Madghout : an Arabic rice

Madghout

Madghout is an Arabian main course wherein the rice, chicken, tomato puree and spices are cooked together in an Arabian Cookware (seen in the picture below).  The dish is very common in Saudi Arabia and that's when I happened to learn this recipe from my uncle, an amazing cook who has been here for 25 years which is a reason good enough to learn this dish from him. Its a very easy-to-make main course. This rice can also be made in a non stick pot. So let's get started to know how...

Ingredients

• Basmati rice : 3 cups
• Water : 6.5 cups
• Onion : 1 diced into small cubes
• Tomato : 1 diced into small cubes
• Ginger garlic paste : 1 tbsp
• Chicken : 1kg cut into 6-8 pieces with skin ( 2 whole legs; 2 breasts ; 2 wings and the ribs)
• Whole spices: 4 cardamom ; 6-7 cloves ; 1" stick of cinnamon ; 1 dried lime ; 1 bay leaf
• Kabsa spices / any Arabian rice spices : 1 tbsp
• Green chilli : 2 whole
• Tomato paste : 180-200 Gms
• Salt to taste
• Oil : 5 tbsp.

Method

1.  Add oil to a heavy bottomed pot or Arabic cooker and saute onions till transparent. Add the tomato and cook till soft. To this add the ginger and garlic paste and saute till raw flavour is gone
2. Meanwhile keep 6.5 cups of water to boil and clean and soak 3 cups of basmati rice
3. Add the cleaned chicken to the onion ; tomato and ginger garlic paste and saute in high flame for about 5 minutes by flipping over the pieces
4. Add boiling water to this and add all the raw spices and powder spices along with the tomato paste and salt and mix well
5. Add the cleaned and soaked rice to this and swirl the vessel to ensure all rice goes to the bottom. Do not stir at this point
6. Add the whole green chilly and 1 tbsp butter (optional) and close lid with whistle and cook for 7 minutes after the first steam is out of the Arabic cooker and  if in normal non stick pot then cook till all water is absorbed and rice is well cooked. ( Keep an eye if cooking in pan)

Happy Cooking!!
Shabana