Simple and Delicious !

Arabic Rice is also known as Kubsa or Machboos. The one with chicken is always a hit at home. I love it since the preparation time is less and recipe is easy to follow. This is the traditional dish of Arabs and they add lots of raisins and nuts like almonds , pine nuts in this.Some add vegetables too.The Machboos (read makboos) preparation varies from region to region and each Middle east country has its own version of Kubsa Rice.



Ingredients
Fish 6 fillets big
basmati rice 3 cups
onion 1 big
tomato paste 3 Tbsp
cardamoms 3
cinnamons 3 pieces 1/2 " size
cloves 3
pepper corns 1 tsp
cumin seeds 1/2 tsp
pepper powder 1 tsp
saffron few strands
dried lemon 1 whole
zaatar 1 tsp optional
garlic ginger paste 2 tsp
olive oil 2 Tbsp
Hot water 6 cups
salt



How to prepare
Marinate fish pieces using pepper powder, salt and garlic ginger paste. Heat little oil in a pan and fry the fish pieces. No need to make too crisp.
Heat olive oil, add cumin seeds and all spices . Saute chopped onion in this. When it is transparent add tomato paste , washed rice and dried lemon . Add 6 cups boiled water into this. Cook it on a medium heat. When the rice is about 3/4 cooked , reduce heat, add saffron, thyme and place the fish pieces on top.Cover with a lid and cook this on low flame until done. Swich off fire when the rice is cooked. First place the fish pieces into a serving bowl. Then serve rice without breaking the fish pieces.

Ingredients and Method
Parsley chopped 1 cup
bulgur wheat / cracked wheat 1 cup
mint leaves / pudinayila 1/2 cup
tomato 2
onion 1
capsicum 1
cucumber 1
garlic powder 1 tsp
pepper powder 1 tsp
lemon 1
salt

Wash and soak wheat in water for 1/2 hour. Drain and squeeze out the water. Chop all the ingredients finely. Mix all the ingredients with salt and lime juice. Serve with kubz / Arab roti and hummus.

Ingredients
chick peas - 1 can (cooked) or cook chick peas soaked in water till soft.
garlic cloves - 2
lemon juice - of 1 lemon
sesame paste(thahina) - 1 table sp or ground white sesame seeds.
salt - enough
olive oil - 2 tb sp


My daughter's dinner plate

method
Grind ingredients 1 to 5 altogether.Add little water which used to cook chick peas. Make a thick paste. Pour olive oil on top. Use with sandwich, chappathi, arabic roti(khubz) etc.
You can also make this without adding sesame paste. Instead of lemon juice add yogurt. And if you like to make it little spicy add 1 teaspoon pepper powder.

You can keep this for about 3 or 4 days in the refrigerator. In freezer , keep up to one month.
Also this a best and healthy sandwich spread.

Ingredients and method of preparation
macaroni 250 g
chicken 500 g
onion 1
tomato paste half of small can
garam masala 1/2 tea spoon
pepper powder 1 tea spoon
garlic cloves 2 small
ginger 1/2 inch piece
coriander leaves few chopped
potatoes 2
salt
oil
cumin seeds 1 pinch



Heat oil, add cumin seeds, add chopped onion. Saute it till transparent. Grind garlic and ginger together to make paste.Then add chicken pieces with pepper, garlic ginger paste ,salt and garama masala. Stir occasionally until chicken is half cooked. Add tomato paste and coriander leaves. MIx and close the lid. Cook on a low flame until chicken is done.

Peel and cut potatoes into pieces. Boil potatoes for 5 minutes and keep aside.Heat oil in a pan and fry potatoes pieces till brown in color.For this I used Prajusha's instructions.

Boil water and cook macaroni according to the package instructions.Add little oil while cooking. Drain. Keep them in a bowl. Then pour the chicken curry and fried potatoes over it. I prepared this following the Cupsa/Arabic rice recipe.

This is my 100th post!

Brinjal or Egg plant rice is an Arabic dish. I learnt to prepare this from my Aunty. Last time when I met her, she cooked tasty Brinjal rice with chilli chicken and salad. This is a good way to make kids eat vegetables.

Ingredients
Rice 2 cups
Brinjals 3
Potato 1
Capsicum 1
Carrot 1
Onion 1
Tomato 1
Cinnamon sticks 3 pieces
Pepper powder 2 tsp
Olive oil or sunflower oil ½ cup
Salt

How to prepare
Boil 4 cups of water with enough salt and cinnamon sticks.

Peel potato.
Chop all vegetables as shown in picture.
Sprinkle little salt on them.
Chop onion and tomato too.
Heat oil, fry brinjal first.
Take them out and keep aside.
In the remaining oil, sauté onion, then add potato, capsicum and carrot.
Stir for few minutes till them are half cooked.
Then add tomato.
Stir by adding pepper powder.
Place the fried brinjal over this.
Then place the washed rice,add the previously boiled water into this and bring to boil.
When it boils, check salt, reduce fire, cook covered on a low flame. .
If the rice is ¾ cooked, remove from fire and keep the lid closed for 1 hour.
Mix before serve.

For making salad,
Curd 1 cup
Onion 1
Tomato 1
Coriander leaves few
Pepper powder
Salt

Chop onion, tomato and coriander leaves.
Mix them with pepper powder, salt and curd.

I have tried this dish many times.Very easy to prepare and delicious.Children will love it since it is no spicy and rice is very tasty.You can add nuts, dry fruits and vegetables to this.

Ingredients
Chicken, cut up- 1 Kg
Tomato paste, small can- 1
Onion chopped - 1
Rice basmati - 4 cups
Olive oil- 1/4 cup
Salt
Cinnamon-4 sticks of 1/2 " size
Cloves-4 numbers
Black pepper corns -1/2 tsp
Cumin-1/4 tsp
Cardamoms-4 numbers

Method
Wash and clean rice.
Heat Olive oil over medium heat in deep cooking pot.
Add chopped onions, and saute until transparent.
Add chicken, stir and cook half way done.(If you like add little pepper powder).
Add spices.Stir in 8 cups water, add tomato paste and rice.
Allow to come to a boil.
Cover and reduce heat.
Let cook until rice is tender.