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Palestinian · Levantine

Qidreh

Non-vegetarian

قدرة · qidreh

Lamb, rice and chickpeas cooked together in a tall pot with whole garlic heads, turmeric and warm spices, then slow-baked until fragrant. A festive dish of Hebron, traditionally sent to the town's bakery ovens in a copper or clay pot.

Qidreh is a Palestinian rice dish from Palestine, ready in about 2 hours 55 minutes and made with lamb shoulder, basmati rice and chickpeas. It serves 6 and is rated intermediate to cook.

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Prep
20 min
Cook
2 h 25 min
Rest
10 min
Total
2 h 55 min
Serves
6
Level
Intermediate
Calories
783

Ingredients

6 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Simmer the lamb in the water with the onion (opens in a new tab), cardamom (opens in a new tab), bay leaves (opens in a new tab) and 1 tsp salt, skimming at the start, until tender.

    Food safety: Wash hands after handling raw lamb.

  2. Step 2

    Strain the broth and measure 800 ml. In an ovenproof pot, toss the drained rice with the ghee (opens in a new tab), turmeric (opens in a new tab), cumin (opens in a new tab), allspice (opens in a new tab), pepper (opens in a new tab) and remaining salt.

    Liquid being strained through a sieve
    How it looks · Photo: Katerina Holmes on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Fold in the chickpeas (opens in a new tab), nestle in the garlic (opens in a new tab) heads and lamb, pour over the measured broth (with saffron (opens in a new tab) if using) and bring to the boil.

    • 5 min
    • high heat

  4. Step 4

    Cover tightly and bake until the rice is tender and has absorbed the broth. Rest for 10 minutes, then turn out or serve from the pot.

About this dish

Origin
Hebron (al-Khalil), Palestine · Commonly attributedAssociated with Hebron; also made in Gaza and Jordan.Also popular in JordanMore food from Palestine
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Rice dishes · Main courses
Cooking method
Simmered, Oven-baked, Slow-cooked
Taste
aromatic / warmly spiced, garlicky, savoury
Diet
No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-protein
With the listed swaps: Dairy-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Festive & celebration
Cook more with
Lamb shoulder · Basmati rice · Chickpeas · Onion · Cardamom · Bay leaves
Techniques
Baking · Boiling · Simmering

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Milkfrom ghee

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

783 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 540 g · recipe makes 6

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 16%
  • Carbohydrate 39%
  • Fat 45%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy783 kcal145 kcal
Protein31 g5.7 g
Carbohydrate76.4 g14.1 g
Net carbohydrate72 g13.3 g
Sugars2.6 g0.5 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre4.5 g0.8 g
Fat39 g7.2 g
Saturated fat17.6 g3.3 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol97 mg18 mg
Sodium974 mg180 mg
Salt equivalent2.4 g0.5 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
591 mg
Calcium
115 mg
Iron
5.9 mg
Magnesium
66 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
76 µg
Vitamin C
6 mg
Vitamin D
0.3 µg
Vitamin B12
2.5 µg
Folate (DFE)
—

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: saffron.
  • Basmati rice: Generic long-grain white rice (FDC 168877); basmati has very similar composition.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Taste the broth before measuring it in: it should be well seasoned, since the rice takes its salt from it.

Common mistakes

  • Lifting the lid during baking lets the steam out and leaves the top layer of rice hard.

Serve with

  • Serve with yogurt and a cucumber and tomato salad; squeeze the soft garlic over the rice.

Food safety

  • Cool cooked rice quickly and reheat only once.

Storage

  • Refrigerate within 1 hour; keeps 2 days.

Reheating

  • Reheat covered with a splash of water until piping hot.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2, 3

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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