Middle Eastern red onion and tomato spiced rice (Maqboos)

Maqboos is a dish endemic to the Arabian Peninsula and beyond. It is the national dish of Bahrain and is essential to the region's culinary scene.

This is a simple vegetarian version. There are versions with meat, the most common with chicken.

The rice is delicate and beautiful. The soft notes of the spices complement the caramelized onions and tomatoes. This is the perfect side dish for grilled meats and kebabs, which are prevalent on the table. I love this dish for its simplicity and elegance.

Felicia Campbell is an award-winning writer, editor and producer. Her cookbook is more of a historical memoir of the region, its food, its culture and its deep history. This could be one of those cookbooks that you can read as a novel, but I love to rush into my kitchen and cook the dishes, knowing their deep history.

For more recipes from this fabulous cookbook, click here.

Ingredients: 3 tablespoons ghee

2 red onions, minced

3-4 garlic cloves, minced

2 large plum tomatoes, minced

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin seeds

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seeds

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 teaspoon ground green cardamom

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon pepper

Salt. to taste

1 1/2 cups basmati rice

Water

Mint, to garnish.

Heat the ghee in a large pot. Add the onions and garlic and fry on low heat until the onions are lightly golden.

Add the tomatoes, spices, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cardamom, cloves, pepper, and salt and mix well. Cook on a low flame for about 20 minutes until the tomatoes have broken down and formed a sauce, with the oil pooling on the surface in small bubbles. You want the sauce to be very thick and almost pasty.

Add the rice and fry in the sauce for 2 minutes, until the grains turn white. Add the water up to the first digit of your index finger and mix well. Steam with the lid closed for 25-30 minutes until the rice is cooked through. Gently toss the pan's contents occasionally during the cooking process. Fluff at the end.

Serve hot, garnished with mint.