Fatta Ghazawiya

PALESTINE

Perfect for a group, the flavors of this dish are sure to please anyone!

SUBMITTED BY

Let’s talk about this Gazan dish called “Fatta Ghazawiya”. It can be made with lamb or chicken, but according to Yasmin, most people’s favorite is the chicken version.
 
Yasmin wanted to give some context to the dish just because it seems so simple, she said; “The best part about this recipe is making the spicy tangy condiment in what is called a “zibdiyya”. It’s like a clay bowl that’s effectively used as a mortar. We make salads and condiments in it in Gaza. I’ve been told you can’t find a zibdiyya anywhere else in the world. It’s something very special there!”
 
Fatta’s name comes from the Arabic verb “fitt” which kind of means to tear into pieces. Like a lot of Palestinian foods it’s based on avoiding food waste, so they’d use stale flatbread and soak it in chicken broth and then top it with some rice and chicken topped with fried almonds. It’s served with a green chilli  and lemon condiment on the side which is very necessary especially in a city like Gaza which is known for its love of chillies. 
 
Because it’s carb heavy, it’s popular in the winter months. Yasmin says, “I actually made this for my family recently and everyone loved it!” 

Watch the Video

Fatta Ghazawiya

Servings 6
Cook Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients
  

Chicken and broth

  • 1 Chicken Cut up, skin on
  • 2 Onions Medium cut into large chunks
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • 2 tsp ground cardamom
  • salt to taste
  • 1 tsp black peppercorns
  • 2-3 bay leaves
  • 10 cardamom pods lightly smashed

Rice

  • 2.5 cups Rice Egyptian or Cal Rose
  • 2 tbsp ghee
  • 2 cups Boiling Water
  • 1 cup Strained Broth

Bread

  • 2-3 pieces Shraak or Saaj Bread pistachios/walnuts etc

Dagga

  • 3 cloves garlic strained of water
  • 2-3 green chillies
  • juice of a large lemon
  • 1-2 ladles of broth to taste

Instructions
 

  • Start by washing and soaking your rice in some water and setting it to the side while you make the chicken and broth.
  • I personally prefer to give my chicken a quick rinse and soak it in water, salt, lemon peel and a bit of lemon juice for 5-10 minutes to make sure that the broth comes out as clean as possible. This is optional as many people prefer not to wash chicken but I believe this creates a beautiful clear broth.
  • Once chicken is prepped to your satisfaction add the diced onions, salt, ground black pepper and cardamom to a large bowl and mix them and let the chicken marinate for at least an hour. I think the flavour sticks to the chicken a lot better this way once the hot water is added. 
  • After the chicken has marinated, add it to a large stock pot and pour in enough boiling water to cover the chicken by around 2 inches. Bring this up to a boil and skim off any foam or scum that rises to the top. Then you can add the whole spices (cardamom pods, peppercorns and bay leaves) and lower the heat and let it cook until the chicken is tender. Make sure to not boil the broth or it won’t be clear.
  • Once it’s ready check for salt in the broth the strain it and take out the chicken to either be baked/broiled/pan fried. I like to sprinkle a tiny dusting of the spices on top again before doing this. I typically pan fry the chicken until crispy to prevent the chicken from going dry in the oven. 
  • While the chicken is boiling, make the dagga/condiment. Place all the garlic and slices green chillies in a mortar and add some salt to help break it down with the pestle. Once it becomes a smooth paste add in your lemon juice and follow it up with some of the broth and set it aside.
  • You can make the rice with boiling water only or with stock as I’ve mentioned in the recipe above. Sauté soaked and drained rice in the ghee and/or oil from the almonds for a few minutes without changing the colour. Add in the boiling water and stock plus salt to taste. Once the liquid is at a rolling boil lower the heat down to the lowest and put the lid on and allow to cook for 10-15 minutes. Once done let it sit and steam until you’re ready to serve.
  • Finally it’s time to assemble! We are big on sharing culture so grab a large serving platter. Tear up the shraak bread into large pieces and spread all over the serving platter. You should have no gaps between the bread and overlap is okay. Then soak the bread generously with broth until it completely softens. You can also add a few spoonfuls or the dagga to soak the bread as well.
  • Then top the bread with as much rice as you’d like. Top it with the crispy chicken and fried nuts and serve the dagga/condiment on the side and enjoy!
Course: Dinner
Region: Asia
Keyword: Comfort food, Party Food

SHARE THE LOVE

You May Also Like