Quail
Quail machboos
The same pot as chicken machboos, made with quail. The birds are small, so the stock is ready in under half an hour.
- Serves
- 3 to 4
- Time
- 1 hr
Ingredients
- 6 quail, whole
- 2 cups basmati rice, washed and soaked for 30 minutes
- 3 tablespoons ghee
- 2 onions, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 2 dried limes (loomi), pierced
- 2 teaspoons bezar (Gulf mixed spice)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 4 cardamom pods, 4 cloves, 1 cinnamon stick
- A pinch of saffron soaked in 2 tablespoons rose water
- Salt
Method
Pat the quail dry and rub them with half the bezar and a little salt.
Heat the ghee and brown the quail on all sides, then lift them out.
In the same ghee, cook the onions until golden. Add the whole spices, garlic, the rest of the bezar and the turmeric, then the tomato and dried limes.
Return the quail, add 4 cups of hot water and salt, cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until the birds are tender and cooked through.
Lift the quail out and keep them warm. Leave 3 cups of the stock in the pot, bring to the boil and add the drained rice.
Cook uncovered until the liquid reaches the level of the rice, then cover and cook on the lowest heat for 20 minutes.
Sprinkle with the saffron rose water, fluff the rice and serve with the quail on top.
Serve with Daqoos and yoghurt.
For this dish
A tray holds 10 quail: 6 for this pot, 4 for the grill.
