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Tbit
Tbit (תבית): Iraqi-Jewish overnight Shabbat chicken and rice with cardamom and tomato
Tbit was the Saturday lunch of the Baghdadi Jewish community, set on a low flame before sunset on Friday so it could cook through the Sabbath without anyone touching it, and Iraqi families in Ramat Gan, Givatayim and Or Yehuda still lift the lid on it after synagogue. A whole chicken is stuffed with rice spiced with cardamom, cinnamon and baharat, then sunk in more rice and tomato and baked slowly for many hours, until the meat falls from the bone and the rice at the bottom turns into a crisp, caramelised crust everyone fights over. Eggs in their shells are often buried in the pot to brown overnight. The usual mistake is too little water: overnight rice soaks up a lot, so check the level before it goes in. Chef's tip: brown the chicken in the pot first; the fond flavours all the rice.
- Total time
- 720 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 3 ½ lb whole chicken
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onionfinely chopped
For the rice
- 1 ⅓ lb basmati ricerinsed and soaked 20 minutes
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tomatoesgrated
- 1 ½ tsp ground cardamom
- 2 tsp baharat
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 ½ tsp salt
- 5 cups water
- 6 eggs in their shells (optional)washed
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Pat 3 ½ lb whole chicken dry. Heat 4 tbsp vegetable oil in a large ovenproof casserole over a medium-high heat and brown the chicken on all sides until golden, about 12 minutes. Lift it out.
12 minStep 2: Lower the heat, add 1 onion and cook until soft, 5 minutes. Stir in 3 tbsp tomato paste, 2 tomatoes, 1 ½ tsp ground cardamom, 2 tsp baharat, ½ tsp ground cinnamon and 2 ½ tsp salt and cook for 2 minutes.
7 minStep 3: Drain 1 ⅓ lb basmati rice and stir it into the pot to coat. Spoon about a third of the rice into the chicken's cavity, packing it loosely, and close the opening with a cocktail stick.
Step 4: Put the chicken back in the pot breast up and spread the rest of the rice around it. Pour in 5 cups water: it should come about 2 cm above the rice. Bury 6 eggs in their shells in the rice if using.
Step 5: Bring to a simmer on the hob, cover tightly with foil and the lid and simmer for 20 minutes.
20 minStep 6: Heat the oven to 225°F and move the pot in. Cook overnight, 10–11 hours. Before you go to bed, check the rice is moist; add 150 ml boiling water down the side if it looks dry.
660 minStep 7: In the morning, check the chicken: the thickest part of the thigh and the rice stuffing should both read at least 165°F, and the leg should pull away easily. The rice on the bottom will have formed a brown crust.
Step 8: Lift out the chicken, spoon the soft rice onto a platter, then scrape up the crisp crust and lay it on top. Serve the chicken and peeled eggs with it.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 720 kcal
- Protein
- 45 g
- Carbs
- 82 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tbit take?
- About 720 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 690 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of basmati rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
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