The Martin Cooking

Chicken Majboos

Majboos’ main base ingredient is rice. It is flavored with two essential spices: saffron and cardamom. It is prepared with a choice of protein such as chicken, lamb or fish, cooked until tender and then associated with the rice.
Majboos in Arabic means “be engaged”. If today’s majboos is widespread in the Persian Gulf, it was still “the” dish for special occasions especially engagements and weddings until recently…. An engagement! Thank you to my friend Loris who helped me focus my research in this direction because it was not simple to find the meaning of this word.
Let’s talk a little about rice which is the basis of Asian cuisine. The most important foods are often based on rice. Asians are known to have a healthy diet and for good reason! They definitely hold the record for longevity. Scientific discoveries have demonstrated that rice was a source of almost perfect food, with an ideal balance between proteins, fats and carbohydrates. It is clearly the key to a healthy diet. I therefore appeal to women, who, at a time when the swimsuit is the main garment: “No, rice is not fattening!”

Ingredients for Chicken Majboos

• - 2.5 cups of basmati rice
• - 4 chicken breasts, diced
• - 2 onions, finely chopped
• - 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
• - 2 slices of preserved lemon
• - juice of 1 lemon
• - 1 large tomato, peeled and seeded
• - 1 cup of white raisins
• - 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
• - a pinch of saffron, infused
• - 10 cardamom pods, crushed
• - 1 teaspoon of turmeric
• - 1 tablespoon of garam masala
• - 1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped
• - 4 tablespoons of pine nuts, roasted
• - olive oil
• - 2 cups of boiling water
• - salt
• - pepper

Ingredients for sauce

• - 1 Greek yogurt (or 1 plain soy yogurt)
• - 1 cucumber, peeled
• - 2 cloves of garlic
• - a few mint leaves

Preparation of Chicken Majboos

Cook rice in salted boiling water according to the time indicated on the package.
Drain the rice and set aside.
In a little olive oil over medium heat, brown the chicken with the onion and garlic until reaching a light golden color.
Add turmeric, cinnamon, masala, cardamom, saffron, preserved lemon, tomato, raisins and lemon juice.
Add salt and pepper.
Stir regularly for 3 minutes, then add boiling water.
Simmer until the sauce if a little creamy.
Finally, add the rice and mix well.
Sprinkle cilantro and pine nuts and serve.

Preparation of the sauce

Mix all the ingredients and refrigerate.