Kuwaiti Chicken Machboos
Share
This dish is the most popular choice for lunch or dinner in Kuwait. It consists of succulent chicken that's been pre-boiled in a fragrant blend of spices and then fried or baked. It's served with seasoned basmati rice, caramelized split chickpeas and onions stuffing, and a tangy red tomato sauce. This dish is a staple not just in Kuwait but also in the Arabian Gulf region. Our family has been using this recipe for over 45 years, and I hope you and your loved ones enjoy it as much as we do! Bil Afya!
Kuwaiti Chicken Machboos - Machboos Al-Dajaj Al-Kuwaiti
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Main Course
Cuisine
Kuwaiti
Author:
Dalool’s Kitchen
Servings
6
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
120 minutes
Calories
160
A delicious, aromatic journey to the heart of Kuwaiti cuisine! This classic dish brings together spiced chicken, fluffy rice, caramelized onions, and a drizzle of daqoos (garlic tomato sauce) for a taste that’s as comforting as it is flavorful.
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken (900 grams)
- 1/3 cup Rosewater
- 1/8 teaspoon saffron threads
- 2 ½ cups basmati rice
- 4 tablespoons ghee
Spices for boiling chicken:
-
3 cardamom pods, 2 cloves, 3 black peppercorns, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 bay leaf, 1 onion (cut into quarters), 1 teaspoon salt.
Special Onion Topping (Hashoo):
- 1/4 cup split yellow chickpeas
- 1/4 cup raisins, pre-soaked in water.
- Three medium onions finely chopped.
- 1/8 teaspoon Kuwaiti Spice Mix
- 1/8 teaspoon curry powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon of ghee or vegetable oil
Directions
First, wash the rice and then soak it in water while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Mix the rosewater with the saffron threads, add filtered water until you have half a cup of mixture, then set aside.
Cooking the Stuffing and Garnish:
In a skillet on medium-high heat, caramelize the onions- about 10-15 minutes.
Add a tablespoon of water to aid in the caramelization process if needed. Then, mix in the spices and salt.
Place the split chickepeas in a pot and cover them with water and boil for about 20-30 minutes, then drain them and set aside.
After the onions have caramelized, add in the drained raisins, cooked split chickpeas, and a tablespoon of ghee and mix well. Remove from heat and set aside.
Cooking the Chicken:
Wash the chicken thoroughly, then stuff it with two tablespoons of stuffing. Use a cooking needle and thread to sew up the open end of the chicken to prevent the stuffing from falling out while boiling.
Prepare a large pot of water, add chicken boiling spices and boil the chicken for approximately one hour or until fully cooked. Ensure that the water level in the pot is only 2cm above the chicken.
Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the water and strain the remaining water. Return the water to the pot and keep it on low heat until needed. Place the chicken on a flat plate or tray, spread some rosewater and saffron mix on the entire chicken, and set it aside.
Heat some ghee over high heat in a large saucepan and fry the stuffed chicken on all sides until it turns golden and crispy. Keep the ghee used for frying the chicken for later. After the chicken cools down, remove the thread and set it aside.
Cooking the rice:
Add soaked rice to a pot and then cover the rice with the reserved chicken cooking water by about 1cm or until the water reaches the first line on your index finger.
Turn the heat on high and cook the rice until all the water evaporates and little holes start to appear in the rice. At this point, lower the heat all the way down, then add two tablespoons of the rosewater saffron mix to one side of the rice pot. We only want to flavor it a little and not overpower the flavor. Next, add about two tablespoons of the reserved ghee to the rice.
Add the remaining stuffing to the other side of the pot, then place the fried chicken next to it.
Finally, cover and keep it on low heat for about 30 minutes.
To Serve:
First, remove the chicken from the pot and place it on a plate, then remove the stuffing and then start taking some rice from the pot and distribute it in your serving platter.
Top the rice with the chicken, then place some of the stuffing on the side. Serve with Kuwaiti Tomato Sauce (Daqoos) and a fresh green salad.
Recipe Video
Recipe Note
Chef Tips:
If you prefer an easier way to crisp up the chicken, you can simply pop it in the oven broiler for about 15 minutes.
For the authentic Kuwaiti Daqoos Recipe and many more delicious recipes, get your copy of my cookbook "From My Childhood Kitchen" here!
New to Kuwaiti cooking? Start with my free cookbook "From Kuwait with Love" — eight family recipes, yours to download here.
2 comments
I don’t ever take the time to comment but I have to…I just googled machboos ( just to see what would come up ) scrolling through pictures until I saw one that remotely resembled and yours was low down but the first one that looked like proper machboos….love this recipe its very close to how my Grandma made it.
I love cooking arabic food