Kuwaiti Chicken Mechbous Recipe with Aromatic Spices and Basmati Rice

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken
• salt
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 cardamom pods
• 2 or 3 whole cloves
• 5 black peppercorns
• flour
• 3 cups basmati rice (or other short-grained rice)
• 2 large yellow onions, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup golden raisins, soaked in water
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/4 tsp dried black lime (loomi), or 0.5 tsp lime zest**
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp sugar