Saudi Kabsa Fragrant Rice (Printable)

A spiced Saudi Arabian dish with tender meat, basmati rice, golden raisins, and toasted almonds.

# What You'll Need:

→ Meat

01 - 2.2 lbs 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 for 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

# How To Make It:

01 - Heat vegetable oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add finely sliced onion and sauté until golden brown.
02 - Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Incorporate bone-in meat pieces and brown on all sides, about 8 minutes.
03 - Stir in ground cumin, coriander, cinnamon, black pepper, turmeric, cardamom, cloves, allspice, bay leaves, and pierced dried black lime; cook for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant.
04 - Add chopped tomatoes and grated carrot, cooking 4 to 5 minutes while stirring occasionally.
05 - Pour in chicken or lamb stock, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 35–40 minutes if using chicken or 60 minutes for lamb, until meat is tender.
06 - Remove meat from pot and keep warm, reserving the cooking liquid.
07 - Stir rinsed and soaked basmati rice along with salt into the simmering broth. Nestle the meat pieces back into the pot.
08 - Scatter golden raisins over the rice, cover, and cook on low heat for 25 to 30 minutes until rice is fluffy and liquid is absorbed.
09 - Discard bay leaves and dried black lime. Fluff rice gently with a fork, transfer to a serving platter, and sprinkle with toasted almonds and fresh parsley.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • One pot, but tastes like hours of slow cooking—the meat tender, the rice fragrant, everything infused with warmth.
  • It feeds a crowd and actually gets better when you make it for people who matter to you.
  • The combination of cinnamon, cardamom, and that singular black lime creates a flavor you can't replicate any other way.
02 -
  • The rice absorbs the broth only if the heat stays low after covering—high heat will scorch the bottom and dry out the top.
  • Black lime (loomi) can seem strange the first time, but it's the flavor that makes people say 'what is that?' in the best way.
  • Never skip soaking the rice; unsoaked grains will clump and the dish loses its light, separate texture.
03 -
  • Toast your whole spices in a dry pan before grinding them—the flavor deepens in a way pre-ground spices can't match, and your kitchen will smell like medicine and magic at once.
  • Make extra raisins and almonds to scatter on top right before serving; the contrast in texture is part of what makes people want another bite.
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