Chef-tested recipe
Kuwaiti chicken and basmati rice perfumed with dried black lime, cardamom and warm spices.
Recipe at a glance
- Servings
- 6 servings
- Best Served With
- Daqoos tomato sauce and salad
Before you begin
Ingredients & equipment
Gather what you need first, then cook through the method with confidence.
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Ingredients
- 1,200 g chicken pieces
- 500 g basmati rice, rinsed and soaked 20 minutes paid link
- 250 g onion, sliced
- 300 g tomatoes, chopped
- 2 dried black limes, pierced paid link
- 6 green cardamom pods
- 4 cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 8 g Gulf baharat
- 40 ml neutral oil paid link
- 1.3 litres water or chicken stock
- 10 g salt paid link
- Pinch of saffron soaked in 30 ml warm water, optional
Method
Brown chicken lightly in oil and remove.
Cook onion until golden, then add tomato, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, baharat and black lime.
Return chicken, add stock and simmer about 30 minutes until nearly tender.
Lift chicken out. Measure enough cooking liquid for the rice, add drained rice and cook covered over low heat for 15–18 minutes.
Return chicken to the pot or brown it separately under a hot grill. Rest rice 10 minutes and finish with saffron if using.
Beginner Technique Notes
Pierce the dried limes rather than crushing them, which can make the dish bitter. Keep the rice covered during its final steam.
Substitutions
If loomi is unavailable, use a small amount of lime zest at the end, though the flavour will not be identical.
Storage
Cool promptly and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat chicken and rice until piping hot.
Allergen Notes
No major allergens are required in the base recipe; check spice blends and stock.
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