Saleeg
A creamy, white rice dish cooked in chicken broth and milk until it reaches a porridge-like, risotto-style consistency, seasoned with warm spices and topped with tender chicken and a garlicky tomato sauce (daqoos) on the side. A signature Hijazi comfort food, sometimes called "Saudi risotto," with documented roots stretching back to rice-in-milk preparations in the 9th-century Abbasid-era cookbook Kitab al-Tabikh, and popularized in its modern form by a Ta'if chef in 1936.
Meat
⚠ Contains: Dairy. Always check your own ingredients — this isn't a guarantee for severe allergies.
Ingredients
- 2 cups short-grain or Egyptian rice, rinsed
- 1 whole chicken (3-4 lb), cut into pieces
- 4 cups whole milk
- 4 cups chicken stock (from cooking the chicken)
- 1 onion, quartered
- 4 cloves garlic, whole, plus 3 minced (for the sauce)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 4 whole cloves
- 4 green cardamom pods
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 3 tbsp butter or ghee
- Salt, to taste
- 2 cups crushed tomatoes (for daqoos sauce)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 green chili, chopped
- Olive oil and chopped cilantro, for the sauce
Steps
- In a large pot, add the chicken, quartered onion, whole garlic cloves, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, bay leaf, and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, skim the foam, then simmer 40-50 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
- Remove the chicken. Strain and reserve 4 cups of the stock. Optionally pan-sear or broil the chicken pieces until golden for serving.
- In a clean pot, melt the butter or ghee, add the rice, and stir 2 minutes to coat.
- Add the reserved stock and milk, white pepper, and salt. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low.
- Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, 25-35 minutes until the rice breaks down and the mixture turns thick, creamy, and porridge-like, adding more warm milk if it tightens too much.
- Meanwhile, make the daqoos: saute the minced garlic and chili in olive oil, add the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, cumin, and salt, and simmer 15 minutes until thickened. Stir in chopped cilantro at the end.
- Spoon the creamy saleeg onto a large platter, top with the chicken pieces, and serve the daqoos sauce alongside.