The national dish of Saudi Arabia

Name: The national dish of Saudi Arabia (Saudi Kabsa)
Cuisine: Saudi Arabian
Ingredients: 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) basmati rice; 1 large onion, very finely chopped; 2 sticks of cinnamon; 6 cardamom pods; 3 black cloves; 2 whole black loomi (dried lime); 2 whole black loomi (dried lime); 3 bay leaves; 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced; ½ tbsp freshly grated ginger; 1 medium chicken, cut in half lengthways or quartered; 1 tbsp double-concentrate tomato purée (paste); 1 tbsp double-concentrate tomato purée (paste); 1 x 400 g (14 oz) can of chopped tomatoes (fresh chopped tomatoes can be used as well); 1 x 400 g (14 oz) can of chopped tomatoes (fresh chopped tomatoes can be used as well); 1 chicken stock cube (Maggi is the best choice as it is used in every single household in KSA); Zest of 1 orange; Sea salt; 6 strands of saffron; 1 tsp black pepper; 1 tsp red chilli powder; 1 tsp ground coriander; 1 tsp ground nutmeg; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 1 tsp ground cardamom; ½ tsp ground cumin; ½ tsp ground turmeric; ½ tsp powdered loomi (dried black lemon); ½ tsp powdered loomi (dried black lemon); 2 tbsp ghee or vegetable oil

Saudi Kabsa

Preparation info

Serves
4
generously

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

The Red Sea Cookbook

By Madeeha Qureshi

Published 2026

About

No celebration is complete without this centrepiece. It is a one-pot wonder.

If you love a pulao or pilav, this dish might hook you up for the rest of your eating existence. The best rice dish to ever exist is a Saudi kabsa, in my humble opinion.

Ingredients

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) basmati rice
40

Asia
Saudi Arabia
Main course
Gluten-free

Method

Start by washing the rice at least twice to remove extra starch, then soak it in a bowl of water for 30-45 minutes.

In the meantime, put the ghee or vegetable oil in a heavy-based pot that is large enough to eventually accommodate everything. Place on a medium-high heat and add the chopped onion along with all the whole spices and the bay leaves. Sauté for 3-5 minutes until the onion be