Saleeg: The most popular rice and chicken meal in Saudi Arabia is saleeg. Roasted chicken is served with rice cooked in chicken broth and full-fat milk.

The last event is Saudi National Day, which reminds all expats of why we are here and not everywhere in the world. I was preparing kabsa referencing a random blog for last year’s National Day. I forgot to look up the real methods of preparing because I wasn’t interested in food blogging then. Having lived in and visited the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, I realize that the kabsa I made was anything but genuine cringe.

I selected kabsa or mandi because I thought they would satisfy meat lovers while considering the three special occasions. However, I suppose N underestimated me because he rejected both. Then I saw Saleeg in a new story in Saudi Arabia. Take fish that has been cooked in milk and broth. I decided on Saleeg because I found the concept intriguing.

What is Saleeg?

One of the traditional foods of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, especially in the Makkah and Tabuk regions, is saleeg, which is made for special occasions. It is considered a national dish in the Hejaz region, which lies in western Saudi Arabia. According to almost every article I read, kids love saleeg as well because they consume it without any problems.

How Do You Make Saleeq?

Because there is no cutting or processing required, saleeg is simple to cook Making the broth and overcooking the rice are the only two steps And don’t worry about overcooking To make the liquid for this rice meal, the chicken may be boiled with whole spices. The rice is then cooked in the stock. After the rice is done cooking, milk is added and boiled until it becomes creamy. Add the paste to the rice to give it flavor. Saleeg is typically served hot on big plates known as tabasi with rice on top of the roasted meat or chicken. It tastes great, but you may add some salata hara like I did to give it a little tang.

Saleeg is prepared with a mix of Egyptian and American rice, unlike many Saudi rice recipes that use long-crop or basmati. Shortgrain rice cooks quickly and becomes creamy. I’ve prepared saleeg a couple

of times using Egyptian and Calrose rice, but we liked it when I used Jeerakashala, a South Indian short grain aromatic rice. Therefore, any type of glutenous rice should work.

How to store and reheat?

Any more can be stored in a closed jar in the refrigerator. Reheat leftover saleeg by adding extra water or milk and heating it over low heat until thoroughly heated. If you don’t have any leftovers from the main dish, you can serve it with any other roast chicken or beef.

INGREDIENTS

For the Chicken Stock

• 1 kg chicken whole legs  4 to 5 whole legs
• ▢8 cups water
• ▢3 green cardamom
• ▢3 cloves
• ▢1 inch cinnamon stick
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• ▢1 small piece galangal root (optional)
• ▢1 small piece black stone flower black stone flower (optional)
• ▢1 medium onion peeled and quartered
• ▢salt to taste

For the Rice

• 6 cups chicken stock
• ▢2 cups hot water
• ▢2 mastic beads crushed (optional)
• ▢2 cups short-grain rice rinsed and
• ▢1 cup full-fat milk
• ▢2 tablespoons ghee or butter

To roast the boiled chicken 

• 2 tablespoons ghee or butter
• ▢1 tablespoon Arabic spice mix  (bezar or baharat, etc.)

Add enough water onions and all the spices to a stockpot with the chicken pieces.

Six cups of chicken stock one kilogram of entire chicken legs eight cups of water, three green cardamom three cloves one inch of cinnamon stick 1/2 teaspoon of black peppercorns one small piece of galangal root one medium onion, and one little piece of black stone flower

Bring the water to a rolling boil, then skim te froth the top and throw it away until the stock is clear.

After lowering the heat to medium, simmer the chicken for half an hour or until it is cooked through.

Using a pair of tongs, remove the chicken pieces and set them in a skillet.

To remove the entire onion and spices, strain the stock. You can strain it into a bowl and then return it to the same pot, or you can strain it into another pot where you plan to cook the saleeg.

Prepare the rice

Add the rice, hot water, crushed Mastic Tea, chicken stock, and salt to taste in the same pan.

Two cups of boiling water two cups of chicken stock two cups of short-grain rice and two mastic beads

Break it open, add in the butter and milk, and stir thoroughly.

Add salt to taste.

Cook until the rice is thick and creamy rather than sticky and dry. Add extra hot milk and whisk again if it seems dry. For added creaminess, you can add some cream cheese.

Roast the Chicken

Either preheat the oven or use a cooktop to roast the chicken. Any Arabic seasoning can be combined with butter and applied to the cooked chicken before roasting it until it turns golden.

Two tablespoons of butter or ghee and one tablespoon of Arabic spice mix

Serve Saleeg

On a wide plate, pour the prepared salad smooth the top, and place the roasted chicken in the middle. Serve with Salata hara and some salad.

Do you want further advice or have a question? Kindly review the information above the recipe card. If frequently offers insightful justifications, advice, and suggestions to improve your cuisine.

Nutrition

Calories: 605kcal

Carbohydrates:64g

Protein: 26g

Fat: 25g