Palestinian Musakhan – Traditional Recipe & Preparation

Palestinian Musakhan – Traditional Recipe & Preparation

Palestinian Musakhan, also known locally as al-Mahfar, is a traditional heritage dish and one of the most famous staples of Palestinian cuisine. It is widely cooked across the Mediterranean region, but especially in Palestine, where it has become a culinary symbol of identity and tradition.

Musakhan is a hearty, rich dish, with the cities of Tulkarm and Jenin being especially renowned for serving it in its most authentic form. Due to the close geographic and cultural ties between Jordan and Palestine, Musakhan also became a beloved dish in Jordan, where it is now considered part of its main traditional cuisine. However, despite spreading to neighboring countries, it never gained the same popularity outside of Palestine and Jordan.

Nutritionally, Musakhan is quite rich: a typical serving contains about 1,292 calories, 59 g of protein, 77 g of carbohydrates, 82 g of fat, 13 g of saturated fat, and 151 mg of cholesterol.

Musakhan also holds a place in world records. On April 20, 2010, forty Palestinian chefs in the village of ‘Arura prepared the world’s largest Musakhan, entering the Guinness World Records. The dish had a diameter of 4 meters and weighed 1.35 tons, made with over 500 chickens, 170 kg of olive oil, 500 kg of onions, 70 kg of pine nuts, and 250 kg of sumac.

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Ingredients (Serves 5)

 

• 1 whole chicken, cut into pieces

• 1 kg onions

• 3 tbsp sumac

• 500 g fried almonds

• 5 loaves of taboon bread (traditional Palestinian flatbread)

• 1 cup olive oil

• ½ liter water

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Preparation

1. Cook the chicken:
   Boil the chicken pieces for about 10–15 minutes until fully cooked.

2. Prepare the onion base:
   Chop the onions finely and fry them in olive oil until soft. Add water and cook for around 15 minutes until the onions are tender.

3. Combine with chicken and spices:
   Add the chicken pieces to the onion mixture, along with the sumac. Let everything simmer together for another 15 minutes.

4. Assemble with bread:
   Place the taboon bread in a baking tray. Spread the onion and chicken mixture over the bread, then sprinkle with fried almonds.

5. Bake:
   Brush the bread lightly with olive oil, then bake in the oven for 7–10 minutes until the bread is slightly crisp and golden.

6. Serve:
   Remove from the oven and serve hot. Musakhan is traditionally eaten with the hands, making it a communal and deeply cultural dining experience.