Recipe: Weeknight Kabsa
A one-pot chicken and rice showstopper by chef Reem Assil
I have to admit something. Until this kabsa recipe landed on my desk, I didn't feel confident in any of the chicken and rice variations I make. In my experience, something always is slightly off: Either I end up with rice that's under- or overcooked, or the whole thing is kind of bland, or, most often, I just feel like I'd rather make the chicken how I want to make it and if I want rice, I do it separately.
So, when I reached out to Bay Area chef Reem Assil to create a recipe for The New Family Table, I asked her to develop a chicken-and-grain one-pot recipe since it's something I personally needed help with. I also knew her knowledge as both a chef and a parent meant that she would understand the mission with our recipes to be actually doable on a school night without skimping on flavor. She delivered tenfold.
My daughter walked into the apartment after school while I was testing this recipe and (really I promise) said: "What are you cooking? It smells so good!" Any recipe that entices curiosity from my preschooler is a win. My husband and I both devoured our portions, swearing that this recipe was not only a keeper, it was as good as any new weeknight recipe we'd tried in months. I've made it an embarrassing number of times since that first successful test. Naturally, it's going straight onto The New Family Table's MVP recipes list.
Here's what Reem has to say about the recipe: "This is a quick and easy way to make a traditional Gulf dish called kabsa, which literally means 'squeezed into one pot.'" The first time saver is to start soaking the rice before you pull a single spice jar out of your cabinet. By using the time to gather and prep the rest of the ingredients, you'll save time but still end up with rice that's soaked enough to cook properly (or, if you prefer to soak your rice longer, you can). The spice mix is warm and fragrant, with cinnamon, coriander, and cardamom. There's turmeric, paprika, and allspice too, so there's depth but not too much heat for young or picky eaters. The portions are generous — my family of three had plenty of leftovers — making this a great meal for having friends or family over. I serve mine straight from the pot, always taking Reem's suggestion to serve it alongside a salad and yogurt.
And, if you want to check out more of Reem's recipes, get her cookbook Arabiyya — there are so many recipes in there that are great for feeding your family and your community — and stop by her restaurant Reem's California in San Francisco.
Please let Reem and me know if you make the recipe by sharing your results in Table Chat and tagging us on Instagram: @hillarydixlercanavan and @reem.assil.
A quick note on how this recipe is formatted: I’m experimenting with formatting recipes in a way that makes it even easier to get cooking. I will continue to assess formatting for The New Family Table’s original recipes and would love to hear from readers about any recipe style conventions you find especially user-friendly. Sound off in the comments!