I’m always happy to cook Middle Eastern food for this challenge, and it feels like it has been a while! However, these countries can also be difficult, because so many dishes are shared with other countries that it’s hard to know what to make. Choosing food from Saudi Arabia to make this week was a little challenging in that regard, especially because my Reddit post was ‘removed by Reddit’s filters’ before I could get a response.
Saudi Arabia is located in the center of the Middle East, covering most of the Arabian Peninsula. It is the fifth-largest country in Asia and the largest in the Middle East.
The region shows some of the earliest traces of human activity outside Africa. It has been home to several ancient cultures and civilizations, and it is where Islam began. The prophet Muhammad united the population of the Arabian Peninsula, and when he died in 632, his followers spread Islam far and wide.
A succession of Arab dynasties ruled the area until 1932, when the country of Saudi Arabia was founded. Since then, Saudi Arabia has been an absolute monarchy, governed by an authoritarian regime.
Saudi Arabia is the world’s second-largest producer of oil and the leading oil exporter. It also has the world’s sixth-largest gas reserves. This has led to a strong economy, and the country ranks highly in the Human Development Index, with free university tuition and healthcare. However, when it comes to freedom, Saudi Arabia ranks quite low, most likely due to the strict government.
What Do People Eat in Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabian cuisine features a wide range of popular Middle Eastern dishes. Rice dishes are very common, usually also featuring meat or fish and vegetables. Saudi Arabia is positioned along global trade routes that brought many spices through the area, and this also shows in the dishes. Some of the more popular spices include cardamom, saffron, cinnamon, cloves, and cumin.
Many ingredients are locally sourced, such as wheat, dates, ghee, meat, fish, and vegetables. Pork is not generally consumed in Saudi Arabia as Muslims are not allowed to eat it, and the country is very religious. However, one more unusual meat is often featured—camel meat.
Popular drinks include coffee, often ground with cardamom, and laban, which is made from yogurt. Alcoholic beverages are not permitted under Islam.
What I Made
- Chicken Kabsa (Spiced Chicken and Rice)
- Jareesh (Cracked Wheat Porridge)
- Mutabbaq (Flatbread Filled with Meat, Veggies, and Egg)
- Maqshush (Honey-Glazed Baked Dough Balls)
Scroll down to read about other popular Saudi dishes I didn’t make!
Chicken Kabsa (Spiced Chicken and Rice)
Kabsa is a rice dish that is usually made with either lamb or chicken, and it is Saudi Arabia’s national dish. I decided to go with a chicken version.
Like many dishes, this one began with sautéing onions in oil. I added some garlic, then bone-in chicken thighs, salt, and the whole spices: a dried lemon/lime, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, cardamom pods, and cloves. After a few minutes, I added the ground spices: cinnamon, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, curry powder, turmeric, cardamom, baharat, and coriander. This mix is referred to as a ‘kabsa spice mix’, of which there are many variations.
Next, I added tomato paste, followed by tomato sauce, fresh pureed tomato, and water. I mixed everything well, then covered the pan and let everything simmer until the chicken was cooked through.
I took the chicken out of the broth, and added basmati rice and more salt. While the rice was cooking, I broiled the chicken. This was my first time using the broiler in this kitchen and it wasn’t as strong as my previous one so I didn’t get as much color on the chicken as I would have liked. I had to just stop when the rice was ready, because I was starving!
I served the rice and chicken with a garnish of parsley and toasted pine nuts. I thought this was very good!
The recipe I used is from Falasteeni Foodie.
Jareesh (Cracked Wheat Porridge)
Jareesh is popular in many places in the Middle East and known by a few different names. It is made from cracked or crushed wheat cooked in broth. It can be a vegetarian dish or meat can be added, and it can be kept simple or more flavor can be added with spices. I decided to make a chicken jareesh with a spiced onion topping. I used bulgur for my cracked wheat, since I already had it on hand.
I began by sautéing onion in olive oil. Then, I added garlic, followed a minute later by the bulgur and some salt and pepper. After a few more minutes, I poured in chicken broth and brought the liquid to a boil. I added whole chicken thighs at this point too.
I let the mixture cook for around an hour or so, until the chicken was falling off the bone. Then I removed the chicken and shredded it. I cooked the bulgur for another hour, until it was very soft.
Towards the end of the cooking time, I added the shredded chicken with some za’atar and more salt and pepper.
For the topping, I cooked some chopped onion in ghee until it was beginning to caramelize. I seasoned it with salt, cumin, and turmeric.
I served my jareesh with the onion topping and it was honestly pretty amazing for such a simple dish. This may be my favorite cracked wheat porridge recipe I have tried during this challenge so far (and I have made a few at this point).
This recipe is from Munchery, and the topping was inspired by the musamanah (jareesh topping) recipe on Arab News.
Mutabbaq (Flatbread Filled with Meat, Veggies, and Egg)
This is a flatbread that can have various fillings, such as meat, cheese, za’atar, vegetables, or a combination. The beef, vegetable, and egg filling I went with is quite common.
First, I began making the dough by combining whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. I added an egg and some olive oil and rubbed them into the flour with my fingers. Then, I added just enough water to form a dough. I kneaded the dough, then divided it into balls and let it rest for about 2 hours.
While the dough was resting, I prepared the filling. I began by cooking onion in olive oil, then added garlic and ground beef. I seasoned with cayenne pepper, turmeric, cumin, coriander, black pepper, and salt. Then, I let the mixture cook for a few minutes. I added finely chopped tomato and cooked a little more, before removing the pan from the heat and letting the mixture cool.
Once the meat mixture had mostly cooled, I stirred in beaten eggs and green onions. There was an option to include cheese here too, but I left it out.
To form the mutabbaq, I rolled out each piece of dough so that it was pretty thin. I added some of the meat mixture on top, then folded the sides of the dough over it like a parcel.
I pan-fried the mutabbaq in a small amount of olive oil, until they were browned.
I loved these! They were great for lunch the next day too, and I even froze a few to enjoy later and they also turned out well. To reheat, I microwaved them, but they do lose their crispy exterior so for best results, I would probably put them in the oven briefly or air-fry them.
The recipe I used is from But First Chai.
Maqshush (Honey-Glazed Baked Dough Balls)
At first glance, I thought this may be another fried dough dish. But maqshush are actually baked! They are made from a simple dough, and after baking, they are coated in a ghee and honey mixture.
First, I bloomed some yeast in warm water with a little sugar. The recipe I was using called for instant yeast, which doesn’t require this step, but I always have active dry yeast on hand.
I combined all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, sugar, and baking powder. Then, I added the yeast mixture, along with plain yogurt and eggs. I shaped the dough into balls and let them rise a bit before baking.
Once the maqshush were out of the oven, I tossed them in a mixture of ghee, honey, and a little cardamom.
I thought these were delicious, and they are much healthier than fried dough so I don’t have to feel too bad about enjoying them!
This recipe is from Arab News.
Other Popular Saudi Dishes
- Saleeg – a chicken and rice dish, in which the rice is cooked in a mixture of chicken stock and milk.
- Mathlotha – dish featuring a layer of jareesh, shredded flatbread, and seasoned rice, topped with chunks of roasted meat. Lamb and chicken are common choices.
Final Thoughts
I really enjoyed cooking Middle Eastern dishes again this week! My favorite food from Saudi Arabia was the mutabbaq, but everything was delicious!
Next time, I will be cooking food from Scotland.