Chicken galayet with tomatoes and peppers
Tomato galayet is one of the well-known dishes of Palestine, Jordan, and the Levant: tomatoes fried in olive oil and pepper until they thicken, eaten with bread from the same skillet.
Adding chicken to it is a method known in homes to make it a complete meal, and the original vegetarian version is in our library.
In a wide skillet, heat two-thirds of the olive oil and brown the salted chicken cubes for four minutes until they turn golden and are nearly cooked, then set them aside.
In the remaining oil, sauté the onion, garlic, and hot pepper for three minutes until they soften and become fragrant. This is the base of galayet in the Palestinian kitchen.
Add the ripe tomato cubes, salt, and cumin, and stir them over high heat for seven minutes until they break down, thicken, and their edges brown in the oil. Frying over high heat is the difference between galayet and an ordinary sauce: low heat lets the tomatoes boil in their water so they come out runny.
Return the chicken cubes with their juices for three minutes until they finish cooking and absorb the sauce, and the galayet thickens enough to be scooped with bread.
Add a little raw olive oil over it with the toasted pine nuts, and serve it hot from the skillet with bread.
The glycemic index (GI) measures how quickly a food raises blood sugar, while the glycemic load (GL) measures how much a full serving raises it. Together they give the complete picture.
A low value (≤55) means a gradual rise in blood sugar — the most suitable range for diabetes and insulin resistance.
Glycemic load reflects the impact of the full serving. To lower it: take half a serving, or pair the recipe with a source of protein and fiber.
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet per FDA food-label reference values — your daily needs may be higher or lower. Values are derived from the recipe's ingredients via the USDA database.
The most common problems when preparing Chicken Galayet with Tomatoes and Peppers, and how to fix them:
The heat was low or the tomatoes weren't ripe. Use high heat and ripe red tomatoes, and let them thicken uncovered for seven minutes.
It cooked fully during the browning stage. Brown it only until it's nearly cooked, and the last three minutes inside the galayet finish its cooking.
The fruit is unripe or out of season. Choose very ripe tomatoes, and you can add a small pinch of sugar to adjust the acidity when needed.
Olive oil is an essential ingredient in galayet, not just a frying medium, and it is eaten with the tomatoes and bread. Anyone who wants to lighten it can reduce it to 30 ml.
Served hot from the skillet with bread in the Palestinian way.
Keeps two days, and eaten warm or at room temperature.
Not suitable for freezing, because fried tomatoes lose their texture.
| Original Ingredient | Tested Substitute | Ratio | Flavor Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| The chicken | Omit it entirely | same amount | The original vegetarian tomato galayet returns, and it is in our library |
| The hot pepper | Bell pepper | same amount | A close flavor without the heat |
| The pine nuts | Toasted crushed almonds | 1:1 | Cheaper with the same crunch |
| The bread | White rice or bulgur | same amount | Alternatives for those who don't want bread |
| Ingredient | 3 servings | 1.5 servings | 6 servings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 450 g | 225 g | 900 g |
| Tomatoes | 500 g | 250 g | 1 kg |
| Olive oil | 45 ml | 25 ml | 90 ml |
Cooking tomatoes in olive oil increases the body's absorption of lycopene, the antioxidant tomatoes are famous for, because it is fat-soluble. You must also make sure the chicken is fully cooked (an internal temperature of 74 degrees Celsius) per food safety guidance.
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