# Yemeni Zurbian with Chicken

> Zurbian is not kabsa — the chicken marinates in **yogurt and spices for two hours**, and the rice steams above it in sealed layers. The yogurt tenderises the meat and keeps it from drying, and the sealed steaming lets the rice drink the seasoned vapour.

**Yemeni Cuisine · 215 min · 6 servings · 580 kcal per serving**

Zurbian is a Yemeni celebration dish, influenced by Indian cooking through the old trade routes. Rice layered over yogurt-marinated chicken, garnished with saffron and crisp onion. Richer than kabsa and closer to biryani.

## Ingredients


### Marinade
- 1 — chicken, in 8 pieces
- 1.5 cups — yogurt
- 2 tbsp — garlic and ginger paste
- 1 tbsp — Yemeni spices (hawaij)
- 1 tsp — turmeric
- 1 tsp — chilli
- 1 tsp — salt
- 2 tbsp — lemon juice

### For cooking
- 3 — onions, sliced
- 0.5 cup — oil
- 3 — tomatoes, chopped
- 1 bunch — fresh coriander

### Rice
- 3 cups — basmati rice
- 4 — cardamom pods
- 2 — bay leaves
- 1 stick — cinnamon

### Garnish
- 0.5 tsp — saffron + 0.25 cup warm milk
- 0.25 cup — almonds and raisins

## Method

1. **Marinate** — Mix the yogurt, spices, garlic-ginger paste and lemon, and rub it into the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for **at least two hours**.
2. **Crisp onion** — Fry the onion in the oil until deep golden and crisp, and drain it on paper. Keep the oil.
3. **Cook the chicken** — In the same oil, add the chicken with its marinade, the tomatoes, half the crisp onion and the coriander. Cover and cook over low heat for 30 minutes.
4. **Part-boil the rice** — Boil the soaked rice in salted boiling water with the cardamom, bay and cinnamon for **only 6 minutes** — it must stay half raw. Drain it.
5. **Layer** — Spread the rice over the chicken in the same pot, drizzle the saffron dissolved in milk in lines over it, and add the remaining crisp onion, almonds and raisins.
6. **Sealed steam** — Wrap the pot lid in a cloth and cover tightly, then leave it over **very low heat for 25 minutes** — or in a 180°C oven.
7. **Serve** — Turn it out carefully or serve from the side so the layers show, with sahawiq (Yemeni hot sauce) and yogurt.

## Tips

- The yogurt in the marinade tenderises the chicken and stops it drying — not just for flavour.
- The rice is only part-boiled. Fully cooked rice turns to paste in the steaming.
- A cloth over the lid stops condensed steam dripping back and wetting the rice.
- Do not stir after layering — the layers are part of the dish.

## FAQ

### What is the difference between zurbian and mandi?
Mandi is roasted in a pit or oven over steam, with the rice cooked in its broth. In zurbian the chicken marinates in yogurt and cooks in a pot, with rice steamed over it in layers — closer to biryani.

### What is hawaij?
A Yemeni blend of cumin, coriander, turmeric, cardamom, clove and black pepper. There are two kinds — cooking hawaij and coffee hawaij — use the cooking one.

### Can I use lamb?
Yes, and lamb zurbian is very popular. The lamb needs an hour and a half at the cooking stage instead of 30 minutes.

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Source: https://hanakoleah.com/en/yemeni-cuisine/yemeni-zurbian-with-chicken
Edited by: Marwa Mohamed
Last updated: 2026-10-30