Easy and Simple Musakhan Recipe

One of my favorite Mediterranean dishes is called musakhan, Palestinian cuisine. My mother in law is Palestinian and, she and her sisters makes amazing musakhan! And because everyone in the family knows I love eating musakhan, we eat this dish quite often (that's just the way it goes). And it seems like everyone has their touch and style of making this dish.

If you are not familiar or know what musakhan is, the term "musakhan" literally means "something that is heated." And if you are someone who loves to eat with your hand, you are in luck! Musakhan is a dish that should be eaten by your hands. This dish usually is presented with the chicken (thigh with a leg) on top of the bread, but I have seen variations. Some make it into wraps like enchiladas or tacos.

 For example, this is a taco style Musakhan.

Traditional musakhan style:

Spices you will need for this dish:

Sumac:

A spice that has a lovely, nearly purple color, and a tart flavor that is reminiscent of vinegar or lemon.

Thyme:

A strong, earthy taste that pairs well with roasted meats and vegetables, soups and stews.

Cardamom:

A pungent yet elusive flavor, resinous and dark with hints of eucalyptus.

Cinnamon:

A sharp, incredibly strong, spicy, sweet flavor.

Allspice:

A cured, unripe berry from a tropical evergreen tree. Allspice when ground releases aromatic notes reminiscent of cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Saffron:

A subtly earthy and grassy flavor and aroma, yet sweet, similar to floral and honey.

Which bread should you use?

Traditional musakhan is made with taboon bread (a thick pita bread. Almost like Pizza dough) but this kind of bread is quite hard to find in the U.S. grocery store. You can make the bread from scratch. Otherwise, you can substitute this bread with flatbread, pita bread, pizza crust, naan, or lavash if you are looking for thicker bread. Thicker bread is better for baking chicken on top of it. Or you can also use a tortilla to make into a wrap. One of my favorite tortillas is Mission Organic whole wheat wrap. This wrap is super soft and it’s layered. This type of wrap is good for wrapping like a taco, or enchiladas style.

Ingredients

2 Piece Chicken Breast Organic but can use thigh with leg if desire.
1 Whole Onion Large size. Peeled and finely chopped
1/4 Cup Sumac
1/8 Cup Pine nuts
2 Tablespoon Olive Oil Extra Virgin
1 Teaspoon Black pepper
2 Teaspoon Himalayan Salt
2 Pieces Whole wheat tortilla
1-2 Stick Thyme Fresh. Optional
1 Teaspoon cardamom Optional
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon Optional
1 Teaspoon Cumin Optional
1-3 Teaspoon Allspice Optional
1 Pinch Saffron Optional

Instructions

Toppings

1. In a large bowl, mix together chicken, sumac, spices, salt, and pepper. Refrigerate and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes (optional).

2. Heat olive oil in a stir-fry pan and saute finely chopped onion and salt on medium heat until onions are soft.

3. Then add chicken and fresh thyme into the pan. Add additional sumac if necessary.

4. Once the chicken is cooked, add the pine nuts.

Bread

1. Option 1: Spread some olive oil on the tortilla wrap and heat in the oven at 350F for 10 minutes until tortilla is warm. Then place the stuffing on top.

2. Option 2: Place the stuffing on top of the bread (the thicker type of bread I have mentioned). Then place it in the oven at 350F for 10-15 minutes.