Saudi Arabia – Bukhari Rice

by Dwi Lias Susanti

Saudi Arabia is well known for its petrol production and as a religious activity center for Muslims all over the world. When visiting Saudi Arabia, you will be welcome with beautiful architecture surrounded by a vast desert. Most of the tourist that comes in for religion tour purpose, they want to do Umrah or Hajj, some others want to enjoy dessert view and activity like hiking and climbing in a rock mountain. Surrounded by deserts, Saudi Arabia could change those deserts into a green forest. We can see it happen in Rawdhat Khuraim that located in the Rumah district.

To welcome the tourist, Saudi Arabia has many events and various tasty culinary. When visiting Saudi Arabia between February and March, tourists can enjoy the Janadriyah festival held in Riyadh. A festival where you can see a camel race, something you can’t found in your hometown, Arabic opera, and traditional fashion show. For food, Saudi Arabia people eat rice as their main staple cooked from Basmati long grain. 

People in Saudi Arabia usually cook their rice with several spices to give a flavourful and rich taste. They use clove, cardamom, cinnamon, and saffron to cooking. There are several kinds of rice dishes in Saudi Arabia. One of the most popular is Bukhari rice. 

Bukhari is rice that cooks with marinated chicken or beef, full of spice, and has a delicious aroma that increases your appetite only by smelling it. Bukhari is an all-day dish that can be found in a local restaurant from morning into the afternoon. To cook Bukhari is quite easy. The challenge is to prepare all the spice needed, but no need to worry. You can substitute it with other ingredients. You can find how to cook this authentic Saudi Arabia dish in the recipe below.  

Meat marinated ingredient

• 1 whole chicken, cut into 10 part
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper powder
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 1 tablespoon paprika powder

Other Ingredient

• 200-gram basmati long grain
• 500 ml of water
• 2 onions, minced
• 5 tablespoon cooking oil
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 3 tablespoon tomato sauce
• 2 big tomato, cut diced
• 1 carrot
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 2 clove
• 2 cardamom
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ½ teaspoon pepper powder
• ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
• 2 tablespoon liquid butter
• 1 teaspoon chicken broth powder
• Salt and sugar
• Raisin for garnish

Meat preparation

1. Blend all marinated ingredients with a food processor until smooth.
2. Lubricate chicken with the spice.
3. Marinate it for 1 hour.

How to cook

1. Wash clean the basmati rice and soak with water for 30 minutes.
2. Prepare the medium cooking pan, add cooking oil heat it.
3. Add uncut cinnamon, clove, and cardamom.
4. Add onions and garlic stir fry for 1 minute.
5. Add marinated chicken with all the powder ingredient (pepper, coriander, turmeric, and cumin)
6. Stir until the spice mix with chicken. Cook for a couple of minutes until the chicken turns brown.
7. Add tomato sauce, tomato, salt, sugar, and chicken broth powder. Adjust the taste. 
8. Cover the pan and cook for 15 minutes.
9. Remove chicken to oven tray that already brushes with butter, oven grilled until turns yellowish. Set aside.
10. Drain the rice grain and remove it to a boiling pot.
11. Add chicken broth add 500 ml of water, and heat it with small fire until cooked. 
12. Bukhari rice ready to serve with raisin and saved carrot.