Madghout

Madghout is a rice dish from Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, in which chicken or other meat is simmered with rice, dried lime and warm spices. It is a one-pot meal of the kind common around the Gulf, where the rice is cooked in the broth from the meat so that every grain takes on its flavour. It is a family dish for shared meals, and the amount of lime, spice and garnish varies from kitchen to kitchen.

What it really is

The meat, usually chicken, is simmered in water with onion, dried lime and a blend of warm spices, including cardamom, until it is tender. The same stock then cooks the basmati rice, so the grains soak up its colour and flavour. Dried lime gives the dish its sour, earthy note, and cardamom adds warmth. The rice and meat are usually cooked together and served together.

How it's served

• Hot, with the rice heaped on a wide platter and the meat set on top.
• On a shared platter for several people, which is how it is usually eaten at family meals.
• With a green salad or a yogurt sauce on the side, as many kitchens serve it.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the meat, for example "chicken madghout" or "lamb madghout", and say whether it is bone-in.
• Write "dried lime" in the description, since many guests do not know the ingredient. Add "loomi" in brackets if the kitchen uses that name.
• Flag milk if ghee is used in the rice or the meat, and flag any nuts used as a garnish. Neither is part of every recipe, so check with the kitchen.
• Say that the rice is basmati and whether the dish is a single portion or for sharing.