Kuwaiti Murabyan (Shrimp and Spiced Rice)
Kuwaiti Murabyan (Shrimp and Spiced Rice)
Dalal AlJaser
6
45 minutes
1 hour 15 minutes
Kuwaiti
Main Course
Murabyan is the Kuwaiti shrimp and rice dish that tastes like a weekend at the chalet. Medium shrimp cooked with deeply golden onions, fresh coriander and dill, green peppers, daqoos and warm Kuwaiti spices. Most of the shrimp is lifted out and finished with caramelized onions for the topping, while soaked basmati cooks directly in the herb base with the rest. Traditionally made with dried shrimp; this is our version with fresh.
Ingredients
Murabyan:
- 3 cups basmati rice, rinsed and soaked in cold water for 30 minutes
- 2 kg raw medium shrimp or prawns, peeled and deveined
- 3 tablespoons neutral oil or ghee
- 5 medium onions, finely chopped
- 2 medium-to-large onions, chopped into small squares but not too finely, for the topping
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic, about 2-3 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger, or about a 1-inch piece
- 1 cup finely chopped fresh coriander
- 1 cup finely chopped fresh dill
- 1 small green bell pepper, chopped into small cubes
- 1 green chili pepper, finely chopped, or to taste
- 1 dried black lime, rinsed and pierced a few times with a knife
- 1 teaspoon Kuwaiti Spice Mix (recipe available in my cookbook From My Childhood Kitchen)
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon green curry powder, optional
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes, optional but highly recommended
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 1 cup prepared Daqoos, recipe below
- Hot water, as needed to cook the rice
Daqoos — makes approximately 3 cups:
- 4 medium ripe tomatoes
- 1 small head garlic, approximately 6-7 cloves, minced
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- Salt, to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
- A little ground red chili pepper, optional
- At least 2 cups water, plus more if needed
Directions
Make the Daqoos:
Blend the tomatoes until smooth.
Put the pureed tomatoes, garlic, tomato paste, salt, black pepper and red chili pepper, if using, in a saucepan with 2 cups water.
Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook for approximately 15 minutes. Lower the heat and simmer until the garlic and tomato paste are fully cooked and the sauce has reduced slightly. Add more water if needed so the finished batch measures approximately 3 cups. Set aside 1 cup for the Murabyan and keep the remaining Daqoos for serving.
Prepare the rice and shrimp:
Rinse the rice until the water runs mostly clear, then soak it in cold water for 30 minutes.
Rinse the peeled and deveined shrimp thoroughly under cool running water. Leave it to drain in a colander; there is no need to pat it dry.
Cook the shrimp mixture:
Heat the oil or ghee in a wide, heavy-bottomed pot. Add the finely chopped onions and cook over medium heat until soft and deeply golden.
Add the garlic and ginger and stir for approximately 30 seconds, until fragrant.
Increase the heat to high and add the drained shrimp. Cook, stirring frequently, until the shrimp begins to change color.
Add the coriander, dill, green bell pepper, green chili and the dried black lime. Season with the Kuwaiti Spice Mix, curry powder, green curry powder, if using, cumin, turmeric, red chili pepper flakes, if using, and salt, then stir for 2-3 minutes.
Add 1 cup Daqoos. Mix well, lower the heat and let the shrimp mixture simmer briefly so the flavors combine.
When the shrimp sauce has reduced slightly, lift out approximately three-quarters of the shrimp and place it in a bowl or on a plate. Leave the remaining shrimp and the herb mixture in the pot for the rice.
Cook the rice in the shrimp base:
Drain the soaked rice. Add enough hot water to the remaining shrimp and herb mixture to cook the rice, then add the rice. Adjust the liquid so it stands approximately 1 inch above the surface of the rice. Taste the liquid and adjust the salt.
Bring to a boil and cook for approximately 15 minutes, until the rice is almost cooked, small holes begin to appear on its surface and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
Cover tightly, reduce the heat to the lowest setting and place the pot over a heat diffuser for approximately 15 minutes more, until the rice is fully cooked and fluffy. Make the onion and shrimp topping while the rice finishes cooking.
Make the onion and shrimp topping:
Put the two additional chopped onions in a dry frying pan without oil. Cook over medium heat, stirring regularly. About halfway through cooking, add water to help the onions caramelize.
When the onions turn pale golden-brown, add the reserved shrimp and toss everything together for approximately 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and set aside for the topping.
Gently lift the rice and remaining shrimp together without crushing the grains. Transfer to a serving platter and spoon the caramelized onion-and-shrimp mixture over the top. Serve with the remaining Daqoos. Bil Afya!
1 comment
Thank you