Machbous Ala Djaj Bahrain Food

MACHBOOS ALA DUJAJ (SPICED CHICKEN AND RICE)

Steps:

• For the Baharat:
• Put all the ingredients for the Baharat blend into a small frying pan except for the Paprika and nutmeg.
• Dry roast over medium high heat, tossing regularly to prevent scorching, toss for about 3-4 minutes until very fragrant.
• Transfer to a spice or coffee grinder and let cool, add in the paprika and nutmeg.
• Grind all the ingredients into a fine powder.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container. You will need 1 tablespoon for this recipe.
• For the Machboos:
• Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat and fry the chicken pieces until the skin is brown and crispy on all sides.
• Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
• Add in the ghee to the Dutch oven, reduce the heat to medium, and fry the onions until they start to brown about 10-12 minutes.
• Add in the ginger, garlic and green chile pepper and saute for a couple of minutes
• Add in the baharat and turmeric and cook for another minute
• Return the chicken pieces to the Dutch oven
• Add in the tomatoes, dried limes, cardamom pods, cinnamon and cloves.
• Add in the chicken stock and stir to combine.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 1 hour.
• Add in the cilantro, parsley and drained rice and stir to combine. Return to a boil.
• Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for another 15- 20 minutes until the rice is tender and has absorbed the liquid.
• Remove the chicken pieces and discard the dried limes and cinnamon stick.
• Plate the rice, sprinkle with rose water, add the chicken pieces on top, enjoy!
• Serve with an Arabic salad.

MACHBOUS ALA DJAJ (BAHRAIN)

Steps:

• Melt the ghee or butter in a saucepan and frying the onions until they are transparent and beginning to turn brown. Add the baharat and turmeric and stir for another two minutes or so.
• Add the chicken pieces to the pot and turn to coat. Cook over a medium heat until the pieces are lightly browned on all sides.
• Add the tomatoes, cloves, lemon rind, cinnamon, cardamom pods and salt. Stir to get everything well incorporated, then add the water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover. Simmer for about 45 minutes.
• Wash the rice in cold water and drain. Add the rice, cilantro and parsley and bring back to a simmer.
• Keep cooking for another 35 to 40 minutes, until chicken is tender and almost all of the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and let rest for 10 minutes.

KHUBZ (BAHRAIN)

Steps:

• Dissolve the yeast and the sugar in about a half cup of the lukewarm water. Let stand until frothy.
• Sift the flour together with the salt and add the yeast mixture. Knead by hand until the dough is soft, adding water as necessary. Add the oil and keep kneading until the dough becomes elastic and is no longer sticky, which should take about 15 minutes.
• Now form the dough into a ball and rub all over with a little bit of olive oil, to prevent it from drying out. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Punch down and knead for another five minutes or so. Now break the dough into tennis-ball sized portions. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and roll flat, until each ball is about a quarter inch thick. Dust with flour and transfer to a lightly floured surface, leaving a few inches between each one to allow for rising. Let rise for another 30 to 60 minutes.
• Oil two large baking sheets. Preheat your oven to 500 degrees. About 10 minutes into the preheating, put the sheets in the oven. Leave them there for another 10 minutes.
• Now open your oven and quickly transfer the dough balls onto the baking sheets.
• Bake for 6 to 10 minutes. When the breads are lightly browned, take them out. Let cool.
• Each piece should have formed a pocket while baking.

BABA GHANOUSH (BAHRAIN)

Steps:

• Put the eggplant on a baking sheet and roast in a 400 degree oven for about an hour.
• When the hour is up, take the eggplant out and let it cool, then remove the skin and the green top and put the soft insides into a blender.
• Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse until smooth. Garnish with the kalamata olives.