Imbakbaka bil Djaj — Print Recipe

A lighter version of mbakbaka with tender chicken pieces simmered with short pasta in a tomato-turmeric sauce. A beloved everyday meal in Libyan households.

Ingredients

400g short pasta
4 chicken thighs, bone-in
1 onion, diced
3 tbsp tomato paste
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne
Salt and pepper
3 cups water
1 tsp bzaar spice

Instructions

1 Brown chicken thighs in olive oil, then remove and set aside. Saute onion in the same pot.
2 Add tomato paste, chopped tomatoes, turmeric, paprika, cayenne, and bzaar. Stir for 2 minutes.
3 Return chicken to pot, add water, and simmer 25 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
4 Add dry pasta directly into the sauce, stir well, cover, and cook 12-15 minutes until pasta is tender.
5 The sauce should be mostly absorbed. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
6 Serve hot, placing a chicken thigh atop each portion of saucy pasta.

Did You Know?

Children across Libya grow up on imbakbaka bil djaj, making it one of the first dishes most Libyans learn to cook on their own.