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Bahraini · Gulf Arab

Machboos rubyan

Non-vegetarian

مچبوس روبيان · machboos rubyan

Gulf prawns cooked with onions, tomato, dried lime and spices, then folded through basmati rice steamed in the spiced sauce. A favourite of Bahrain's pearling-and-fishing coast.

Machboos rubyan is a Bahraini rice dish, ready in about 1 hour 10 minutes and made with basmati rice and prawns / shrimp. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep
20 min
Cook
40 min
Rest
10 min
Total
1 h 10 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
637

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Fry the onions (opens in a new tab) in the oil until golden. Add the garlic (opens in a new tab), ginger, chilli, dried limes (opens in a new tab) and spices and stir for a minute.

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

  2. Step 2

    Add the tomatoes (opens in a new tab), tomato paste (opens in a new tab) and salt and cook to a thick sauce. Stir in the prawns (opens in a new tab) for 2 minutes until just pink, then lift them out with half the sauce.

    • 8 min
    • medium heat

    Food safety: Prawns finish cooking with the rice; don't leave them sitting out.

  3. Step 3

    Add the water to the pot, bring to the boil and add the drained rice and cilantro (opens in a new tab). Boil until the water sinks below the rice.

    • 8 min
    • high heat

  4. Step 4

    Spoon the prawns (opens in a new tab) and their sauce over the rice, cover tightly and steam on the lowest heat. Rest, then fold together gently and serve with lime (opens in a new tab).

    • 15 min
    • low heat

About this dish

Origin
Bahrain · Commonly attributedMachboos is shared across the Gulf; the prawn version is especially associated with Bahrain and Kuwait.Also popular in Kuwait, QatarMore food from Bahrain
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Rice dishes · Main courses
Cooking method
Sautéed, Simmered, Steamed
Taste
aromatic / warmly spiced, savoury, spicy (chilli heat), sour
Diet
Pescatarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · High-protein
All labelsPescatarian · Non-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-protein · Low-fat
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
One-pot
Cook more with
Basmati rice · Prawns / shrimp · Onion · Garlic · Fresh ginger · Green chilli
Techniques
Sautéing · Boiling · Simmering · Steaming

Allergens

  • Contains: Crustaceansfrom prawns / shrimp

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

637 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 584 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 25%
  • Carbohydrate 58%
  • Fat 17%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy637 kcal109 kcal
Protein39.3 g6.7 g
Carbohydrate92.4 g15.8 g
Net carbohydrate——
Sugars——
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre——
Fat12.1 g2.1 g
Saturated fat1.2 g0.2 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol242 mg41 mg
Sodium1072 mg184 mg
Salt equivalent2.7 g0.5 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
852 mg
Calcium
193 mg
Iron
6.4 mg
Magnesium
104 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
—
Vitamin C
—
Vitamin D
—
Vitamin B12
—
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: lime.
  • 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

Common mistakes

  • Cooking the prawns all the way through before steaming makes them rubbery.

Serve with

  • Serve with a cucumber-yogurt salad and daqqus.

Storage

  • Best on the day; refrigerate leftovers within 1 hour and eat within 1 day.

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 2, 3

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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