Thinking about what’s for dinner (especially during Ramadan) can be exhausting. You hear me, sis?

And to be honest, if anything can be whacked in the air fryer, it always gets our vote as it’s a staple for any girl dinner.

So, when we found out that award-winning Emirati Chef, Faisal Alharmoodi has teamed up with Ninja to show how you can enjoy traditional flavours with a modern, health-conscious twist in an air fryer, we knew we had to hop onto Instashop to get the ingredients delivered.

Proving that your air fryer can be your bestie when it comes to cooking up something special and not just a marinated protein with a carb (hey, no judgement here we all love to throw fries into our Ninja Double Stack) Chef Faisal has shared a Chicken Machbous recipe that serves 2, takes 20 mins to prep and 35 mins to cook.

Ok, now for the deets:

Ingredients:

  • 500g Baby Chicken, (marinated, butterflied) 
  • 20g Peeled Garlic, minced 
  • 120g Ghee (clarified butter) 
  • 15g Chopped Fresh Coriander 
  • 20g Tomato Paste 
  • 20g Dry Black Lime, pierced several times 
  • 20g Tamarind Paste 
  • 16g Malden Salt (or other high-quality sea salt) 
  • 5g Cumin Powder 
  • 5g Turmeric Powder 
  • 800g Onion, finely chopped 
  • 5g Cardamom Powder 
  • 5g Arabic Spice Blend (Baharat) 
  • 5g Coriander Powder 
  • 5g Black Pepper 
  • 600ml Chicken Stock 

Method:  

1. Sauté the Aromatics: 

  • In a large pot, melt the ghee over medium heat. 
  • Add the minced garlic and chopped onion and sauté until softened and fragrant, about 5-7 minutes. Be careful not to burn the garlic. 

2. Build the Flavor Base: 

  • Stir in the tomato paste, dry black lime, tamarind paste, salt, cumin powder, turmeric powder, cardamom powder, Arabic spice blend, coriander powder, and black pepper. 
  • Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the spices are fragrant and the tomato paste has caramelized slightly. This step is crucial for developing the rich flavor of the Machbous.

3. Simmer the Sauce: 

  • Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. 
  • Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. 

4. Blend the Sauce: 

  • Carefully transfer the sauce to a blender (such as the Ninja 2-in-1 Blender Kitchen System) and blend until smooth. This will create a velvety texture and intensify the flavours. 

5. Glaze the Chicken: 

  • Return the blended sauce to the pot. Add the marinated chicken and stir to coat evenly. 

6. Cook the Chicken: 

  • Turn on your air fryer (Chef Faisal recommends the Ninja Double Stack XL Air Fryer 9.5L SL400ME). 
  • Arrange the chicken pieces in a single layer on the crisper plate.
  • Cook for 12-15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and lightly browned, flipping halfway through. The exact cooking time will depend on the thickness of the chicken pieces. 

7. Finish the Meal and Enjoy!

  • Use the second separately controlled Double Stack drawer to heat bread or meal prep for Suhoor.
  • Serve the chicken and sauce over a bed of rice and enjoy!

Click here for girl dinner recipes to master this Ramadan.