Discover the Rich Flavours of Hawaij Spice – A Staple in Yemeni Cuisine

    Embark on a flavourful journey to the heart of Yemeni cuisine with the enchanting Hawaij Spice recipe. Known for its robust aroma and versatility, Hawaij is the secret behind the vibrant flavours in many Arabian and Mediterranean dishes. Today, I’m thrilled to share how you can create this exotic spice blend right in your own kitchen!

    Hailing from Yemen, Hawaij translates simply to 'mixture' in Arabic. This spice blend is deeply ingrained in Yemeni culture and is crucial for creating the authentic tastes found in traditional dishes like Chicken Mandi and Yemeni soup. While it's readily available in some Arab markets, making Hawaij at home brings a fresher, more potent kick to your meals.

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Tamil Muslim Cuisine: A Legacy of Trade, Culture & Flavours

    Tamil Muslims, also known as Tamil Nadu Muslims or Tamil-speaking Muslims, have a deep-rooted culinary heritage shaped by centuries of trade, migration, and cultural fusion. Their cuisine is a vibrant tapestry of South Indian traditions interwoven with Persian, Arab, and Mughlai influences—resulting in an exquisite blend of aromatic spices, slow-cooked meats, and indulgent sweets that define Tamil Muslim feasts.

Zafrani Phirni Recipe: Saffron Almond Rice Pudding for Eid

CHICKEN KABSA - ARABIAN CHICKEN & RICE

    My love for Biriyani is self-proclaimed and anything in the name of flavoured Rice which falls into the genre is also liked heads down by my Biriyani loving self. My acquaintance with Arabian food started during my Son's university days. The nearby apartment had a food court called Blue Moon and it was a place that catered a wide range of food. The University was surrounded by Hawker centres, Curry Houses, Mamak Shops, Shabu Shabu and restaurants which flaunted various Cuisines right from Arab, African, Korean and what not. The Pizza place in Blue Moon Café(Desa Palma) was a highlight throughout his years in Nilai. A trip to his apartment and a dinner without Pizza was unquestionable. They also catered Naan with Dhal, Subzis and Tandoori Chicken. My husband is always head over heels for this Naan and Dhal combo. Then the Shawarmas, Falafel and the Arab restaurants had loads of Arab dishes & what caught my taste was their Rice dishes - Mandi, Kabsa, Muqluba, Mansaf. Love those days.  

 

    My initial trial of Arab Rice went with Chicken Mandi and then with Kabsa. To perfect it to the core I went along in search of authentic spices & ingredients for the dish. But, most of the spices turned out to be ones mostly used in my kitchen. Just one ingredient, especially the dried Lemons which gave the authentic taste to these rice dishes was something new. Then for the spice mixes, I tried my hand with fresh homemade spices for these Arab Rice recipes. 

 

    Well, coming back to Kabsa. If Mandi is for Yemen then Kabsa is for Saudi Arabia. Kabsa is a Saudi dish of chicken or lamb and rice. It is considered as Saudi Arabia’s national dish loved by all Saudis and least to say to all who have had a chance to taste Kabsa. It’s not particularly difficult to make, but it has layers of flavour and garnishing it with Raisins & Almonds give a whole lot of texture too. It is usually a heavily spiced dish(not as heavily spiced in terms of Indian dishes) and has a nice kick to it.

 

    Traditionally, it’s made by cooking the chicken with spices in water and then using the broth to cook the rice. The chicken is then quickly broiled or baked to crisp it up a little and then served atop the spicy rice often with a salsa-like sauce on the side called Daqous.

 

For DAQOUS - SPICY TOMATO SAUCE, click here...

 

Cuisine - Arabian; Mediterranean

Course - Main Course

Spice Level - Medium

Difficulty - Medium

Serves - 4-6

Author - SM

 

Preparation Time - 20 - 30 Minutes

Soaking Time - 15- 20 Minutes

Cooking Time - 50 Minutes to 1 Hour

 

For CHICKEN MANDI RECIPE, click here... 

 

 

HOW TO COOK CHICKEN KABSA

 

CHICKEN KABSA - ARABIAN CHICKEN & RICE

 

INGREDIENTS:

 

For Chicken Kabsa:

Oil - 1/2 Cup

Onions - 3 Cups 

Grated Ginger - 1 Tspn

Chicken Thighs - 4 Pieces

Salt - To Taste 

Orange Zest - 1 Tbspn

Dried Lemon - 1 No. 

Tomato Paste - 2 Tbspns

Tomato - 3 Cups

Water - 6 Cups

Basmati Rice - 3 Cups

 

For Kabsa Spice Mix:

 

Black Pepper - 1 Tbspn 

Cardamom - 6 Pods

Cinnamon (1" Stick) - 2 Nos.

