Emirati Machboos or Fooga

Servings: 3-4

Ingredients:

4 cups water

4 chicken bouillon cubes or 5 teaspoons chicken stock powder

2 tablespoons olive oil

8-10 bone-in chicken pieces, skin removed

2 whole dried limes (loomi)

1/8 teaspoon saffron

1 large onion, chopped

1 large tomato, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional or chili powder, optional

2 teaspoons salt

2 cups basmati rice, rinsed and drained

Cooking Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375F and grease a 9x13 baking dish. Bring water to boiling and add chicken bouillon cubes, lower heat and add dried limes and saffron and let simmer till bouillon is dissolved --keep it hot. Sprinkle chicken with half the spices (except the garlic). Heat the olive oil in a large skillet on med-high to high heat and fry the chicken till both sides are brown, lower heat to medium and remove the chicken to a plate. In that same skillet sauté the onions for 2 minutes, add tomatoes, garlic and remaining spices and sauté another 2 minutes, then turn off the burner. Add the rice and stir for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, till well coated. Spread rice in the baking dish and place the chicken pieces over the rice. Gently press the dried limes on the sides of the pot to distribute flavor in the broth and then poor on the rice and chicken (the whole thing including the dried limes) and cover tightly with foil. Bake for 40-45 minutes--do not open the foil cover at all until the time is up. If you want to eat this the authentic way, you can lay newspaper on the floor (for easy cleanup of spills), put all of this on a very large platter or on a couple large sheets of aluminum foil laid on the newspaper and everyone sits around and eats with their right hand.

#uae #chicken #rice