Qidreh
A festive Palestinian rice and lamb dish.
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Palestinian cuisine includes a dish called Qidreh, which combines rice and lamb and is frequently prepared for events such as weddings and feasts.[1] Toasted nuts are a typical topping for this dish, which is especially prevalent in Hebron, Gaza, and Jerusalem.[1]
How it changed
Traditional qidreh originating from Hebron is plain, with few spices.[2] Scholars disagree on Qidreh's exact beginnings, yet a majority of references point to Hebron as its place of origin.[3] The dish's historical timeline remains unclear, with some accounts linking its creation to the Ottoman Empire period.[3] Variations like the one from Gaza incorporate chickpeas, onions, whole garlic cloves, and a range of spices, unlike the plainer traditional version.[2]
In certain regional preparations, cooks often substitute or supplement the rice with freekeh.[4] Modern cooking methods for this dish include using a Dutch oven placed on a stove.[5] Unglazed clay pots are the traditional cooking vessel for Qidreh in Gaza.[5] A copper pot is the conventional container for preparing Qidreh in Hebron.[2]
What the maker and period sources say
A 2022 article by Scott describes Qidreh as a traditional dish from Hebron comprising meat cooked with chickpeas and rice.[6] Scott notes that what makes Qidreh unique is its flavorful and spicy broth with condiments like cumin, allspice, and turmeric.[6] Scott states that people traditionally prepare Qidreh in a large copper or brass pot and cook it in a communal wood-fired oven.[6] Scott adds that Palestinians love having Qidreh at social gatherings of friends and family.[6]
References
- Wikipedia, "Qidreh" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Qidreh (Palestinian Bone-In Lamb With Spiced Rice) Recipe", Serious Eats; El-Haddad, "The Gaza Kitchen"; ""القدرة" تنافس "المنسف" على موائد الخليل", Al Jazeera (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Qidreh" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: El-Haddad, "The Gaza Kitchen"; "الأكلات التراثية تتسيّد المائدة الفلسطينية في رمضان", The New Arab, 19 Apr 2023; "«القدرة» .. أكلة خليلية لا تُطبخ في المنازل", Raya news, 26 June 2015; "أقدم أفران الخليل يكشف سر"المدغمة": لا يوجد شيء يسمى بهارات القدرة", دنيا الوطن, 4 November 2017; Gaul, "Making Levantine Cuisine: Modern Foodways of the Eastern Mediterranean", University of Texas Press, 8 December 2021; "«القدرة» .. أكلة خليلية لا تُطبخ في المنازل", Raya news, 26 June 2015 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Qidreh" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: El-Haddad, "The Gaza Kitchen"; "Demand for qidra increases during Ramadan in Palestine", Arab News, 28 April 2022; ""القِدرة"... طبق الخليل الذي لا تقاوم لذته", The New Arab, 14 Jun 2019; Assil, "Lamb Qidreh Is the Arab Rice Dish That Will Steal the Show", Kitchn (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Qidreh" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "«القدرة» .. أكلة خليلية لا تُطبخ في المنازل", Raya news, 26 June 2015; "القدرة التلحمية محتفظة بنكهتها الفلسطينية في بيت لحم", An-Najah National University, 29 Mar 2019 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Qidreh" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Tamimi, "Falastin: A Cookbook", Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed, 16 June 2020; "Gaza's Qidreh Master at Work: Preserving Culture through Food (PHOTOS)", Palestine Chronicle, 6 July 2023; "A Palestinian kitchen full of memories", Mondoweiss, 16 September 2021; "«القدرة» .. أكلة خليلية لا تُطبخ في المنازل", Raya news, 26 June 2015 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Scott, "20 Palestinian Foods for a Rich Culinary Journey", L’Academie de Cuisine, 12 March 2022. facts only, no text reused. lacademie.com
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Qidreh (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Qidreh (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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