🍚 Mathlootha
Mathlootha is a generous Najdi platter that brings three dishes together: spiced rice, creamy cracked-wheat jareesh and qursan, thin wheat bread cooked in a vegetable stew. The three are arranged side by side and crowned with tender lamb cooked with onion, tomato and baharat. It is served for family gatherings and guests.
Diets
Allergens
Contains (in a typical recipe):
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 kg lamb on the bone
- 300 g basmati rice
- 200 g jareesh (cracked wheat)
- 4 qursan breads (about 200 g), torn
- 2 onions, chopped
- 3 tomatoes, chopped
- 1 tbsp baharat
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
Method
- Fry onions in oil, add the lamb and baharat, cover with water and simmer 1½ hours; reserve the broth.
- Cook the jareesh in part of the broth, stirring, until soft and porridge-like, about 45 minutes.
- Cook the rice in broth with half the tomatoes until fluffy.
- Simmer the remaining tomatoes in broth, add the torn qursan and cook until soft.
- Arrange rice, jareesh and qursan side by side on a platter and top with the lamb.
How to make it lighter
- Take a small spoon of each of the three bases rather than a full portion of each.
- Trim lamb fat and skim the broth before cooking the grains.
- Add a large salad to balance the starchy plate.
History
Mathlootha, whose name refers to the three parts of the dish, is associated with the Najd region of central Saudi Arabia, where jareesh and qursan are traditional staples. It is especially served at large family meals and celebrations.
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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →