Chicken makbous is a traditional spiced Arab rice dish that is similar to Indian biryani, and is popular in the Sultanate of Oman.
A Jordanian chef who revels in preparing this authentic dish is Executive Chef Mohammad Aba Atya at Fraser Suites Muscat.
Other Omani dishes which he loves to prepare are the Lamb Shuwa with kabuli rice, meat arsiya, chicken harees, chicken tareed and meat makbous. The Oak Restaurant at Fraser Suites Muscat offers a wide range of Middle Eastern and international cuisine, as well as local favourites which chef Mohammad loves preparing new dishes especially with Omani products at the restaurant.
Ingredients:
Onion: 3 numbers
Chicken: 2 breast
Cloves: 4 pieces
Ginger: teaspoon (Chopped)
Cinnamon stick: 1 stick
Turmeric powder: one teaspoon
Cardamom whole: 5 number
Coriander powder: 1 teaspoon
Coriander seeds: 6 numbers
Black pepper: 5 numbers
Dry lemon: 1 teaspoon
Salt: As per taste
Green chilli: 1 piece chopped
Chilli powder: Half teaspoon
Ghee: 250 gms
Tomato slice: 1 number
Basmati Rice: 250 gms
Bay leaf: 3 leaves
Raisin: 10 gms
Fresh coriander: Garnish
Fried onion: Garnish
Mode of preparation:
First in a pan put ghee and make it a little warm. Once the ghee is warm add sliced onion and cook for about 2 minutes. After the onion becomes brown in colour, add chopped garlic and chopped ginger and cook for 2 minutes. After this add cinnamon stick, cloves, black pepper, whole coriander seed, bay leaf, chilli powder and chicken. Sautéed for about 10 minutes. After this add a fresh tomato slice and cook for one minute and then add rice with 300 ml chicken stock water, salt, dry lemon and turmeric powder and cover it and cook for 20 minutes in low flame. Then take out the chicken makbous in a bowl and add freshly chopped coriander, raisin, cashew nut and fried onion as garnish on the top. Serve with raita and tomato salsa. The dish can be served for 2 to 3 people.
About the Chef:
Mohammad Aba Atya from Jordan has been the Executive Chef at Fraser Suites Muscat since 2020. He has a Bachelor in Hotel Management from the Institute for Training Tourism and Hotel in Amman, Jordan.
He has about 12 years of work experience in the hospitality industry having worked his way up with several star hotels in Jordan.
As a child, he was always interested in food and hospitality as young as the age of 9. He always used to help his mother with cooking and began enjoying the art of cooking food.
Mohammad began his career as a trainee with InterContinental Amman (Jordan), and the best part of being a trainee is that you get the chance to learn cooking in all kitchen areas. He won the Best Trainee Award in the kitchen area with special praise from his chef who was highly impressed with his cooking style. After this he worked as Commis 3 in the main kitchen with InterContinental Hotel and later moved up with promotion as Commis1.
Later, he moved to Logan Hotel Dead Sea, Jordan, as demi chef de parties which exposed him to fresh challenges where he learnt about different types of cuisine where he worked for 3 years.
After he earned appreciation of his guests who presented his works on various online platforms, Mohammad joined as a senior sous chef at Holiday Inn Hotel Amman where he worked under many experienced chefs who were known for cuisine infusion. From here he moved to Saudi Arabia, where he learnt new ways to cook food, new thinking like PNL, HECCP, staff training and motivation and food coasting.
Mohammad moved to Muscat as the Executive Chef with Fraser Suites Muscat where his vision is to make food the first choice for the guests. He has planned novel ways and launched food promotions like the seafood festival, Arabic food theme festival, Suwali nights and others.
He is presently working in coordination with banquets, catering and three other restaurants in order to share his best experience to the guests.
