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Middle Eastern & North African · Lunch · Dinner

Saloona (Gulf Spiced Chicken and Vegetable Stew)

Name: Saloona (Gulf Spiced Chicken and Vegetable Stew)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 70 min
Cuisine: Middle Eastern & North African
Ingredients: 600 g (about 6 thighs) Boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into chunks; 1 tbsp Olive oil; 1 large Onion, finely chopped; 4 cloves Garlic, minced; 1 tbsp Fresh ginger, grated; 1 tsp Ground cumin; 1 tsp Ground coriander; 1/2 tsp Ground turmeric; 1/2 tsp Ground cardamom; 1/2 tsp Ground black pepper; 2 tbsp Tomato paste; 3 medium Tomatoes, chopped; 2 whole Dried limes (loomi), pierced; 2 medium Potatoes, peeled and cubed; 2 medium Carrots, sliced into rounds; 1 medium Courgette (zucchini), cut into chunks; 1 tsp Salt; 3 cups Water for the stew; 1 cup Brown basmati rice, rinsed; 2 cups Water for the rice; 1/4 cup Fresh coriander (cilantro), chopped

صالونة

By BerryFit Kitchen · Nutrition checked with USDA data · Updated Oct 20, 2026 · How we make recipes

A comforting Gulf-style stew of tender chicken, potatoes, carrots and courgette simmered in a tomato broth fragrant with warm spices and tangy dried lime. Served over nutty brown basmati rice for a hearty, wholesome dinner.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 50 min
Total: 70 min
Serves: 4

Easy
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
High protein

26%

Per serving513kcal26% of a 2,000 kcal day

38gProtein

65gCarbs

12gFat

8gFiber

Calories come from: Carbs 50% · Fat 21% · Protein 29%

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Ingredients

For 4 servings

600 g (about 6 thighs)Boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into chunks
1 tbsp14 gOlive oil
1 large150 gOnion, finely chopped
4 cloves12 gGarlic, minced
1 tbsp6 gFresh ginger, grated
1 tspGround cumin
1 tspGround coriander
1/2 tspGround turmeric
1/2 tspGround cardamom
1/2 tspGround black pepper
2 tbsp32 gTomato paste
3 medium360 gTomatoes, chopped
2 whole8 gDried limes (loomi), pierced
2 medium300 gPotatoes, peeled and cubed
2 medium120 gCarrots, sliced into rounds
1 medium200 gCourgette (zucchini), cut into chunks
1 tsp6 gSalt
3 cups720 gWater for the stew
1 cup185 gBrown basmati rice, rinsed
2 cups480 gWater for the rice
1/4 cupFresh coriander (cilantro), chopped (optional)

Steps

1
Put the rinsed rice and 2 cups of water in a small pot, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low for about 40 minutes until tender; rest off the heat, covered.
2
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat.
3
Add the onion and cook for 6-7 minutes, stirring, until soft and golden.
4
Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
5
Add the cumin, coriander, turmeric, cardamom and black pepper and stir for 30 seconds.
6
Add the chicken pieces and turn them in the spices for 3-4 minutes until lightly browned on all sides.
7
Stir in the tomato paste and chopped tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes until the tomatoes start to break down.
8
Add the pierced dried limes, potatoes, carrots, salt and 3 cups of water, then bring to a boil.
9
Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
10
Add the courgette and simmer uncovered for 10 more minutes until all the vegetables are tender and the chicken reaches 74 °C / 165 °F inside.
11
Taste and adjust the salt, then remove the dried limes if you prefer a milder sourness.
12
Fluff the rice with a fork and serve the saloona ladled over it, topped with fresh coriander if using.

Swaps, storage and make-ahead

Swaps

Swap the chicken thighs for a 400 g tin of drained chickpeas, added with the potatoes, to make the stew vegan.
Use chicken breast instead of thighs for a leaner stew, adding it a little later so it doesn't dry out.
If you can't find dried limes, stir in the juice and grated zest of one fresh lime at the end for a similar tangy note.
Replace the brown basmati with white basmati and cut the rice cooking time to about 12-15 minutes with 1.5 cups of water.

Storage

Refrigerate the stew within 2 hours in an airtight container and eat within 3 to 4 days, reheating until steaming hot. Cool leftover rice quickly, refrigerate it separately within 1 hour, eat within 24 hours and reheat only once until steaming hot. The stew freezes for up to 3 months, though the potatoes may soften. Cooked rice can also be frozen promptly in portions.

Make ahead

Chop the onion, garlic, ginger and vegetables and mix the dry spices a day ahead, keeping the vegetables covered in the fridge. The whole stew can also be cooked a day in advance and reheated, as the flavours deepen overnight.

Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.

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Allergens and nutrition

No major allergens in the ingredients.

Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.

Full nutrition

	Per serving (800 g)	Per 100 g
Calories	513 kcal	64 kcal
Protein	37.5 g	4.7 g
Carbohydrates	64.7 g	8.1 g
of which sugars	8.8 g	1.1 g
Fiber	7.5 g	0.9 g
Fat	12 g	1.5 g
of which saturated	2.6 g	0.3 g
Sodium	781 mg	98 mg

Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.