Qidreh Recipe

Qidreh is the hallmark dish of the Palestinian city of Hebron. The phrase alone, qidreh, simply just indicates “pot” and refers to the copper vessel in which this dish is commonly ready. Not often is qidreh cooked at residence, however. The original preparation may take position in the home, from boiling the meat to spicing the rice, but it is then despatched in its special copper pot to the neighborhood wooden-fired oven, where it is completely cooked.

It is considered an important dish for the duration of the thirty day period of Ramadan, but is also a go-to option for weddings, funerals, and special occasions in Hebron. Variants of qidreh exist throughout the nation, specially in Jerusalem and Gaza, but in its most first type in Hebron, the dish gets its distinct taste largely from the wooden-fired oven and from pouring a generous volume of samneh baladiyeh (a community clarified butter with spices) on prime right before serving.

In Jerusalem, cooks have taken to incorporating chickpeas to the dish, which insert both equally texture and heft to the food, and in Gaza, it is taken a action further more with complete garlic cloves and a a lot more time checklist of spices, but neither of people additions are conventional to Hebron’s edition. In this recipe I consist of both chickpeas and garlic because, devoid of the distinct aroma of a wooden-fired oven, these additions support layer a lot more taste into the dish. However, I preserve the spices on the milder aspect to allow the elements to really shine.

The dish is produced with lamb on the bone, partly due to the fact lamb is the most well-known meat in the Palestinian diet, but also simply because it truly is a pricier meat that is fitting for the special instances in which qidreh is usually served. Nowadays, in some more everyday occasions, hen is also utilised, even though the classic dish relies on lamb.

Applying bone-in items not only delivers a a lot more pleasing presentation, it also enriches the broth significantly more than boneless parts would. It is achievable, on the other hand, to make a a lot quicker edition of this recipe with boneless stewing items of lamb. That cuts about a single hour from the broth simmering time, however in that circumstance I would suggest generating the broth with hen inventory (if possible handmade) instead of h2o to enable construct further flavor.

As for serving qidreh, it is just about usually introduced with a side of plain yogurt and a chopped Palestinian salad, which supply lightness and contrast to the dish’s prosperous and earthy flavor.