), ''makbūs/machbūs'' ( ar, مكبوس/مچبوس)
, country =
Saudi Arabia
, region =
Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plate ...
, creator =
, course = Meal
, served =
, main_ingredient =
Rice (usually long-grain, almost always
basmati),
chicken,
vegetables, and a mixture of
spices (
cardamom,
saffron,
cinnamon
Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus ''Cinnamomum''. Cinnamon is used mainly as an aromatic condiment and flavouring additive in a wide variety of cuisines, sweet and savoury dishes, breakfa ...
,
black lime
Dried lime, also known as: black lime; ''noomi basra'' (Iraq); ''limoo amani'' (Iran); and ''loomi'' (Oman), is a lime that has lost its water content, usually after having spent a majority of its drying time in the sun. They are used whole, sli ...
,
bay leaves
The bay leaf is an aromatic leaf commonly used in cooking. It can be used whole, either dried or fresh, in which case it is removed from the dish before consumption, or less commonly used in ground form. It may come from several species of tr ...
and
nutmeg)
, variations =
, calories = 265
, serving_size = 200 g
, other =
Kabsa ( ar, كبسة ''kabsah'') is an Arab
mixed rice dish
Mixed is the past tense of ''mix''.
Mixed may refer to:
* Mixed (United Kingdom ethnicity category), an ethnicity category that has been used by the United Kingdom's Office for National Statistics since the 1991 Census
* ''Mixed'' (album), a co ...
, served on a communal platter, that originates from
Saudi Arabia It is commonly regarded as a
national dish
A national dish is a culinary dish that is strongly associated with a particular country. A dish can be considered a national dish for a variety of reasons:
* It is a staple food, made from a selection of locally available foodstuffs that can be ...
in all the countries of the
Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plate ...
(
Saudi Arabia,
Kuwait,
Bahrain,
Qatar, the
United Arab Emirates,
Oman, and
Yemen). It can also be found in regions such as southern
Iran, the
Negev desert in
Israel, and the
Malabar Coast of
India.
The dish is also popularly known as ''makbūs/machbūs'' (
Gulf pron.: ). The dish is made with
rice and meat.
Etymology
The name comes from the word ''kabasa'' ( ar, كبس), literally meaning to press or squeeze, alluding to the technique used in the cooking where the ingredients are all cooked in (or "squeezed into") one pot.
Ingredients
These dishes are usually made with
rice (usually
basmati),
meat
Meat is animal flesh that is eaten as food. Humans have hunted, farmed, and scavenged animals for meat since prehistoric times. The establishment of settlements in the Neolithic Revolution allowed the domestication of animals such as chic ...
,
vegetables, and a mixture of
spices. There are many kinds of kabsa and each kind has a uniqueness about it.
Pre-mixed kabsa spices are now available under several brand names. These reduce preparation time, but may have a flavor distinct from traditional kabsa. The spices used in kabsa are largely responsible for its taste; these are generally
black pepper,
clove
Cloves are the aromatic flower buds of a tree in the family Myrtaceae, ''Syzygium aromaticum'' (). They are native to the Maluku Islands (or Moluccas) in Indonesia, and are commonly used as a spice, flavoring or fragrance in consumer products, ...
s,
cardamom,
saffron,
cinnamon
Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus ''Cinnamomum''. Cinnamon is used mainly as an aromatic condiment and flavouring additive in a wide variety of cuisines, sweet and savoury dishes, breakfa ...
,
black lime
Dried lime, also known as: black lime; ''noomi basra'' (Iraq); ''limoo amani'' (Iran); and ''loomi'' (Oman), is a lime that has lost its water content, usually after having spent a majority of its drying time in the sun. They are used whole, sli ...
,
bay leaves
The bay leaf is an aromatic leaf commonly used in cooking. It can be used whole, either dried or fresh, in which case it is removed from the dish before consumption, or less commonly used in ground form. It may come from several species of tr ...
and
nutmeg.
The main ingredient that accompanies the spices is the meat. The meats used are usually
chicken,
goat,
lamb,
camel
A camel (from: la, camelus and grc-gre, κάμηλος (''kamēlos'') from Hebrew or Phoenician: גָמָל ''gāmāl''.) is an even-toed ungulate in the genus ''Camelus'' that bears distinctive fatty deposits known as "humps" on its back. C ...
,
beef,
fish or
shrimp
Shrimp are crustaceans (a form of shellfish) with elongated bodies and a primarily swimming mode of locomotion – most commonly Caridea and Dendrobranchiata of the decapod order, although some crustaceans outside of this order are refer ...
. In chicken ''machbūs'', a whole chicken is used.
The spices, rice, and meat may be augmented with
almond
The almond (''Prunus amygdalus'', syn. ''Prunus dulcis'') is a species of tree native to Iran and surrounding countries, including the Levant. The almond is also the name of the edible and widely cultivated seed of this tree. Within the genus ...
s,
pine nuts,
peanuts,
onions, and
sultanas.
The dish can be garnished with ''ḥashū'' ( ar, حشو) and served hot with ''daqqūs'' ( ar, دقّوس), which is a home-made Arabic
tomato sauce.
Methods of cooking
Meat for kabsa can be cooked in various ways. A popular way of preparing meat is called ''
mandi
Mandi may refer to:
Places
* Mandı, Azerbaijan
India
* Mandi, Jammu and Kashmir, a town on the Mandi River in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir
* Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, a city in Himachal Pradesh
** Mandi State, former princely sta ...
''. This is an ancient technique that originates in Yemen, whereby meat is barbecued in a deep hole in the ground that is covered while the meat cooks. Another way of preparing and serving meat for kabsa is ''mathbi'', where seasoned meat is grilled on flat stones that are placed on top of burning embers. A third technique, ''madghūt'', involves cooking the meat in a
pressure cooker
Pressure cooking is the process of cooking food under high pressure steam and water or a water-based cooking liquid, in a sealed vessel known as a ''pressure cooker''. High pressure limits boiling, and creates higher cooking temperatures which c ...
.
See also
*
Arab cuisine
*
Mandi
Mandi may refer to:
Places
* Mandı, Azerbaijan
India
* Mandi, Jammu and Kashmir, a town on the Mandi River in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir
* Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, a city in Himachal Pradesh
** Mandi State, former princely sta ...
References
{{reflist
Middle Eastern cuisine
Saudi Arabian cuisine
Yemeni cuisine
Kuwaiti cuisine
Israeli cuisine
Palestinian cuisine
Jordanian cuisine
Emirati cuisine
Bahraini cuisine
Qatari cuisine
Omani cuisine
Iranian cuisine
Indian cuisine
National dishes
Rice dishes
Communal eating