Middle Eastern

Qatar National Tourism Council Celebrates Qatar National Day - Prominent Qatari Chef Noor Al Mazroei Shares Machboos

December 21, 2020
2.5
2 Ratings
Photo by https://www.visitqatar.qa/en/things-to-do/get-inspired/chefs-of-qatar/noor-al-mazroei
  • Prep time 20 minutes
  • Cook time 1 hour
  • Serves 2
Author Notes

In celebration of Qatar’s National Day (December 18), Prominent Qatari Chef, Noor Al Mazroei shares her traditional recipe and insider tips for cooking Machboos. Machboos, the national dish of Qatar, is a rich and flavorsome rice dish that comes from a combination of aromatic spices that produce a smoky taste. Served with a variety of meats, the dish is a favorite across the Arabian Sea.

To cook Chef Noor Al Mazroei’s Machboos recipe and watch her share her cooking tips, visit: https://www.visitqatar.qa
Emily Smith

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Ingredients
  • Chef Noor Al Mazroei Recipe
  • 1 Chicken
  • 2 cups Basmati Rice
  • 1/2 cup White onion, cubed
  • 1/2 cup Tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • 1/4 cup Chopped parsley
  • 1 tablespoon Grated garlic
  • 1 tablespoon Grated ginger
  • 2 Green hot peppers
  • 4 tablespoons Qatari bazaar (spice mix)
  • 1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
  • Qatari Bazaar
  • 1 cup Cumin seeds
  • 1 cup Coriander seeds
  • 1/2 cup Black lemon ground
  • 1/2 cup Ginger powder
  • 1/2 cup Cinnamon powder
  • 1/2 cup Turmeric powder
  • 1/2 cup Ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon Ground saffron
Directions
  1. Chef Noor Al Mazroei Recipe
  2. Prepare your ingredients: Chop the onion, combine ginger, garlic and hot peppers in one bowl
  3. Wash rice before soaking in water for an hour
  4. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high flame and add correct spice, Qatari Bazaar, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, green pepper, lemon, salt and leave until the mixture blends and withers completely
  5. Cut chicken in half and add into the pot until the mixture has turned the chicken red on both sides
  6. Add 3 cups of boiling water and reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 40 minutes
  7. Remove the chicken from the water, put it in an oven tray and cook on 190 °C / 170 Fan / 375°F for 10 minutes
  8. Remove half of the water from the pot before adding rice and leave it on a low boil for 10 minutes until rice is cooked and has absorbed the liquid. Stir every 5 minutes
  9. Transfer the chicken and rice to a serving dish
  1. Qatari Bazaar
  2. Roast cumin and coriander until brown
  3. Grind and mix well with the remaining ingredients until all spices are blended
  4. Remove from grinder into a container until use

See what other Food52ers are saying.

2 Reviews

crenard June 11, 2023
I made an account just to review this recipe; I followed it to a T (except for the black lime which I couldn’t find in any stores) and it’s practically inedible.

The spices were extremely strong and overpowering; I only used 1/3 of a cup instead of 1/2.

When I cooked the chicken, the water reduced and the flavor got even more concentrated so by the time I cooked the rice it was way too much.

The cumin and coriander is also incredible strong and way too overpowering for this dish; I have no idea how anyone can eat this without coughing.
MHS December 20, 2023
Hello. There is 2 recipes with in the recipe. There is the spices recipe- that you are supposed to prepare then use only 4 tbsp in the machboos recipe. Did you accidentally use the whole ingredients of the spices in the recipe? Or only 4 tbsp? Also unfollowing she didn’t list the lemon or the correct spices in the ingredient list, which are: bay leaves, cloves, whole black pepper, cardamom and cinnamon stick......