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1
Heat 60 ml oil in a large, heavy pot over a medium-high flame. Add the cardamom pods, cloves, cinnamon stick, black peppercorns, black limes, bay leaves, and dried rose petals directly to the oil, so the fat draws out and carries their fragrance in a way that water never could. Stir continuously for 60–90 seconds until a sharp, roasted fragrance rises from the pot — the spices are ready when the cardamom pods have puffed and the cloves have darkened slightly.
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2
Add the diced onion to the bloomed spices and cook over medium heat until softened and translucent, so the onion loses its raw bite and its sweetness merges with the spiced fat beneath it. Add the crushed tomatoes, stir to combine, and cook for a further 5 minutes until the tomatoes have reduced slightly and the oil begins to separate at the edges of the mixture — that separation tells you the water has cooked off and the base is concentrated.
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3
Add the chicken pieces to the pot and turn to coat in the spiced tomato base, so every surface is touched by the aromatics before the water goes in. Pour in 2 litres of water, season generously with salt, bring to the boil, then reduce to a steady simmer, cover, and cook until the meat is tender enough to pull cleanly from the bone when tested — this long, covered simmer is what turns the water into the deeply fragrant broth the rice will depend on.
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4
Lift the chicken pieces from the pot and set aside, then strain the broth through a fine sieve, discarding the spent whole spices, so the rice cooks in a clear, uncluttered liquid rather than one muddied by broken spice fragments. Measure out 750 ml of strained broth for the rice and reserve the remainder. This is where the dish lives or dies: taste the broth now and adjust the salt, because a thin or under-seasoned broth at this point will produce flavoured rice, not kabsa, and cannot be corrected once the rice is added.
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5
Return the 750 ml of measured broth to a clean pot and bring to the boil. Add the rinsed rice, stir once to prevent the grains from clumping at the base, then reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cover tightly. Cook by the absorption method until all the broth has been taken up and small steam holes appear on the surface — do not lift the lid during this period, so the trapped steam does the work of cooking the upper grains evenly.
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6
Remove the pot from the heat and seal the lid with a folded cloth or kitchen towel, so the cloth absorbs the condensation that would otherwise drip back and make the top layer of rice wet and heavy. Leave undisturbed for 10 minutes; after resting, lift the lid — the grains should be distinct, dry at the surface, and separate cleanly when lifted with a fork.
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7
While the rice rests, heat the second measure of 60 ml oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the thinly sliced onion and fry, stirring frequently, until deep golden-brown and crisp throughout, then remove immediately to a paper-lined tray so the residual oil drains away and the onion stays crisp rather than steaming itself soft. In the same pan, toast the blanched almonds until golden — the topping must be applied at the moment of service, not in advance, so it arrives at the table with its crunch intact.
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8
If the chicken pieces have cooled, place them under a hot grill for 5 minutes to re-crisp the skin and restore colour. Mound the rice on a large shared serving platter, lay the chicken pieces on top, then add 4–5 drops of rose water — no more — distributed across the surface immediately before service, so the heat of the rice lifts the scent without the flavour becoming perceptible on the tongue. Scatter the fried onions, toasted almonds, and raisins over the top; the surface of the rice should be distinct and golden-crowned, and the aroma that rises should be spiced and faintly floral without any sweetness in the nose.