Bahraini Machboos
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The Tale of Bahraini Machboos
Story updated
Machboos, spiced rice with meat or fish, developed through Bahrain's centuries-long role as an Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf trading hub, absorbing spices like black lime, cardamom, and turmeric from South Asian and Persian trade routes. It's widely considered Bahrain's national dish.
Ingredients
Scale:· 6 servings
- 3 cups basmati rice, soaked
- 2 lbs chicken pieces or lamb
- 2 onions, chopped
- 3 tomatoes, chopped
- 2 tbsp bezar (Bahraini spice blend)
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- Pinch of dried loomi (black lime), crushed
- 3 tbsp oil or ghee
- Fried onions, for garnish
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- 1Heat oil and brown the chicken or lamb, then remove and set aside.
- 2Sauté onions until golden, then add tomatoes, tomato paste, bezar, and crushed loomi.
- 3Return the meat to the pot, add water to cover, and simmer until tender, about 30-35 minutes.
- 4Remove the meat and strain the broth, reserving both.
- 5Add the soaked rice to the broth and cook covered on low heat until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes.
- 6Grill or broil the meat briefly until lightly charred, then serve over the rice, garnished with fried onions.
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