Clove Powder - 2-3 Nos.

Kabsa Garnish:

 

Oil - 3 Tbspn

Almonds - 1/2 Cup 

Raisins - 1/2 Cup

 

For the Smoky Flavour(optional):

 

Charcoal Briquette - 1 Big Piece

Ramekin - 1

Vegetable Oil - 2 Tbspn

CHICKEN KABSA - ARABIAN CHICKEN & RICE

 

METHOD:

 

Preparation: 

 

• Blanch the Almonds and cut them into halves or thin slices.
• Heat oil in a pan and fry the sliced Almonds on a low flame until it turns golden yellow.
• Remove & keep it aside.
• Next, fry the Raisins on a very low flame until it fluffs up. Remove & keep it aside 
• Clean & Wash the Rice 2-3 times or until water runs clear.
• Soak the Rice for about 15-20 minutes. 
• Briefly dry roast the Spices mentioned under Kabsa Spices on a very low flame & grind it into a fine powder and keep it aside.

 

For Chicken Kabsa: 

 

• Heat a deep pan or a pot, big enough to cook the rice.
• Add Oil, add finely chopped Onions, grated Ginger & sauté it until Onions browns slightly.
• Now add Chicken Thighs, and sear it until the colour changes.
• Sprinkle a dash of salt and give a quick stir.
• Then, add Orange Zest, Dried Lemon & Kabsa Spice Mix to the above & give a quick stir.
• Now add Tomato Paste, finely chopped Tomatoes and mix well.
• Cook on a medium-low flame for a few minutes or until tomatoes turn soft & cooked.
• When oil starts to separate from the mix, pour in 6 cups of water.
• Cover & Cook the Chicken on a medium-low flame for about 20-25 minutes.
• Once the chicken pieces are cooked, remove them and place the Chicken Pieces on a baking pan.
• Now add the soaked Basmati Rice to the gravy & mix well.
• Adjust the Salt. Can add thin strips of Carrots at this stage.
• Place a clean kitchen cloth on top of the pan.
• Cover the pan tightly with a lid and cook on a medium-low flame for about 20 minutes.
• Once cooked leave it aside undisturbed for about 10 minutes.
• Then open the lid & gently fluff up the cooked rice.
• Meanwhile, bake the Chicken Pieces in an Electric Oven.
• Place the baking pan in a preheated oven at 210 °C or 425 °F and cook for about 10-15 minutes.
• When the outside of the chicken starts to brown, lower the heat to 160 °C or 325 °F and cook for another 10 -15 Minutes.
• Remove the chicken and keep it aside.
• Finally, just before serving, fluff up the Kabsa Rice and spread it on a big serving plate.
• Place the chicken pieces and fried nuts & raisins over it.
• Serve Chicken Kabsa hot with Daquos, Curd Raitha or with any other preferred Salad. 

 

For Smoky Flavour (Optional):

 

• Place a small ramekin in the middle with some vegetable oil inside.
• Add the red-hot coal inside the oil and cover the pot with a lid.
• Leave the smoky charcoal inside the Kabsa pot for a while.
• It will give the Chicken Kabsa a smoky flavour.
• But this step is purely optional.
  

 

 

CHICKEN KABSA - ARABIAN CHICKEN & RICE

 

 

NOTES:

 

• Can use any variety of long-grained rice or Basmati rice.
• Cooking at low temperature will give the chicken a nice texture, and it will fall off the bone easily.
• Adjust the cooking time accordingly.
• Can use lamb instead of chicken, but the cooking time will vary.
• Can also cook the chicken in a microwave oven with grill settings.
• I have used about 6 Cups of Water in this recipe, which is good enough to cook both Chicken & Rice.
• I usually use 11/2 cups of water for 1 cup of rice. So I needed about 41/2 cups of water for Rice & I have added 11/2 cups of water to cook chicken.
• Adjust the amount of water according to the type of rice you are using.
• Some recipes call for adding thin Strips of Carrots in Kabsa. If using, add about 3/4 Cup of Carrots.
• Inducing the smoky flavour to the Chicken Kabsa is optional, but it gives an authentic flavour to the dish.

