Al Kabsa - Traditional Saudi Rice and Chicken

Ingredients

• 2.3 cups unrinsed basmati rice 
• 0.3 cup butter 
• 14.5 ounce canned tomatoes diced undrained canned
• 3  carrots grated peeled
• 1 cube chicken bouillon 
• 6 cloves garlic minced
• 0.5 teaspoon ground allspice 
• 0.3 teaspoon ground cardamom 
• 0.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• 1 pinch ground coriander 
• 1 pinch ground cumin 
• 1 pinch ground nutmeg 
• 0.3 teaspoon ground pepper white
• 0.5 teaspoon lime powder dried whole
• 1  onion finely chopped
• 0.3 cup raisins 
• 0.5 teaspoon saffron threads 
• 8 servings salt and pepper black freshly ground to taste
• 0.3 cup slivered almonds toasted
• 0.3 cup tomato purée 
• 3.3 cups water hot
• 3 pound meat from a rotisserie chicken whole cut into 8 pieces

Equipment

• bowl
• pot
• dutch oven

Directions

1. Mix together the saffron, cardamom, cinnamon, allspice, white pepper, and lime powder in a small bowl, and set the spice mix aside.
2. Melt the butter in a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and onion; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the chicken pieces and brown them over medium-high heat until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
4. Mix in the tomato puree.
5. Stir in the canned tomatoes with their juice, the grated carrots, whole cloves, nutmeg, cumin, coriander, salt, black pepper, and the Kabsa spice mix. Cook for about 3 minutes; pour in the water, and add the chicken bouillon cube.
6. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer and cover the pot. Simmer until chicken is no longer pink and the juices run clear, about 30 minutes.
7. Gently stir in the rice. Cover the pot and simmer until rice is tender and almost dry, about 25 minutes; add the raisins and a little more hot water, if necessary. Cover and cook for an additional 5 to 10 minutes or until the rice grains are separate.
8. Transfer the rice to a large serving platter and arrange the chicken pieces on top.
9. Sprinkle the toasted slivered almonds over the dish.