Qidreh

Qidreh (Arabic: قدرة) is a rice and lamb dish in Palestinian cuisine, it is commonly served in social gatherings like weddings and feasts, the dish is most common in the cities of Hebron, Gaza, and Jerusalem, it is usually topped with toasted nuts. Chickpeas and whole garlic cloves may also be incorporated into the rice.^[1] The dish is traditionally prepared in clay ovens on coals, but regular ovens may also be used, the lamb may also be swapped out for chicken.^[2][3]

The origins of the dish are not agreed upon, but most sources state it originates from the city of Hebron. Different sources attribute it to different Palestinian families, the time period is also uncertain and sometimes traced back to the time of the Ottoman Empire.^[2][4][5][6]

Qidra (Arabic: قِدرَة, romanized: qidrah) means "pot" or sometimes specifically "clay vessel", the dish is named after the clay pots it is cooked in.^[7][2]

The name is sometimes pronounced or written down as Idreh in the English script.^[8][9] Levantine Arabic speakers may sometimes pronounce q (qaf) as a glottal stop.^[10]

The meat and rice are cooked in the same pot together, at the same time, clarified butter is added to the mix. Ingredients may vary between cities, for example, some cities tend to add extra ingredients to the rice like chickpeas, onions, whole garlic cloves, and different spices. The meat is traditionally lamb meat, but different meats can be used.^[11][2]

Traditionally, the dish is cooked in unglazed clay pots, the pots are prepared at home and then taken to a wood or coal fired communal oven, where the owner of oven takes care of the cooking, each clay pot gets marked with a name so that different pots are not mixed up. A Dutch oven on a stove can be used in place of traditional cooking means.^[11][12]

The dish is typically served with thick yogurt and Arab salad.^[6][2]

Qidra is a festive dish, as such, it is usually made in large quantities, and is often served during ceremonies like weddings and birth ceremonies (aqiqah), especially on Fridays and during the month of Ramadan, as well as during Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.^{[2][4][13][6][3]}

Palestinian Christians commonly consume the dish on Christmas.^[14]

• Qidreh with lamb meat
• Qidreh with chickpeas

• Maqluba
• Mansaf
• Kabsa
• Mandi
• Quzi
• Biryani