Chicken Madrouba Recipe

Chicken Madrouba is a rice porridge dish found in Oman, Qatar, and Bahrain that contains overcooked rice with shredded chicken breast, tomatoes, and different herbs & spices. This Gulf Arabian rice dish is perfect to serve during the winter or rainy season.

When I was living in a Gulf or Khaleej Arab country (Kuwait), I ate many delicious rice dishes which are one of the best in the world. The rice dishes in the Arab cuisines are known to be very flavorful due to their rich spices and herbs. One Gulf Arabian dish that I love is Madrouba since it is one of the few porridge that is very tasty and rich in spices which is popular in Bahrain, Qatar, and Oman.

The word "Madrouba" actually means "Darb" in Arabic which in English means "beaten rice". This kinda makes sense since we are mashing the rice to make it into a porridge texture. During the winter season, I highly recommend you try this recipe since it can warm you especially if you are feeling cold or chills.

Recipe Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you need to make a delicious Chicken Madrouba recipe:

Chicken: This will serve as the main protein which I am using boneless chicken breast. The chicken breast will be boiled and then shredded into pieces during the cooking process.

Rice: I am using long-grain basmati rice which I will boil for a longer time to make it soft.

Green Leaves: Adding different green leaves such as spinach, parsley, and coriander leaves will make this rice porridge dish nutritious and add more flavor.

Spices: The spices are the most important ingredients you need for this recipe. You cannot make any Middle Eastern or Arabian recipes without spices. Here you will need cumin, cinnamon, dried lime, turmeric, cardamom, and baharat spice. The baharat spice is a type of Middle Eastern spice that contains different spices.

Tomatoes: I am using tomato paste and fresh tomatoes that I grated to make into a puree. These two will add tomato flavor and red colors to the dish.

Herbs: I use chopped red onion and garlic to enhance the flavor of the rice. The onion will be used for two purposes: For sauteing, and for making caramelized golden brown onion.

Other Ingredients: The rest you will need water to overcook the rice, vegetable oil for sautéing the ingredients, and salt & black pepper for taste.

Step by Step Instruction

Steps 1 & 2: First, turn on the fire in medium heat. I poured water into a large pot and placed the boneless chicken breast in it.

Step 3: Once it starts to boil, let it simmer for 5-10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked and soft.

Step 4: After that, I remove the chicken and let it cool down before I shredded into pieces. Set it aside.

Step 5: Add vegetable oil in a separate cooking pot. Once it becomes hot, I add the chopped onion and garlic and let it stir till it turns translucent.

Step 6: Next, I added the chopped spinach leaves, coriander leaves, and parsley leaves. Stir gently for a few minutes.

Step 7: After that, I added the rice, salt and black pepper. Give a quick stir.

Steps 8 & 9: And then I added the spices, tomato paste, and the grated tomato puree. Stir it gently.

Step 10: Pour water and the dried lime. Let it boil or simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. You will need to overcook the rice to make it into a porridge. So add more water gradually until the rice is soft enough.

Steps 11 & 12: While you are cooking the rice, I sauteed the thinly sliced onion by cooking it in oil over medium heat in a separate pan. Stir frequently, until they achieve a caramelized, golden-brown color. Set it aside when done.

Steps 13 & 14: After overcooking the rice, I added the shredded chicken breast to it. Gently stir to combine

Step 15: After that, I use a masher to break the rice & chicken into smaller pieces. This technique will make the Madrouba into a porridge texture.

Step 16: Lastly, I added the golden browned onion to the rice and gently mixed it to combine.

Final Step: Serve the chicken madrouba on the plate. If you have a leftover browned onion, you can top it in the center of the rice as a garnish. Enjoy!

Substitution Suggestion

• In Qatar, some of them use oats instead of rice.
• Adding green leaves such as spinach, coriander or parsley is a common variation in Bahraini madrouba.
• Traditionally, we use ghee instead of vegetable oil since it has more flavor. But for healthier reasons, I prefer using vegetable canola oil.
• You can use shredded lamb or beef instead of chicken for personal preferences.
• For added spiciness, you can red chilies or cayenne pepper powder.

Other Khaleeji Arabian rice recipes

Here are other Khaleeji Arabic rice recipes you can make at home:

• Beef Kabsa
• Arabic Biryani
• Beef Mandi

📋 Recipe Card

Chicken Madrouba Recipe

Saif Al Deen Odeh

Chicken Madrouba is a traditional Gulf Arabian rice porridge dish enjoyed in Oman, Qatar, and Bahrain. This hearty dish features overcooked rice, shredded chicken breast, tomatoes, and a blend of various herbs and spices.

5 from 6 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Main

Cuisine Gulf Arabian, Khaleeji

Servings 4

Calories 540 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 500 grams of boneless chicken breast
• 1 cup of long-grain basmati rice uncooked
• 1 cup of combined chopped spinach
• 1 cup coriander leaves
• ½ cup parsley leaves
• 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
• 1 cup of grated fresh tomatoes
• ½ cup of chopped red onion
• 2 cloves of minced garlic
• 1 medium-sized red onion for sautéing and caramelization
• 4 cups of water Add more if needed
• 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon of cumin
• ½ teaspoon of cinnamon
• 2 piece of dried lime
• ½ teaspoon of turmeric
• ½ teaspoon of cardamom powder
• 1 teaspoon of baharat spice
• 2 teaspoon of Salt
• 1 teaspoon of Black pepper

Instructions

 

• Begin by heating the fire to medium. Add water to a large pot and place the boneless chicken breast inside.
• Allow the water to boil, then let it simmer for 5-10 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked and tender.
• After boiling, remove the chicken and let it cool before shredding it into pieces. Set aside.
• In another cooking pot, add vegetable oil. Once it's hot, toss in the chopped onion and garlic, stirring until translucent.
• Next, add the chopped spinach, coriander, and parsley leaves. Gently stir for a few minutes.
• Add the rice, salt, and black pepper. Give it a quick stir.
• Add the spices, tomato paste, and grated tomato puree. Stir gently.
• Pour in water and add the dried lime. Allow it to boil or simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Gradually add more water as needed to overcook the rice and achieve a porridge-like consistency.
• While the rice is cooking, sauté thinly sliced onion in oil over medium heat in a separate pan. Stir frequently until the onions caramelize to a golden-brown color. Set aside when done.
• After overcooking the rice, add the shredded chicken breast. Gently stir to combine.
• Use a masher to break the rice and chicken into smaller pieces, creating a porridge texture. Simmer it in low heat for 5 more minutes.
• Finally, add the golden-browned onions to the rice and gently mix to combine.
• Serve the chicken madrouba on a plate. If you have any leftover browned onions, you can use them as a garnish in the center of the rice. Enjoy!

Notes

• Some variation use ghee instead of vegetable oil.
• You can use arabic masala, chicken masala or any Arabic spice if you don't have baharat spice.
• You can use red chilies or cayenne pepper if you want your madrouba dish spicy. 

Nutrition

Serving: 4gCalories: 540kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 38.7gFat: 22.3gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 134mgSodium: 790mgPotassium: 944mgFiber: 6.4gSugar: 9.6gCalcium: 126mgIron: 4mg

Keyword Madrouba

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!