Saudi Arabian Kabsa Rice (Print Version)

Fragrant kabsa with tender meat, spices, raisins, and toasted almonds from Saudi Arabia's culinary tradition.

# What You'll Need:

→ Meat

01 - 2.2 lb bone-in lamb or chicken pieces
02 - 1 tbsp vegetable oil
03 - 1 large onion, finely sliced
04 - 3 cloves garlic, minced

→ Spices

05 - 2 tsp ground cumin
06 - 2 tsp ground coriander
07 - 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
08 - 1 ½ tsp ground black pepper
09 - 1 tsp ground turmeric
10 - 1 tsp ground cardamom
11 - ½ tsp ground cloves
12 - ½ tsp ground allspice
13 - 2 dried bay leaves
14 - 1 dried black lime (loomi), pierced (optional)

→ Vegetables

15 - 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
16 - 1 medium carrot, grated

→ Rice

17 - 3 cups basmati rice, rinsed and soaked 20 minutes
18 - 5 cups chicken or lamb stock

→ Garnishes

19 - ½ cup golden raisins
20 - ½ cup slivered almonds, toasted
21 - ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
22 - Salt, to taste

# Cooking Steps:

01 - Heat vegetable oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add sliced onion and sauté until golden brown.
02 - Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Introduce meat pieces, browning evenly on all sides for approximately 8 minutes.
03 - Stir in ground cumin, coriander, cinnamon, black pepper, turmeric, cardamom, cloves, allspice, bay leaves, and the pierced dried black lime if using. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant.
04 - Mix in chopped tomatoes and grated carrot. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to combine flavors.
05 - Pour in the stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes if using chicken, or 60 minutes if using lamb, until meat is tender.
06 - Remove the cooked meat from the pot and keep warm.
07 - Stir soaked basmati rice and salt into the simmering broth. Return meat to the pot, nestling it gently into the rice.
08 - Scatter golden raisins over the top. Cover and cook on low heat for 25 to 30 minutes, until rice is tender and liquid is fully absorbed.
09 - Discard bay leaves and dried black lime. Fluff rice gently with a fork before transferring to a serving platter.
10 - Sprinkle toasted slivered almonds and chopped fresh parsley over the rice just before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The meat becomes so tender it falls apart with a fork, while the rice soaks up all those incredible spices.
  • One pot means less cleanup, but the result tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen.
  • It's naturally elegant enough for guests but comforting enough to crave on an ordinary Tuesday.
02 -
  • Don't skip soaking the rice, it's what gives you those separate, fluffy grains instead of a sticky mush that feels like failure.
  • The moment you add the rice, resist the urge to stir it constantly, just leave it alone and trust the process.
  • Toasting your almonds beforehand is the kind of small step that separates memorable from forgettable.
03 -
  • Toast your spices in a dry pan for two minutes before adding to the pot if you have time, it unlocks flavors you didn't know were hiding there.
  • Make this a day ahead if you can, the flavors deepen and meld overnight, making yesterday's kabsa somehow better than fresh.
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