Khabsa Arabian Rice

Simple and flavourful rice dish. It can be made with many variations. I use lamb and olive oil instead of ghee or vegetable oil for this recipe. If you want a fluffy and dry texture rice then go for the long grain bhasmati rice. Rinse away all of the starch by rinsing the rice until the water runs clear. Don't be alarmed, rinsing the rice does not rinse the nutrients out as the nutrients are inside of the grain and not on the outside. Then dress up the rice a little. 

Khabsa Arabian Rice

Ingredients

4 cup bashmati rice – wash, rinsed and drained

2 yellow onion – peeled and diced

10 cloves garlic - peeled

2 bay leaves

2 tbsp Khabsa Spices (See below for homemade mix)

4 green chilies – chopped

1 stick cinnamon

4 cardamom pods

2 star anise

500gm lamb – cut into medium large pieces

½ cup tomato puree

2 bunches of coriander leaves – chopped

2 bunches of mint leaves – chopped

1 carrot – peeled and sliced

1/2 cup water

½ cup of olive oil

4 tbsp evaporated milk

Orange food colouring

¼ cup raisin

1 tbsp salt / to taste

Directions

Add water in a medium-sized pot and toss in the bay leaves, 1 star anise and 2 cardamom pods. Bring to a boil. Add in the rice and cook until the rice is ¾ cooked. Drain.

In a heavy-bottomed pot, sauté the cinnamon stick, 1 star anise, 2 cardamom pods and garlic until the garlic is soft and golden.

Stir in the yellow onion and sauté until aromatic.

Add in the green chili and continue to sauté for 1 minute or so.

Add in half of the chopped mint and half of the chopped coriander leaves then stir for another 1 minute.

Add in the tomato puree and stir.  Add in the Khabsa spices and stir to mix well.

Add in the lamb and carrot then stir for another 1 minute or so until the lamb is nicely coated and the oil separates. Add in ½ cup of hot water.

Add 3 drops of orange food colouring. Season generously with salt. Lower the heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes or so until the lamb is fully cooked.

Add rice to the pot and lower the heat to low.

Scatter the raisin and the remaining mint leaves and coriander leave on top. Sprinkle the evaporated milk. Cook with lid on for half an hour until the rice is fully cooked.

Place the rice on a large serving dish. Serve with a fresh mixed salad or pickled cucumber.  

Khabsa Spice Mix

1 tbsp cloves

1 tbsp black pepper corn

1 tbsp fennel seeds

1 tbsp cumin seeds

2 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tbsp cardamom pods

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tbsp ginger powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

Directions

Heat a skillet over low heat. When the skillet is hot, add the cloves, black pepper corns, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds and cardamom pods. Stir continuously to make sure it doesn’t burn.  

Cook them until aromatic and start to pop. Let it cool.

Grind the spices until you have a fine powder. Add the chili powder, turmeric powder and ginger powder. Keep in an airtight jar.