Machboos Dajaj — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

Tender chicken pieces simmered in a rich baharat-spiced tomato broth with dried limes and rose water, served atop golden saffron rice. This aromatic one-pot feast is the chicken counterpart to Bahrain's beloved national dish.

Ingredients

1 whole chicken, cut into pieces
500g basmati rice, soaked 30 min
3 large onions, diced
4 tomatoes, pureed
3 dried limes (loomi), pierced
2 tbsp baharat spice blend
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp saffron threads in 2 tbsp rose water
3 tbsp ghee
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cinnamon stick
4 cardamom pods
Salt to taste
Fresh cilantro for garnish
Fried onions for topping

Instructions

1 Heat ghee in a large pot and fry diced onions until deep golden brown. Remove half for garnish and set aside.
2 Add chicken pieces to the pot and sear on all sides until golden, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook one minute.
3 Stir in baharat, turmeric, and tomato puree. Add dried limes, cinnamon stick, and cardamom pods. Cook for 5 minutes.
4 Pour in enough water to cover the chicken. Bring to a boil, then simmer covered for 30 minutes until chicken is tender.
5 Remove chicken and strain the broth. Return broth to pot, add soaked drained rice, and cook on low heat covered for 18 minutes.
6 Fluff rice with a fork, arrange chicken on top, drizzle with saffron-rose water, and garnish with fried onions and cilantro.

Did You Know?

In Bahraini households, the quality of a cook is often judged by the aroma and color of their machboos dajaj.