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Chickpea kabsa
Kabsa bil hummus: Saudi spiced rice with chickpeas, carrot and toasted almonds
Across Saudi Arabia, from Riyadh flats to Jeddah family compounds, a Friday lunch usually means one huge tray of kabsa set on a cloth on the floor, everyone eating from their own side. The rice cooks in a tomato broth scented with dried lime, cinnamon and cardamom, so every grain turns orange-red and fragrant; this version swaps the usual chicken for chickpeas and carrot, which soak up the spices just as well. It is topped with raisins and toasted almonds and comes with daqqus, a sharp tomato-chilli sauce spooned over at the table. Chef's tip: pierce the dried limes before they go in; whole ones float and give little flavour, pierced ones fill the broth with a sour, smoky depth.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the rice
To top
For the daqqus
Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Soak 14 oz basmati rice in cold water while you start the broth; 20 minutes of soaking gives long, separate grains.
Step 2: Heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a wide, heavy pot over a medium heat. Toast 1 ⅜ oz flaked almonds and 1 ⅜ oz raisins in it for 1–2 minutes, until the almonds are golden and the raisins puff, then lift them out with a slotted spoon and set aside.
2 minStep 3: Add 2 onion to the same oil and fry over a medium heat, stirring now and then, for 8–10 minutes until soft and deep golden at the edges. Stir in 4 cloves garlic for 1 minute until it smells sweet.
10 minStep 4: Stir in 2 tbsp tomato paste and 2 tbsp kabsa spice mix (baharat) and fry for 1 minute, until the paste darkens to brick red and the spices smell toasty. Add 2 tomatoes, 1 cinnamon stick, 2 dried limes (loomi) and 2 bay leaves and cook for 5 minutes, until the tomato thickens and the oil shows at the edges.
6 minStep 5: Add 2 carrots, 1 lb cooked chickpeas, 3 cups vegetable stock and 1 ½ tsp salt. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer, partly covered, for 15 minutes so the chickpeas take on the spices.
15 minStep 6: Drain the rice and stir it into the pot. The liquid should sit about 1 cm above the rice; top up with a splash of hot water if needed. Bring back to a lively boil over a high heat and boil uncovered for 3–4 minutes, until small holes appear on the surface.
4 minStep 7: Cover tightly (a tea towel under the lid helps), turn the heat to its lowest and cook for 20 minutes without lifting the lid. Common mistake: stirring the rice once the lid is on breaks the grains and turns kabsa sticky; leave it alone.
20 minStep 8: Meanwhile mix 2 ripe tomatoes, 1 clove garlic, 1 green chilli, 1 tbsp lemon juice and ¼ tsp salt in a small bowl for the daqqus.
Step 9: Turn off the heat and leave the pot covered for 10 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork, fishing out the cinnamon, limes and bay. Pile onto a large platter, scatter over the almonds, raisins and 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, and serve with the daqqus.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 18 g
- Carbs
- 92 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 12 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chickpea kabsa take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 70 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of basmati rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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