Hejazi comfort food · Creamy rice

Saleeg Recipe (Hejazi Creamy Rice with Chicken)

Short-grain rice. Stock then milk. Stir often.

Farwa ZeeshanRecipe by Farwa ZeeshanTested in the NineFoods home kitchen

Saleeg is creamy rice cooked in chicken stock and milk, served with roast chicken and a pool of ghee, the comfort dish of Taif and the Hejaz. It goes gluey or scorched when rushed. The fix is short-grain rice, adding the milk gradually after the stock, and gentle, frequent stirring.

Prep15m
Cook1h 10m
Servings5
kcal / serving520
LevelEasy
Jump to the method

The 3 laws of saleeg

Why this recipe works

Short-grain rice

Basmati

Short grains give the creamy texture.

Milk gradually

All at once

Prevents scorching and splitting.

Ghee to serve

Dry

The ghee pool is part of the dish.

Shopping and prep list

Ingredients

Servings
Tap items as you gather them · 0 of 0 ready

Chicken and stock

Saleeg

The NineFoods saleeg gauge

Is the saleeg creamy enough?

Stir and look at the rice.

Tap a stage to see what to do.

Method · 3 stages

Step by step

1

Stock and chicken

Simmer · 40 min
  1. Simmer chicken with water, onion, spices and salt until tender.
  2. Lift out chicken; strain the stock.
Look for: clear, fragrant stock.
40:00
2

Cook the rice

Low · 25 min
  1. Simmer rice in 5 cups stock, stirring often.
  2. Add warm milk gradually. Use the gauge above.
Look for: creamy, flowing rice.
25:00
3

Roast chicken

Oven 220 C · 12 min
  1. Brush chicken with butter and roast until golden.
Look for: golden chicken.
12:00

Chef's troubleshooter

What went wrong? Pick the symptom

Why

Overcooked or not enough liquid.

Fix next time

Loosen with warm stock and stop when creamy.

Why

Added cold or boiled hard.

Fix next time

Use warm milk and keep it at a gentle simmer.

Why

Not stirred.

Fix next time

Stir often, especially once the milk goes in.

Why

Weak stock.

Fix next time

Season the stock well.

Swap smart

Ingredient roles and substitutes

IngredientJob in the dishSwap with
Short-grain riceCreaminessArborio rice
MilkRichnessExtra stock for a lighter saleeg
ChickenProteinLamb pieces
GheeFinishButter

After the meal

Serve, store, reheat

Serve with

Roast chicken on top, ghee, and daqoos or green salad.

Store

Fridge 2 days; it thickens a lot.

Reheat

Add warm milk and stir on low.

How we tested this recipe

Tested in a home kitchen, not a studio

Farwa Zeeshan

Recipe developed and tested by Farwa Zeeshan, who cooks and tests every NineFoods recipe on a regular home stove.

  • Cooked from start to finish with the exact quantities above for 5 servings, using both the metric and US cup measures.
  • Every one of the 3 stages was timed at the stove; heat levels and the 'look for' cues are what we saw in the pan.
  • The doneness check (is the saleeg creamy enough) and the troubleshooter come from batches that went wrong, and how we fixed them.
  • Reheating and storage advice was checked on leftovers, not guessed.

Read our full testing process

Keep cooking

Related recipes and guides

More Arabian Gulf recipes5 Traditional Desi Cooking Techniques Every Cook Should KnowHow to Tenderise MeatHow to Make Ghee at Home

Quick answers

Saleeg FAQ

What is saleeg?

A Hejazi dish of rice cooked in stock and milk until creamy, served with roast chicken.

Which rice is best for saleeg?

Short-grain rice such as Egyptian or Calrose.

Is saleeg like risotto?

It is similar in texture but cooked in stock and milk with Arabic spices.

Where is saleeg from?

The Hejaz region of Saudi Arabia, especially Taif.