Qidreh Recipe

Qidreh is the hallmark dish of the Palestinian city of Hebron. The word alone, qidreh, only indicates “pot” and refers to the copper vessel in which this dish is typically ready. Not often is qidreh cooked at household, on the other hand. The preliminary preparing may well get area in the residence, from boiling the meat to spicing the rice, but it is then despatched in its unique copper pot to the community wooden-fired oven, exactly where it is completely cooked.

It is deemed an crucial dish for the duration of the month of Ramadan, but is also a go-to alternative for weddings, funerals, and special instances in Hebron. Versions of qidreh exist across the state, notably in Jerusalem and Gaza, but in its most first variety in Hebron, the dish receives its unique taste largely from the wood-fired oven and from pouring a generous volume of samneh baladiyeh (a nearby clarified butter with spices) on major ahead of serving.

In Jerusalem, cooks have taken to adding chickpeas to the dish, which incorporate both equally texture and heft to the food, and in Gaza, it is taken a move further with full garlic cloves and a significantly more time listing of spices, but neither of those people additions are standard to Hebron’s edition. In this recipe I involve equally chickpeas and garlic since, with out the distinct aroma of a wooden-fired oven, these additions help layer extra taste into the dish. On the other hand, I retain the spices on the milder aspect to allow for the components to definitely shine.

The dish is designed 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 can be a pricier meat that is fitting for the special instances wherever qidreh is typically served. Presently, in some more everyday instances, chicken is also employed, whilst the classic dish depends on lamb.

Utilizing bone-in parts not only gives a extra appealing presentation, it also enriches the broth a great deal additional than boneless items would. It is achievable, nevertheless, to make a more quickly variation of this recipe with boneless stewing pieces of lamb. That cuts about one hour from the broth simmering time, while in that circumstance I’d advocate earning the broth with rooster inventory (ideally selfmade) rather of h2o to enable create further flavor.

As for serving qidreh, it is virtually always presented with a aspect of basic yogurt and a chopped Palestinian salad, which offer lightness and contrast to the dish’s rich and earthy flavor.