I’ve always enjoyed when learning how to prepare traditional dishes from my lovely Mother-in-Law, Mama Moudy, the history behind these dishes. So for this post it is my pleasure to share some more Mama Moudy history and a tasty recipe for the traditional Saudi dish called Seleek.
Seleek, like many of the traditional Saudi main courses, is basically a chicken and rice dish. However the way it is prepared makes it unique and very tasty. Seleek originated in the Hijaz region of Saudi Arabia and specifically, Makkah. It was very typical in older times to serve seleek as the traditional dish at wedding parties. Now bear in mind, most Saudi wedding parties would have several hundred guests and in the older times the family would choose to prepare the food themselves. As a result, Seleek would be prepared in a gigantic old cast iron pot with large handles on each side. The pot was so large that two adults could easily fit inside the pot! The huge pot was brought to Makkah from India and found to be the most ideal container when preparing such large quantities of seleek.
Naturally the wedding parties in Makkah would have extended family from all over the Kingdom coming to enjoy the festivities and give their best wishes. They would eat the seleek that was prepared and the memory of how much they enjoyed the dish stayed with them on their return back to Nej’d or the Eastern Province or elsewhere in the Kingdom. Therefore, when they knew that Makkah relatives would in turn be coming to visit them, the Makkah relatives would be besieged by requests to please fix that delectable chicken and rice dish for them. Eventually the recipe for seleek got passed around frequently enough that it is now enjoyed widely by many throughout the Kingdom. It is most popular now during the winter season since seleek is one of the Saudi dishes that will “stick to your ribs” and keep you warm.
And now, with Mama Moudy’s blessing, I am sharing the recipe with you on how to make seleek.
Ingredients:
Whole chicken cut up
Egyptian Rice
Milk
Butter
Salt
Pepper
2 Tomatos
Lemon juice
First of all cut each tomato in half. Using a hand held grater, rub each half of the tomato over the grater so the juices and small pieces of the grated tomato will fall into a small bowl. Add a tablespoon of fresh lemon (or lime) juice. Salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
To begin the seleek, first put the chicken pieces into a large pot and cover with water. Add salt and pepper to taste. Boil chicken pieces until cooked and tender.
Remove chicken pieces from pot and place on baking dish. Put dish with chicken in warm oven set to lowest heat.
Take 2 cups of Egyptian rice which has been soaking in water. Drain the rice and then pour it into the pot which is still filled with the chicken water. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Bring the rice to a boil stirring often. The rice will begin to thicken. As the rice thickens heat 2 – 3 cups of milk in a small pan. Also set the oven to broil so the boiled chicken will have a crunchy and appetizing outer coat.
Now pour the hot milk into the pot with the rice. The rice will thicken even more and will become similar in texture to “sticky rice.” Stir frequently during this process and add 2 tablespoons butter. When a wooden spoon will stand up by itself, the rice is done.
Arrange rice on a platter with the broiled chicken atop. Add some of the tomato mixture atop of the seleek and chicken before eating.
Filed under: Food, Saudi Arabia, Saudi Living, Saudi culture, Saudi customs, culture, gender, travel | Tagged: culture, culture shock, customs, Food, heritage, KSA, marriage, Saudi, Saudi Arabia, Saudi culture, Saudi customs, travel
This is one of my favourite Arabic dishes. My wife makes it awesome and it is also something the boys love. Kids in general love it.
My wife makes a very spicy “Salata” that goes on top, with cilantro, tomatoes, jalapeno pepers and some other items.
It can also be made with beef or lamb, but chicken tastes the best.
Manal also uses “masteka” at the begining, along with some other spices, that adds a bit more to the normal version.
I recommend everyone try it!
One of the things I really enjoy here is the food. This food is wonderful! Thank you for sharing. And, thank
Mama Moudy as well.
Dear Bedu,
You made me feel hungry and I am missing my mum’s dishes.
please write about the two saudi girls who were killed by their brother for ” crime of honor” last week in Riyadh. try to discuss the topic from historical social point of view, and the role of the religious police in this crime and the silence of officials especially religious people who did not condemn this crime.
salam
This is one of my favorites as well. It is also almost mandatory in some households to sprinkle some melted ghee on top of the rice. Me and my siblings have developed a strange taste for Seleek with ketchup!
It is still served in weddings and other celebrations although lamb is almost always used instead of chicken.
No pictures of the finished meal? I think my one of my sisters-in-law (whose family is Saudi) makes this sometimes. It’s sort of like mashed rice?
The recipe sounds lovely, and I love all Mama Moudi stories!
I’m going to the market now, get the ingredients and make it tonight.
A little correction… since it is from Makkah, and the Makkah/Jeddah/Madinah region.. you should use the word Saleeq, not Seleek… just my 2cents, plus back in the old days… all work was in Makkah, so the story of relatives coming to Makkah for ceremonies… not 100%, unless the old days are only 30-40 years old, but its ok… I usually say “when I was younger” to mean something like last week or a few days ago
What is Egyptian rice please? Is it similar to Italian arborio rice used to make risotto?
I’m enjoying all the comments and sure hope Aafke will share a photo of her seleek with us. (I tend to spell seleek the way I do as that seems the closest way phonetically to the arabic pronunciation).
If you go to a middle east grocery store, ask there for Egyptian rice. In my personal view, I like the way with the addition of the milk the way the rice gets thick and almost similar to Thai sticky rice.
Abu Sinan – I want to sample Manal’s seleek when we are next in the WDC area!
Wendy–both Arborio and Egyptian rice are specific types of medium grain rice. Since saliq/saleeq/selek/seleek is essentially a savoury rice pudding or porridge made with broth, water, and milk, a medium grain (or short grain) rice that becomes “mushy” well is best. What meat you serve on top the saliq varies: chicken, lamb, beef; as do condiments, such as those mentionned above or parsley (yes!).
Saudi Jawa–ghee yes
. KETCHUP? or the more graphic spelling CATSUP? :S
Qusay–I like your definition of “when I was younger”. Mine of the “olden days” is before my nephew was born ie >10 yrs. So in the old “old days” would relatives not working in Makkah be coming from rural occupations or other towns in the region?
The alternate spellings (probably reflecting local dialectal variations and the vagaries of transliteration) are good for finding recipes and pictures. Thanks!
@Carol,
Insha’Allah!
Jasmine rice is what we use. It has the sticky thing going on too.
In my experience Arborio rice should be a decent replacement for Egyptian rice. I’ve always though of seleek (or saleek, whatever) as being a Saudi version of risotto
Saudi jawa, you have a point, certainly the preparing of the rice is simular. Although I can get all kinds of rice here, basmati or jasmin being my favorites, I am not allowed plain rice anymore, I have to eat brown or wild rice, I had brought a new kind and I found it very difficult to get right, I’m going to try again tonight!
The difference in rice preparation technique between saliq and risotto would be that saliq is prepared with pre-soaked rice in a quantity of broth or water, and then a quantity of milk is added with alot of stirring during both times.
Risotto is not pre-soaked, but pre-heated in a sofritto (mix of oil and onion or shallot), as is paella, and then sometimes wine is added, but always stock, and always one ladle full at a time, until each ladle full is almost fully absorbed, and stirring constantly.
I was lucky enough to have a Milanese mamma teach me how to do this, and it makes a huge difference. My own mamma hates risotto, and her family made it the marchegianna way, almost like pasta preparation (single quantity of water) and served with tomato sauce. Risotto alla milanese with osso bucco is much better!
Now I just need a madre valenciana to perfect my paella making! LOL
Aafke–you probably know that both brown and “wild rice” (really a grass like wheat) require alot higher water to rice ratio. Good luck!