Golden fried chicken thighs coated in creamy iffa sauce served with fragrant saffron rice glistening with ghee. Tangy tomato tamarind salad adds crisp cucumber and shallot crunch. Spiced marinade flavours mingle with cheddar richness in this viral Dubai dish. (47 words)
Prep: over 2 hours
Cook: 10 to 30 mins
Serves: Serves 4
Dietary: Nut-free, pregnancy-friendly
By Saliha Mahmood-Ahmed
From Saturday Kitchen Recipes
Dubai iffa chicken scores C on Nutri-Score with protein-rich chicken balanced by creamy sauce and rice.
Per serving: approximately 780 kcal, 48g fat (22g saturates), 52g carbs (12g sugars), 4g fibre, 42g protein.
Equipment
Ingredients
For the marinade
- 1 tbsp garlic paste (or 4 cloves crushed)
- 1 tsp ginger paste (or finely chopped fresh)
- 1 tsp dried lime powder
- 1 tsp black cumin seeds, toasted
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 1 tsp fenugreek leaves
- 125g full-fat Greek-style yoghurt
- 1 tsp MSG
- 1 tbsp papaya paste
For the chicken
- 1kg chicken thighs, boneless, skinless, flattened
- 30g ghee
- 2 tbsp pomegranate seeds (optional)
For the iffa sauce
- 3 hard-boiled free-range eggs, whites only
- 1 tsp garlic paste
- 175ml double cream
- 75g cheddar, grated
- Salt, to taste
For the saffron rice
- 300g sella basmati rice
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 50g ghee
- generous pinch saffron, bloomed
- Salt
For the tomato tamarind salad
- 2 tbsp tamarind paste
- 1 tbsp date molasses
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp black cumin seeds, toasted
- 300g tomatoes, thinly sliced
- 1 banana shallot, thinly sliced
- 1 Persian cucumber, thinly sliced
- handful chopped fresh coriander
- Salt
Customise
- Swap chicken thighs for breast if you prefer leaner meat.
- Use regular cumin when black cumin unavailable.
- Replace cheddar with cream cheese in iffa sauce.
- Sub papaya paste with pineapple juice for tenderising.
Method
Marinate chicken (over 2 hours, do first)
- Mix marinade ingredients in a bowl until smooth – the papaya tenderises while spices build deep flavour.
- Coat chicken thighs completely in marinade, cover tightly, and chill for several hours (overnight best) – bring to room temperature before cooking.
Prep iffa sauce (5 minutes, do during marinating)
- Hard-boil eggs for 9 minutes, cool, and separate whites only – yolks go in compost.
- Blend egg whites, garlic paste, double cream, cheddar, and salt until perfectly smooth – no lumps in this creamy magic.
Cook chicken (20 minutes active)
- Heat ghee in ovenproof frying pan over medium heat until shimmering – perfect searing temperature.
- Fry marinated chicken thighs 5 minutes per side without moving – golden crust develops beautiful flavour.
- Add 100ml boiling water to create sauce base, spoon iffa sauce generously over chicken – oven time next.
Bake to finish (15 minutes)
- Preheat oven to 220°C/200°C Fan/Gas 7, then bake chicken for 15 minutes until cooked through – juices run clear when pierced.
- Check doneness carefully – internal temperature 75°C or clear juices confirm perfect cooking.
Make saffron rice (15 minutes, overlap with chicken)
- Bloom saffron with ice cubes in bowl while rice boils with turmeric and salt – packet instructions perfect.
- Drain rice, melt ghee in saucepan, add bloomed saffron water – gentle heat infuses golden colour.
- Fold rice through carefully, cover, and steam low heat few minutes – fluffy perfection achieved.
Prepare tomato tamarind salad (5 minutes, do last)
- Whisk tamarind paste, date molasses, olive oil, black cumin seeds, and salt – tangy dressing ready.
- Toss tomatoes, shallot, cucumber with dressing, finish with fresh coriander – bright crunch balances richness.
Serve Dubai style
- Plate hot iffa chicken with saffron rice beside, spoon salad alongside – scatter pomegranate seeds if using.