Makkah's regional dish
Saleeg is a popular Saudi dish associated above all with the Makkah region, and on 8 January 2024 the Culinary Arts Commission named it the region's dish under the National and Regional Dishes Narratives initiative, launched in early 2023.
Its two main ingredients are meat and rice; milk or cream and ghee are sometimes added.
Makkah saleeg
In the towns of the Makkah region it is known as Makkah saleeg, or al-Makkawi. The meat is boiled and lifted out of its broth, and the rice is cooked in that broth with nothing else added except ghee as the rice nears doneness; some cooks add milk or cream. It is served on large trays called tabasi and is mostly made for celebrations and gatherings.
Taif saleeg
Taif saleeg is made in the highlands of the Makkah region, especially Taif and its surrounding villages, from meat and short-grain rice mixed with the broth, with wild ghee. It is cooked over firewood or on a gas stove and, unlike the Makkah version, contains no milk or cream.
Cooking and keeping it
Saleeg takes one to two hours to cook, until it firms up to a texture close to harees and jareesh. It is kept and served in containers that shut out the cold so it stays hot as long as possible, and is sometimes served with roast chicken.