Tag: main course
Chicken Machboos
Chicken Machboos
This is the first Bahraini recipe on stonedsoup.net! Like I’ve said before, every country seems to have their own recipe for chicken and rice. Chicken machboos is the Bahraini version and happens to be the national dish. This complex recipe requires quite a bit of ingredients; some you might have to get at an Asian market or a specialty store like the dried limes and rosewater. Lots and lots of steps, but all are fairly easy and well worth the work. Another one pot dish by one pothead.
Servings: 4
Equipment
- Spice grinder
Ingredients
Baharat Spice Blend
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds
- 2 tsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp whole cloves
- 1/4 tsp green cardamom seeds
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
Chicken Machboos
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 lbs bone in chicken thighs
- 3 tbsp ghee
- 1 large white onion diced
- 1 serrano pepper finely chopped
- 1 tbsp ginger minced
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tbsp baharat spice blend
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 roma tomatoes diced
- 3 dried Persian limes holes poked in
- 5 green cardamom pods
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 3 tsp salt
- 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups basmati rice soaked for 15 minutes; washed and rinsed
- 3 tbsp cilantro chopped
- 3 tbsp parsley chopped
- rosewater
Instructions
- Dry toast the whole spices in a small sauté pan for 3 minutes. Add to a spice grinder and finely grind. Mix in the paprika and nutmeg. Set aside.

- Heat up cooking oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add in the chicken thighs, skin side down.

- Sear the thighs for 6 minutes a side. Remove from the pan.

- Add the ghee to the sauté pan. Reduce the heat to medium and sauté the onions for 10 minutes.

- Add in the ginger, garlic, and serrano. Sauté for 2 minutes.

- Stir in the baharat spice blend and ground turmeric. Cook for 1 minute.

- Place the chicken thighs back into the pan along with the dried limes, tomatoes, cardamom pods, cloves and cinnamon stick.

- Pour in the chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Cover. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 1 hour.

- Carefully remove the chicken again. Stir in the rice, cilantro, parsley, and salt.

- Return the chicken to the pan. Cover. Cook for 20 minutes until the rice has absorbed all of the liquid.

- Remove the cinnamon stick and cardamom pods.


Ham and Cheese Pastry (Pasteles de Jamon y Queso)
Ham and Cheese Pastry (Pasteles de Jamon y Queso)
Pasteles de jamon y queso are very popular in Colombia. It is simply ham and cheese baked inside puff pastry. You can make one large pastry like mine if you plan on eating it like a sandwich. The other option would be to cut the puff pastry sheet into smaller squares and make mini pastries.
Ingredients
- 1 sheet puff pastry
- 4 slices mozzarella
- 4 slices ham
- 1 egg beaten
Instructions
- Roll out the puff pastry sheet.

- Place 2 slices of mozzarella on the right half of the sheet.

- Place the ham on top of the mozzarella.

- Place the last 2 pieces of mozzarella on top of the ham.

- Fold the sheet over, crimping then tucking the outer edge.

- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Brush the entire outside of the pastry with the beaten egg.

- Bake for 15 minutes until the outside is golden brown.


Chuleta Valluna
Chuleta Valluna
Chuleta valluna is the Colombian verse of milanese or schnitzel. The pork is marinated in aromatics such as onion, garlic, and green onion and seasoned cumin. It is then dredged in flour, egg, then breadcrumbs seasoned with sazon. The breaded cutlets are then fried rather quickly in oil since they are so thin. Serve chuleta valluna with yuca fries.
Ingredients
- 2 pork cutlets hammered to about 1/8” thick
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 green onion finely chopped
- 1/4 white onion finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 packet sazon
- vegetable oil for frying
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Marinate the pork cutlets overnight with the onion, garlic, green onion, and cumin.

- Dredge the pork cuts in flour.

- Dig into the egg, then the breadcrumbs seasoned with sazon.

- Heat up a 1/2” of vegetable oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the cutlets into the oil.

- Fry for 3 minutes a side until golden brown and crispy. Drain grease on a wire rack.











