Chicken kabsa is Saudi Arabian version of chicken biryani which is enriched with aromatic spices and grilled chicken and cooked in a spicy broth of tomatoes.

Long partial to heavy lunchtime platters of meat and rice, Asim al-Shammari has recently turned to lighter fare from a self-described diet restaurant, swayed by Saudi Arabia’s anti-obesity push.

There is something so welcoming, and so universally comforting, about a meal of chicken and rice. Chicken kabsa, then, is the ideal entry point into Arabian Gulf cuisine. It’s a surprisingly complex ...