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PEPPER CHICKEN FRY WITH POTATO SLICES

    
      This Pepper Chicken Fry with Potato Slices is a family recipe. Chicken, when combined with deep-fried Potato slices, makes this Pepper Fry a most sought dish at home.  Non-Vegetarian curries without Potatoes is a taboo according to my husband and kids, so no wonder how this dish is welcomed by them. The first time I tasted this Pepper Chicken  Fry was at my in-law's place.  My MIL's elder sister Pearly aunty has a special skill in cooking and an inevitable skill for serving. I saw her preparing this Pepper Chicken Fry with deep fried Potato Slices in a meticulous way.  This is one Chicken dish frequented at home, and when the idea of starting a blog crept my mind this was one of the first few recipes which came to my mind.
     My MIL's family has a deep routed Portuguese Culture imbibed in their cuisine mainly because they are from the coastal city of Fort Cochin.  Somewhere or the other most of their dishes have a touch of diverse cuisines. May be their skill of Wine Making, Fruit Cakes, Puddings, Full Roasted Chicken, Stews & Vindaloos are living legacy of the distinctive culture of the land.  Living in the family and learning the family style of cooking tradition is one thing I cherish the most. Adding Potatoes or any other starchy vegetable into Non-vegetarian dishes have been their style of cooking which most of the other parts of Kerala has not much adapted.  We can see a similar type of cooking in Malaysia too, especially in Nyonya Cuisine which also has a strong Portuguese influence.
      Cochin being the Gateway of Kerala, the city has always surprised me with its unique vibrancy and absolute distinctiveness.  It is the "Land of a Life Time" with a diverse blend of Indo, European, Portuguese, Jewish & Arab way of life. My curiosity started with the information that the huge Chinese Fishing Nets/Lift Nets(Cheena Vala) used for Fishing is a special technique built by the Chinese as early as 14th Century. Combing through the neighbourhoods of Cochin, we can still see a wide array of Culture & telltale sign of History, silently tucked in quaint bylanes. My love for the place and food lingers on...




Cuisine - Indian
Course - Side Dish
Difficulty - Medium
Spice Level - High
Serves - 2-3
Author - SM

Preparation Time - 20 - 30 Minutes
Cooking Time - 25 - 30 Minutes.

INGREDIENTS :

For Deep Fried Potato Slices :

Potato - 6-7 Nos.
Salt - To Taste
Turmeric Powder - a Pinch
Oil - To Deep Fry

For Pepper Chicken Fry :

Chicken - 500 Gms
Onion - 2 Nos.
Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 Tbspn
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 Tspn
Red Chilli Powder - 1 Tspn
Garam Masala Powder - 1 Tspn
Pepper Powder - 2 Tbspn
Curry Leaves - 2 Sprigs
Salt - To Taste

To Garnish :

Coriander Leaves - few
Oil - 3-4 Tbspn

PEPPER CHICKEN FRY WITH POTATO SLICES

HOW TO MAKE PEPPER CHICKEN FRY WITH POTATO SLICES

METHOD :

For Deep Fried Potato Slices :

• Clean and Peel the Potatoes, then cut them into thin Slices.
• In a wide bowl take some water, add a dash of Salt a pinch of Turmeric to the water and mix well.
• Soak the Potato slices in Water for about 20-30 Minutes.
• Drain and discard the water.
• Line up the Potato slices on a clean kitchen towel to dry.
• Heat Oil in a deep pan on a high flame and allow it to smoke off.
• Lower the flame to medium.
• Deep fry the Potato Slices until they turn crispy and into light golden brown in colour.
• Remove the Potato Slices with a slotted spoon and line it up on Paper Towels.

For Pepper Chicken Fry :

• Clean, wash and Cut chicken into small pieces.
• Heat Oil in a Pan and sear the Chicken Pieces with a dash of Salt.
• Sear the Chicken Pieces for about 5-7 minutes or until they turn into white colour.
• Remove the Chicken pieces from the pan and keep it aside.
• Heat oil, saute Onions (Cut lengthwise) along with Curry Leaves until onions turn translucent.
• Add the Ginger-Garlic paste to the above and saute until fragrant on a very low flame.
• Add Turmeric Powder, Red Chilli Powder and Garam Masala Powder to the above and fry for a while on a very low flame.
• Add the seared Chicken pieces to above mix along with Pepper powder and mix well.
• Leave this on a very low flame until the Chicken pieces are well cooked and turn soft. 
• Can sprinkle some water to cook the chicken.
• Finally, add the deep fried Potato Slices to the Pepper Chicken Fry and mix well.
• Care should be taken not to break the Potato Slices.
• Leave this on a low flame for few minutes, until the Chicken pieces & Potato Slices are well roasted.
• Leave it on a low flame until the Curry turns dry and every piece is well coated with the Masala.
• Garnish Pepper Chicken Fry with Coriander Leaves and serve hot.
• Goes well as a side dish with Roti & Rice.

NOTES :

• Adjust the amount of Pepper Powder to suit your spice level.
• Adding freshly ground Peppercorns gives a wonderful aroma.
• Cook the dish on a low flame until each and every piece is well roasted and coated with the masala.
• Care should be taken not to break the Potato slice while stirring the dish.