Iraqi t’beet with chicken and rice
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 755kcal
T’beet comes from Iraqi Jewish cooking. Traditionally, the pan cooks overnight over a low heat for the Shabbat meal. This Iraqi t’beet with chicken and rice is a shorter oven version. It still takes time, but once the preparation is done, it needs very little attention. The rice around the edge, where it gets darker and crisp, is particularly good. A dish for the weekend, with the pan brought straight to the table.
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Ingredients
- 8 chicken thighs boneless and skinless
- 300 g basmati rice
- 300 g tomatoes
- 1 red onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 2 tsp baharat without added salt
- 1 tsp sweet paprika powder
- 0.25 tsp black pepper
- 1.25 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp date syrup
- 650 ml water boiling
- 10 g parsley optional
Instructions
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 200 °C conventional or 180 °C fan. Rinse 300 g basmati rice in a sieve until the water is almost clear and drain well. Slice 300 g tomatoes about ½ cm thick and cut 1 red onion into thin rings. Finely chop 3 cloves garlic and pat 8 chicken thighs dry.
- Spread 1 tbsp olive oil and 0.25 tsp salt over the base of a deep ovenproof dish about 30 cm across. Lay the tomatoes and onion inside. Scatter the rice over them and arrange the chicken on top in one layer.
- Mix the garlic with 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp tomato purée, 2 tsp baharat, 1 tsp sweet paprika powder, 0.25 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp salt and 1 tbsp date syrup. Stir in 650 ml water and pour gently over the chicken and rice. Make sure all the rice is wet and there is plenty of space below the rim.
Cooking
- Wet a sheet of baking parchment, scrunch it up and open it out again. Place over the dish and seal tightly with foil. Bake in the centre of the oven for 90 minutes.
- Carefully remove the foil and parchment. Check that the rice is tender and the chicken cooked through. If the rice is still hard and there is hardly any liquid left, add 50 to 100 ml boiling water, cover again and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes. If measuring, the thickest part of the chicken must reach at least 75 °C for 30 seconds.
- Return the cooked dish to the oven uncovered for about 10 minutes to deepen the crust. If needed, finish under the grill for a few minutes, watching closely; dark brown is good, black is not.
Serving
- Leave to rest for 10 minutes. Scatter over finely chopped 10 g parsley, if using. Scoop the rice from the bottom so the tomatoes and onion come with it, and serve two small chicken thighs per person.
Notes
Use baharat without added salt. The blend varies by brand. Date syrup is sometimes sold as silan; honey can be used instead, but the flavour will be different.
Nutrition
Calories: 755kcal | Carbohydrates: 72g | Protein: 52g | Fat: 29g | Saturated fat: 7g