During one of those days in Ramadan, I came across a video by @cheffjjskitchen on Instagram. It was of a really wonderful looking Palestinian chicken soup/stew, called batata ala adamha. Chef Moosa mentioned that this was a Palestinian dish, but from the comments it seems like a dish quite popular throughout the Middle East.
Looking at the method of browning the chicken and potatoes before adding to the soup, I could totally imagine the layers of flavor built into this dish. I decided to give it a shot, bearing in mind Mummy’s dietary restrictions (and my own health as well). As much as possible I wanted to just utilize the natural fat from the chicken instead of searing it in ghee. So I chose to crisp the chicken starting from a cold pan, and heating it up slowly over medium heat. This method theoretically was supposed to render the fat out of the skin, and I wanted to use that same fat for sauteeing the garlic and cilantro at the end. Heck, if I had enough fat, I wanted to use some of it for air-frying the potatoes.
My first attempt, while resulted in nicely browned chicken, barely yielded any rendered fat. I then tried air-frying the chicken on my second attempt, and got more evenly browned chicken, more rendered fat, and yummy chicken juices that went straight back into the soup pot. I had homemade shmaltz on hand, so I used that for air-frying my potatoes. The downside of air-frying both the chicken and the potatoes was it did extend my prep time, as I only had one air fryer and couldn’t prep both at the same time.
One note about the vermicelli in this recipe. We’re looking for the short kind made of wheat, not the long vermicelli you see in the pasta section, and definitely NOT rice vermicelli or beehoon. I had to order mine online in KL, but I’m sure it would be available in Middle Eastern grocers.
I really, really love this dish. The rice has a wonderful nutty flavor to it, from the toasted vermicelli. It’s a little fancier than regular plain white rice, but not too indulgent. The soup is refreshing and comforting, and the tangy lemon flavor makes you wanna completely clean your bowl down to the very last drop. Do give it a try!
Jump to RecipeStep by Step
Pat dry the chicken. Season both sides with salt.
Arrange skin-down in a large pan or pot. Turn on the stove at medium heat. Cook undisturbed, until skin is golden and no longer sticks to the pan, 15 to 20 minutes.
Flip the chicken and continue to cook, undisturbed, another 5 to 10 minutes.
Alternatively, use and air fryer. Arrange skin-down in your air fryer basket. Air fry at 205 degrees C, 20 minutes. Flip and continue cooking, another 10 minutes. Remove chicken from the basket and set aside. Drain and reserve all the fat and juices from the pan.
Prepare the potatoes. Thoroughly pat dry the potatoes, and drizzle with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the reserved chicken fat or olive oil.
Arrange in your air fryer basket in a single layer. Air fry at 205 degrees C, 18 to 20 minutes, shaking the basket midway through. Note that you can cook these potatoes any way you like, e.g. deep frying, boiling, roasting, etc. Frying brings out the best flavor, but I’m choosing to air-fry for a healthier version.
While the potatoes are frying, make the rice. In a large skillet or pot over medium high heat, heat 1 to 2 tablespoons of the reserved chicken fat or olive oil.
Add the vermicelli and cook, stirring, until lightly toasted and golden, 1 to 2 minutes.
Remove from heat. Add the rice and stir to combine.
Add the raisins, if using.
Transfer the mixture to your rice cooker pot, if using. Add the water, salt, and cinnamon stick, and stir to combine. Cook using your rice cooker, until done. If not using a rice cooker, bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover and cook, undisturbed, until all the liquid has been absorbed, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest, 10 minutes. After the rice has rested, fluff with a fork.
While the rice is cooking, make the soup. In a large pot, heat 1 to 2 tablespoons of chicken fat or olive oil. Add the chicken pieces, 1 teaspoon salt, ground black pepper, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, and bay leaves and cook, stirring, until spices are fragrant, 30 seconds.
Then, add the onions, and cover with the water.
Add the chicken stock cube, and stir to combine.
Add the potatoes.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer, covered, until chicken is fall-off-the-bone tender, 30 minutes.
Take out a few chunks of potatoes, smash them with the back of your wooden spoon against the side of the pot. This is to thicken the soup.
Add the lemon juice.
In a small skillet, heat the reserved chicken fat. Sautee the garlic and cilantro until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Pour the garlic and cilantro mixture to the pot, and stir to combine.
Serve with the rice.
Palestinian Chicken Soup (Batata ‘ala Adamha)
Ingredients
For the soup
- 1 kilogram bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs trimmed
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more for seasoning chicken
- 4 potatoes cut into chunks
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 7 cardamom pods
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 1 red onion roughly chopped
- 6 cups water
- 1 chicken stock cube
- ¼ cup lemon juice from 1 to 2 lemons
- 1 head garlic minced
- 1 bunch cilantro chopped
For the rice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup vermicelli about 100 grams
- 2 cups long grain basmathi rice
- 4 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick cinnamon
- ½ cup golden raisins optional
Instructions
- Pat dry the chicken. Season both sides with salt.
- Arrange skin-down in a large pan or pot. Turn on the stove at medium heat. Cook undisturbed, until skin is golden and no longer sticks to the pan, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Flip the chicken and continue to cook, undisturbed, another 5 to 10 minutes.
- Alternatively, use and air fryer. Arrange skin-down in your air fryer basket. Air fry at 205 degrees C, 20 minutes. Flip and continue cooking, another 10 minutes. Remove chicken from the basket and set aside. Drain and reserve all the fat and juices from the pan.
- Prepare the potatoes. Thoroughly pat dry the potatoes, and drizzle with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the reserved chicken fat or olive oil.
- Arrange in your air fryer basket in a single layer. Air fry at 205 degrees C, 18 to 20 minutes, shaking the basket midway through.
- While the potatoes are frying, make the rice. In a large skillet or pot over medium high heat, heat 1 to 2 tablespoons of the reserved chicken fat or olive oil.
- Add the vermicelli and cook, stirring, until lightly toasted and golden, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the rice and stir to combine.
- Add the raisins, if using.
- Transfer the mixture to your rice cooker pot, if using. Add the water, salt, and cinnamon stick, and stir to combine. Cook using your rice cooker, until done. If not using a rice cooker, bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover and cook, undisturbed, until all the liquid has been absorbed, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest, 10 minutes. After the rice has rested, fluff with a fork.
- While the rice is cooking, make the soup. In a large pot, heat 1 to 2 tablespoons of chicken fat or olive oil. Add the chicken pieces, 1 teaspoon salt, ground black pepper, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, and bay leaves and cook, stirring, until spices are fragrant, 30 seconds.
- Add the onions, and cover with the water.
- Add the chicken stock cube, and stir to combine.
- Add the potatoes.
- Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer, covered, until chicken is fall-off-the-bone tender, 30 minutes.
- Take out a few chunks of potatoes, smash them with the back of your wooden spoon against the side of the pot. This is to thicken the soup.
- Add the lemon juice.
- In a small skillet, heat the reserved chicken fat. Sautee the garlic and cilantro until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Pour the garlic and cilantro mixture to the pot, and stir to combine.
- Serve with the rice.
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