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Emirati · Gulf Arab

Lamb machboos

Non-vegetarian

مجبوس لحم · majboos laham

Lamb simmered with onions, tomato, dried black limes and warm spices, then basmati rice cooked in the fragrant broth. The everyday celebration rice of the Emirates, served on a shared platter.

Lamb machboos is an Emirati rice dish from United Arab Emirates, ready in about 2 hours 35 minutes and made with lamb shoulder, dried lime (loomi) and basmati rice. It serves 6 and is rated intermediate to cook.

Start cooking
Juicy lamb shank served on a bed of aromatic spiced rice.
Photo: Mohamed Olwy / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
20 min
Cook
2 h 5 min
Rest
10 min
Total
2 h 35 min
Serves
6
Level
Intermediate
Calories
760

Ingredients

6 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Melt the ghee (opens in a new tab) in a heavy pot and fry the onions (opens in a new tab) until deep golden. Add the garlic (opens in a new tab) and ginger for a minute.

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Add the lamb, dried limes (opens in a new tab) and all the spices and turn until the meat is coated and lightly browned. Stir in the tomatoes (opens in a new tab) and salt and cook until soft.

    • 10 min
    • medium-high heat

    Food safety: Wash hands after handling raw lamb.

  3. Step 3

    Pour in the water, bring to the boil, skim, then cover and simmer until the lamb is tender.

    • 80 min
    • low heat

  4. Step 4

    Lift out the lamb. You need about 800 ml of broth in the pot — top up or reduce. Taste for salt, add the drained rice and cilantro (opens in a new tab), bring to the boil and cook uncovered until the liquid drops to the level of the rice.

    • 8 min
    • high heat

  5. Step 5

    Drizzle over the saffron (opens in a new tab) water, lay the lamb on top, cover tightly and steam on the lowest heat. Rest off the heat for 10 minutes, then fluff and serve on a platter.

    • 20 min
    • low heat

About this dish

Origin
United Arab Emirates · Commonly attributedMachboos is claimed as a national dish by several Gulf states, including the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar; it is closely related to Saudi kabsa.Also popular in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, OmanMore food from United Arab Emirates
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Rice dishes · Main courses
Cooking method
Simmered, Boiled, Steamed
Taste
aromatic / warmly spiced, sour, savoury
Diet
No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-protein
With the listed swaps: Dairy-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
One-pot · Festive & celebration
Cook more with
Lamb shoulder · Dried lime (loomi) · Basmati rice · Ghee · Onion · Garlic
Techniques
Boiling · Simmering · Steaming · Reduction

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Milkfrom ghee

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

760 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 562 g · recipe makes 6

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 15%
  • Carbohydrate 40%
  • Fat 45%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy760 kcal135 kcal
Protein28.7 g5.1 g
Carbohydrate74.8 g13.3 g
Net carbohydrate71.7 g12.8 g
Sugars2.9 g0.5 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre3.1 g0.6 g
Fat38.1 g6.8 g
Saturated fat17.5 g3.1 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol97 mg17 mg
Sodium1071 mg191 mg
Salt equivalent2.7 g0.5 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
644 mg
Calcium
96 mg
Iron
5.8 mg
Magnesium
63 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
94 µg
Vitamin C
11 mg
Vitamin D
0.3 µg
Vitamin B12
2.5 µg
Folate (DFE)
—

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: saffron.
  • Dried lime (loomi): Raw lemon peel used as a stand-in; dried limes are dehydrated whole limes and are used in small amounts for flavour.
  • Basmati rice: Generic long-grain white rice (FDC 168877); basmati has very similar composition.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Piercing the dried limes lets the broth flow through them and draws out their sour, musky flavour.

Common mistakes

  • Too much broth for the rice, which turns it mushy — measure what is left in the pot.

Serve with

  • Serve with daqqus (spicy tomato sauce), cucumber-yogurt and a green salad.

Food safety

  • Cooked rice left at room temperature can grow Bacillus cereus — cool and refrigerate leftovers promptly.

Storage

  • Cool quickly and refrigerate within 1 hour; eat within 2 days.

Reheating

  • Reheat until piping hot with a splash of water, covered.

Variations

  • Chicken machboos (Kuwait): Use jointed chicken and simmer for only 30 minutes.
  • Machboos rubyan (Bahrain): Prawn machboos, popular in Bahrain.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2, 4

Reviews & corrections

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