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Emirati · Gulf Arab

Thareed

Non-vegetarian

ثريد · thareed

A gently spiced chicken and vegetable stew with dried lime, ladled over layers of thin bread so it soaks up the broth. A Ramadan favourite across the Gulf, especially in the Emirates.

Thareed is an Emirati stew from United Arab Emirates, ready in about 1 hour 20 minutes and made with chicken pieces, skin-on and flour tortilla. It serves 6 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep
20 min
Cook
1 h
Total
1 h 20 min
Serves
6
Level
Easy
Calories
600

Ingredients

6 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oil and soften the onions (opens in a new tab). Add the garlic (opens in a new tab), then the chicken and spices and turn until coated.

    Food safety: Wash hands and boards after handling raw chicken.

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Add the dried limes (opens in a new tab), tomatoes (opens in a new tab) and tomato paste (opens in a new tab) and cook for 3 minutes, then pour in the water. Bring to the boil, skim and simmer, covered.

    • 20 min
    • medium-low heat
    A sauce simmering in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Nanda Mends on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Add the potatoes (opens in a new tab), carrots (opens in a new tab), zucchini (opens in a new tab), pumpkin (opens in a new tab) and salt and simmer until all the vegetables are tender and the chicken is cooked through.

    • 30 min
    • medium-low heat

    Food safety: Chicken must be cooked through, with no pink at the bone.

  4. Step 4

    Tear the bread and layer it in a deep platter. Ladle over plenty of broth and let it soak for a minute, then top with the chicken and vegetables.

    • 3 min

About this dish

Origin
United Arab Emirates · Commonly attributedBread-soaked stews called thareed are old across Arabia; this spiced Gulf style is strongly associated with the UAE and Qatar.Also popular in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, OmanMore food from United Arab Emirates
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Stews & braises · Main courses
Cooking method
Stewed, Simmered
Taste
savoury, aromatic / warmly spiced, sour, mild
Diet
Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-protein
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
One-pot · Uses leftovers
Cook more with
Chicken pieces, skin-on · Flour tortilla · Onion · Garlic · Cumin · Ground coriander
Techniques
Boiling · Simmering · Stewing

Allergens

  • Contains: Wheatfrom flour tortilla
  • Contains: Glutenfrom flour tortilla

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

600 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 650 g · recipe makes 6

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 25%
  • Carbohydrate 26%
  • Fat 49%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy600 kcal92 kcal
Protein37.1 g5.7 g
Carbohydrate39.8 g6.1 g
Net carbohydrate34.3 g5.3 g
Sugars7.6 g1.2 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre5.5 g0.8 g
Fat32.6 g5 g
Saturated fat8.5 g1.3 g
Trans fat0.2 g0 g
Cholesterol125 mg19 mg
Sodium1146 mg176 mg
Salt equivalent2.9 g0.4 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
1138 mg
Calcium
143 mg
Iron
4.5 mg
Magnesium
86 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
435 µg
Vitamin C
38 mg
Vitamin D
0.3 µg
Vitamin B12
0.5 µg
Folate (DFE)
97 µg

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.
  • Dried lime (loomi): Raw lemon peel used as a stand-in; dried limes are dehydrated whole limes and are used in small amounts for flavour.
  • “—” 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

  • Add the bread just before serving so it is soft but not completely dissolved.

Common mistakes

  • Leaving the dried limes in too long after the stew is done can make the broth bitter; remove them before serving.

Serve with

  • Serve at iftar with dates, laban and salad.

Storage

  • Store the stew without the bread for up to 3 days in the fridge.

Reheating

  • Reheat the stew until simmering and pour over fresh bread.

Variations

  • Lamb thareed: Use bone-in lamb and simmer for 1½ hours before adding the vegetables.

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, 4

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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