After living in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates for more then twenty years, I learned a lot about their culture and some of their cuisine. Their food is somehow similar to our Lebanese food, but they use more spices. Kabsse is a very popular dish in Abu Dhabi, and it can be cooked with chicken, meat or even fish. Today I prepared chicken with rice the Arabian Gulf way “Kabsse”.

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken
• 3 large onions, cut in wing shape + one small onion peeled
• 5  cloves
• 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 2 large tablespoon tomato puree
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• spices: cumin, dried coriander, black pepper, salt, ground cinnamon, lime salt
• cinnamon stick
• 3 cups basmati rice ( long grain from pakistan)
• 4 bay leaves
• 4 whole cardamon
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 medium onion chopped roughly
• 4 or 5 celery stick, cut into small cubes
• 2 red tomatoes, chopped
• 3 cups chicken stock
• pine seeds, handful
• peeled almonds, handful
• cashews, handful
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon corn oil

Preparation:

• Wash the chicken and cut into 8 pieces
• Mix 1 tablespoon of each: salt, cumin, dried coriander, black pepper, ground cinnamon, lime salt and place in a small jar
• Put the chicken pieces in a bowl and rub with one tablespoon of the spices mixture, soak with the 1/4 cup lemon juice and the half cup of olive oil. Soak overnight
• Next day, in a large pot heat the 2 tablespoons of oil and fry the wings of onion until light brown, remove half of the fried onions and put aside ( you will use it later for the decoration)
• Fry the chicken pieces over the remaining onions in the pot, until brown
• Put the 5 cloves on the small peeled onion and place it over the fried chicken with the cinnamon stick, 2 bay leaves, 2 cardamons
• Put over the chicken 1 tablespoon of tomato puree, cover the pot and let it cook on a very low fire for about 5 minutes
• Put the rice over the chicken, cover with about 5 cups of water ( or chicken stock if you prefer), when it start boiling place the pot on a very low heat, cover it and let it cook gently until the rice absorbs all the water
• In the mean time prepare the sauce : in a small pot, heat the remaining oil, fry the onion, the chopped garlic and the celery sticks  and the tomatoes, add the remaining tablespoon of tomato puree, cover with 3 cups of chicken stock and let it boil gently
• Add one tablespoon of the spices mixture, one cinnamon stick, 2 cardamon, 2 bay leaves
• When the vegetables are well cooked remove the cinnamon stick, the bay leaves and cardamon, puree the vegetables with a hand mixer

• In a small saucepan heat the butter with the oil and fry the pine seeds, almonds and cashew
• Place the chicken with rice on a serving plate place fried onions on the top and decorate with the pine seeds, almonds and cashew, and few leaves of celery
• Serve the sauce with the rice and enjoy.

ET VOILA… C’EST TOUT…