I have again a new monthly challenge group to introduce. This one is called MENA, or Middle Eastern & North African Cooking Group, which could not fall any closer to my blog’s topic interests. The goal is to learn more about the selected country, its food traditions and how to prepare the selected recipe. The host will choose a savory and a sweet dish from the country, you pick which one to make. For my first time participating we were assigned Bahrain and I chose to go with the Bahraini Chicken Machboos. Definitely a first for me.
The Kingdom of Bahrain is a Middle Eastern archipelago in the Persian Gulf, tucked into a pocket of the sea flanked by Saudi Arabia and Qatar. It’s an oasis of social liberalism – or at least Western-friendly moderation – among the Muslim countries of the region. Its more relaxed culture has also made it a social and shopping mecca (so to speak), which has helped it develop a fairly cosmopolitan middle class. The country has few oil reserves, but it has established itself as a hub for refining as well as international banking. Bahrain has an impressive dining scene, with numerous restaurants to choose from. And guess what? It is legal for Muslims (and visitors) to consume alcoholic beverages in this country (wiki travel).
For this challenge we were given the option between a chicken dish called Machboos (the one I chose), or a dessert called Halwa. These dishes are mainly made from a mixture of spices, rice, meat and vegetables. The spices used are largely responsible for its taste; these are generally black pepper, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and black lime.
The most unusual ingredient here for most will be the black lime but I have actually seen and tried it before many times thought the delicious cooking of a Persian friend. Black lime is a spice used in Middle Eastern dishes. It is made by boiling fresh limes in salt water and sun drying until the insides turn black. The outside color varies from tan to black. Black limes are strongly flavored. They taste sour and citrusy like a lime but they also taste earthy and somewhat smoky and lack the sweetness of fresh limes. Because they are preserved they also have a slightly bitter.
Bahraini Chicken (Machboos)
Ingredients
- 4 1/2 cups water
- 650 g basmati rice
- 3 to matoes quartered
- 1 -1 1/2 kg chicken
- 3 onions finely chopped
- 1/4 cup coriander leaves chopped
- 1 green hot pepper as desired
- 2 black dried limes
- 2 teaspoons Baharat spice mix see below
- 1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 slice ginger root cut into small pieces
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons rose water
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 3 teaspoons salt
Instructions
- Cut the chicken in half. Heat the water and leave aside. In a small bowl, mix the buharat, turmeric, cumin, and cardamom together and add to the mixture one teaspoon of salt. Sprinkle half of the spice mixture on the chicken halves.
- Heat oil in a large cooking pan, fry the onions until golden brown, then add to the pepper and the black limes - you MUST make a hole in each limes.
- Add the chicken to the onion mixture and turn it over a few times in the pan. Sprinkle on the chicken a teaspoon of cinnamon and the rest of the mixed spices. Turn the contents all together so the chicken is coated with the spices, cover the pan and let it cook on medium heat for 3 minutes.
- Add the garlic, chopped ginger, and tomato cubes to the pan and turn the ingredients in the pan a few times. Cover again for 3 minutes on medium heat. Sprinkle with the rest of the salt and pour on it water while its still hot.
- Cover the pan and let it cook for about 1 hour, or until the chicken is cooked. Add the copped coriander 5 minutes before you remove the chicken from the stock in the pan. While the chicken is cooking, wash the rice well and soak for 10 minutes in cold water, then drain.
- Remove the chicken from the pan and put on an oven tray, brush with some oil and sprinkle with the rest of the cinnamon powder and grill in the oven until the chicken is golden brown.
- Add the rice to the chicken stock, stir, then let it cook on low heat until the rice absorbs the stock and is almost done.
- Sprinkle rose water and lemon juice over the rice and place the butter pieces on the top. Cover the pan and cook on low heat for 30 minutes.
- Serve the rice on a large serving plate and place the grilled chicken halves on the top.
Our host this month for the country Bahrain is Joanne from Whats on the List. The MENA cooking group is run by Noor from Ya Salam Cooking.
And here is the recipe to make your own Baharat spice mix. These are mostly staples (well for me) so no need to go hunting for the pre-made mix)
Baharat spice mix
3/4 tsp black peppercorns
1/2 in cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
1/4 tsp whole cloves
3/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/16 tsp (pinch) green cardamom seeds
3/4 tsp paprika powder
1/16 tsp (pinch) ground nutmeg
Set paprika and nutmeg aside. Place remaining ingredients in a small frying pan and dry roast over medium-high heat, tossing regularly, for 3-4 minutes or until very fragrant. Let cool and grinder fine. Add the paprika and nutmeg.
After read your review, I feel like want to immediately go to your place and test the delicious meal
This is such a lovely and mouth watering recipe!! I keep regretting not participating this month :(. I was just back from Egypt and could not manage. Your Magbous is lovely and the spice mix is so new to me I have to try it.
Consequently yummy! That appears irresistible.
I bet it takes at least 24 hours for the spices from the dish to dissipate from your tongue. WOW! What a list of spices and then more spices in the Baharat spice mix. Great challenge and awesome results!
That chicken looks amazing! And I don’t know much about Bahrain’s cuisine but I do know that it looks mouth wateringly good! 😀
Yes, this group sounds like a perfect fit for you! Your chicken looks marvelous, though I’m not sure I’ll be able to get black lime around here. It’s always fun to see what lovely, exotic food you’ve cooked up…and you’ve done it again 🙂
That chicken looks so perfectly blackened!
Black lime sounds so interesting. I’ve never hear of it before, but I’m sure it’s a fantastic part of this flavorful dish!
Oh Evelyne, this chicken rice dish looks fabulous…all the spices…yum!
Rose water in savory dish…I must try!
Thanks for the recipe…have a wonderful week 😀
I thought I posted here already so please forgive me. Thank you for being part of the club and I love this beautiful post that you wrote. Your dish looks very traditional and you can bet any Arab would drool over it lol.
Rose water is so fragrant! We use it a lot in desserts. I haven’t used it in savory dishes but it sounds like a great idea! I love your chicken!
Sounds fabulous and the black lemon is quite an interesting ingredient. The home made spice mix must have made it even better.
At first glance, I thought this was Biriyani. Though it is somewhat along the same lines, I love that there is rose water in this one. Your photographs are drool worthy and your cooking is so versatile Evelyne. I learn so much each time I come here.
I had no idea rose water went into this…love the sound of your spice…a definite must try!
Black lime…didn’t even know that exist..I have lots to learn from you, Evelyne. This looks lipsmackingly delicious!
Look delicious. Pictures are so tempting, specially the lime in and over the glass. love it. 🙂
Wow, damn delicious!!!
the photgraph is truelly seducing me…
i love this kind of spicy chicken rice, looks like mandi rice to me…
It is a lot like mandi, but without the snokey flavor.
How interesting, thanks for sharing.