice with a fork. Serve the machboos hot, garnished with toasted almonds, fresh coriander, and pomegranate seeds if desired.
💡 Tip: The tea towel around the lid helps create steam for extra fluffy rice.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Ensure the dried limes are pierced or slightly cracked to release their flavor.
- ✓Adjust the amount of chili according to your spice preference.
- ✓Washing the rice thoroughly before cooking is crucial for a fluffy texture.
🔄 Variations
- This dish can also be made with lamb or fish.
- Add other vegetables like carrots or peas for extra nutrition and color.