# Mahmoos Qatifi

A stunning Saudi dish featuring caramelized onions nestled in every grain of rice, offering a tangy, slightly sweet, and aromatic flavor.

- Servings: 6 servings
- Total time: 100 min
- Cuisine: Indian
- Category: Soup
- Language: en

## Ingredients

- 5 onions (mix of red and white)
- 4 tbsps oil
- 2 chickens
- 2 cups Canary Basmati rice
- 3 heads of garlic
- lime
- 3 bay leaves
- 4 cardamom pods
- 4 cloves
- 2 sticks of cinnamon
- 4 small lumis
- chili for presentation
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1 tsp cardamom powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 0.5 lumi powder
- 0.5 turmeric
- salt to taste
- 5 cups water
- tahini sauce

## Instructions

1. Start by finely dicing 4 to 5 onions and add them to a pot with a decent drizzle of olive oil.
2. Fry the onions on high heat, stirring occasionally, until they turn dark brown without burning.
3. Add the chicken to the pot and give them a quick sear.
4. Add the aromatics: bay leaves, cardamom, cloves, two sticks of cinnamon, black loomi's (if any), and three heads of garlic.
5. Add the spices: turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper, and a sprinkle of salt.
6. Add about 5 cups of water, bring the pot to a boil, cover, and let the chicken fully cook on medium heat for about 30 minutes.
7. Place the chicken on a baking tray and broil it in the oven for a nice crispy finish.
8. Wash and soak 2 cups of long-grain basmati rice for 30 minutes.
9. Add the soaked rice to the pot with the oniony broth, ensuring the water level is just a fingertip above the rice. If needed, add more water.
10. Let it boil uncovered for about 10 minutes, or until the water level has gone down.
11. Cover the pot and let it simmer on the lowest heat possible for 20 minutes.
12. Keep the pot shut for another 20 minutes after taking it off the heat so the rice soaks up all the steam.
13. Flip the rice onto a serving plate, top it with the aromatics, the garlic heads, and the chicken.
14. Serve with slices of lime and a simple tahini sauce.

## Equipment

- pot
- baking tray
- oven

## Tips

- Finely dice onions to cook faster.
- Completely remove moisture from onions and get them dark brown without burning them by dropping heat and stirring continuously once they start browning.
- Keep the pot shut for another 20 minutes after taking it off the heat for fluffy and juicy rice.
- For a bit of a kick, place chilies on top of the rice while it cooks.

## Source

- Original video: https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1GE8WJ9iCr/
- Recipe page: https://www.cliprecipe.com/recipe/547c20b0-814b-48a6-9ea7-5ad4699608b3
- Extracted: 2026-03-22

Extracted from the video by Clip Recipe (https://www.cliprecipe.com). Quantities and steps are as stated or shown in the video. Site guide for agents: https://www.cliprecipe.com/llms.txt