Machboos from Qatar

Machboos is like a Middle Eastern version of paella.  This popular dish can be made with meat, poultry or seafood.  It is the paste that gives it its unique flavour.  I guess you can make it vegetarian by substituting the meat with vegetables.  I first had machboos at the Qatari stand at an international food festival and was hooked.  This recipe is quite simple.  Don't let the many ingredients make you believe it's complicated.

The Paste
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon ground bay leaves
1 tablespoon paprika
4 cardamom pods
4 whole cloves
6 peppercorns
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon lemon juice
The Dish
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 onion finely sliced
3 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 can whole peeled tomatoes
1 stock cube
500g beef/lamb/chicken cut into cubes
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups water
1 1/2 cups basmati rice
pinch of saffron
drizzle of yoghurt
To make the paste, put all the ingredients for the paste in a small bowl and grind together.  Next put the oil in a pot or wok and add the onion and garlic.  Saute until soft.  Add the spice paste and mix it in well with the onions and garlic.  Add the meat and brown for about 4 minutes.  Empty in the can of whole peeled tomatoes and add the stock cube.  Add the water.  Let it simmer until the meat is cooked.  Add the rice and stir it in well.  Add the pinch of saffron.  Let it continue to simmer until the rice is cooked.  If you taste and the rice isn't quite cooked, then add a little more water if the water has cooked off.  Make sure that the rice doesn't become overcooked and soggy.  It should have the consistency of the rice in a paella.
Serve in bowls with a drizzle of yoghurt and a salad.
Cindy Vine is a South African currently living and working in Kyiv in Ukraine. She is the author of Hush Baby, Defective, C U @ 8, Not Telling and The Case of Billy B. All her books are available on Amazon in both print and Kindle format. http://cindyvine.com

Paella from Spain

Paella is not a difficult dish to make. The trick is that you can't skimp on the ingredients and you must be super-organised with everything prepped before you start. The Spaniards set the bar high when it comes to paella and will criticise anything that falls short in their eyes. Each region in Spain has their own take on paella. But the thing is, you are the boss in your kitchen and you can put in anything you want. For this recipe I have stuck to the more traditional ingredients.

1 sliced onion

2 tomatoes chopped

1/2 green and red capsicum cut into strips

6 garlic cloves

2 chicken breasts cubed

2 cups rice

2 cups white wine

4 cups water

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup frozen peas

1 large pinch saffron

500g seafood mix
1 teaspoon paprika
salt to taste
lemon wedges and chopped parsley for garnish

Put the olive oil in your pan and saute the onions, garlic and tomatoes until the onions are translucent. Add the chicken and brown it on both sides. Add the rice sprinkling it on in the form of a large cross. Stir it in ensuring that the rice grains are thoroughly coated with the olive oil. Add in the two cups of wine. Do not stir anything again until the paella is ready to be served. Warm one of the cups of water. Rub the saffron threads between your fingers and add to the cup of warm water. Pour it into the paella pan. Sprinkle on the paprika and salt to taste. Slowly add the rest of the water until all the ingredients are covered. Allow to simmer until the liquid cooks down a little. Arrange the seafood mix on top of the rice spreading it out evenly around the pan. Add in the peas. Place the capsicum strips on top. Simmer until the rice has cooked and the seafood mix changes colour. When you remove the pan from the heat, cover it with some tin foil and let the paella stand for 5-10 minutes before serving it up. Garnish with lemon wedges and chopped parsley.

Cindy Vine is a South African currently living and working in Kyiv Ukraine. She is the author of The Colorful Art of Pain, Hush Baby and Defective. All her books are available on Amazon in both print and Kindle format. http://cindyvine.com