Arabic Fish Majboos/Kabsa

Majboos or Kabsa is a Middle Eastern or Arabic dish made with rice and chicken/fish/meat well mixed with Arabic spices.

The other day we were watching one of Mark Wiens Dubai videos where he was served delicious Fish Kabsa or Majboos, an Arabic delicacy at a fellow UAE vlogger’s home, Peyman Al Awadhi, who also happens to be an awesome home chef, and it was all cooked and served by himself and his wife for Mark Wiens and family . It’s said that true Emirati food can only be eaten at someone’s home to get the actual feel and taste of it. So after seeing that I was inspired to try this at home. I got some fresh Seabream the other day and saved it specially for this dish as I knew Seabream is usually good as it takes in flavours really well. It is also my favourite for grilling as well as roast kind of dishes.

Here goes the recipe for it.

RECIPE
Adapted from Peyman Al Awadhis Fish Kabsa Featured in Mark Wiens @migrationology Dubai episode on Youtube 

Ingredients

Fish – 2 full fish approx 500 to 600 g (I used Seabream but you may use Pompret, Red Snapper etc)

For marination

Kashmiri Chilly powder – 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Black pepper powder – 1/2 tsp

Paprika – 1 tbsp

Lemon juice – 1 tbsp

For the majboos/kabsa

Basmati rice/ Kaima/Jeerakashala rice – 1.5 cups (Washed well)

Onion – 1 big chopped finely

Tomato – 2 medium chopped finely

Grated garlic – 2 tbsp

Dried Lemon (crushed)  – 2

Nutmeg powder – 1/2 tsp

Garam masala  (using cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, peppercorns dry roasted and then ground well) – 1.5 tbsp

Coriander powder – 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Salt – to taste

Coriander leaves – 1/2 cup finely chopped

Boiling water – 3 cups

Oil – 3 tbsp

STEPS

1. Marinate fish with the ingredients listed under marination and keep aside for 30 minutes in the fridge preferably. Also soak the rice in water for 30 minutes and keep aside.
2. Heat the oil in a kadai or wide bottomed biryani vessel and lightly fry the fish to a golden colour on both sides and transfer it to a dish and set aside.
3. In the same oil add the grated garlic at first and sauté well on medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
4. Then add in the finely chopped onions to it and sauté well for 4-5 minutes. Adding salt will fasten this up. Add in some more oil if needed.
5. Then lower the flame and add in the turmeric powder, coriander powder and garam masala and nutmeg powder along with the crushed dried lemon and sauté well for 3 minutes till oil separates.
6. Now add In the chopped tomato and coriander leaves and sauté well for 2 minutes
7. Add in the fried fish on this gravy bed now.
8. Then add 3 cups of boiling water to this from a kettle or otherwise and also add in the soaked rice to it.
9. Make sure the water just covers the rice and other contents. If not add accordingly .
10. Now let it cook for 15 to 20 minutes on medium flame. Check in between and make sure the rice is completely cooked and the water content evaporated before switching off flame.
11. Serve hot.

Notes

• You may use fish fillets too which correspond to the same weight but cooking time might vary slightly as the pieces are smaller

• I haven’t used saffron in this recipe as I didn’t have it with me but Saffron may be used for flavouring in Majboos. You can add it after adding the coriander leaves mixed with water and poured over the spice gravy mixture.

• There are some variations where the fish is just fried seperately and then not added into the rice and spice mixture and later just served on top of it. But I tried this method because I felt the fish being cooked along with it imparted a soft consistency to the fish and flavours were well taken into the fish as well.

• The garam masala I used for this is home made by dry roasting those spices listed above and adding in nutmeg powder seperately. But if you do get Arabic spice powder or Majboos masala you may use that as well.