Marguga means “thinned” or “rolled out,” and traditionally the dish is made with thin strips of dough. I like to call it Arabian “pasta,” because it was traditionally made with dough. However, most home cooks nowadays no longer use fresh dough. Instead they make marguga with already baked bread, such as Iranian barbari or lavash, which they cut into long thin strips. All of those I have spoken to have assured me that the dish is just as good made with baked bread and I am happy to take their word for it as, like them, I am all for saving time in the kitchen. You find this dish in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain as well as in Saudi Arabia where it goes by the name of mataziz. I have had both the Qatari and Emirati versions and they differ only slightly, with the spicing of the Qatari version being a little stronger than that of the Emirati version.

SERVES 4 TO 6

INGREDIENTS

• 1 whole organic chicken (3 pounds 5 ounces/1.5 kg), skinned and cut into 8 pieces
• 1 cup (250 ml) sunflower oil, plus more for deep-frying
• 2 medium onions (10½ ounces/300 g total), finely chopped
• 1 whole star anise
• 8 whole cloves
• 3 fresh curry leaves
• 3 cloves garlic, minced to a fine paste
• ½ teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 green chili, slit lengthwise halfway down the middle
• 5 green cardamom pods
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tablespoon b’zar (Arabian Spice Mixture)
• 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground fennel
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Sea salt
• 4 large tomatoes (7 ounces/200 g total), peeled and processed in a food processor until completely pureed
• ½ cup (125 g) tomato paste
• 2 large zucchini (7 ounces/200 g total), cut into large chunks
• 2 large potatoes (7 ounces/200 g total), cut into large chunks
• 2 large carrots (7 ounces/200 g total), cut into large chunks
• 1¼ pounds (550 g) peeled pumpkin, cut into large chunks
• ½ green bell pepper, cut into chunks
• 3 large or 6 small black dried limes, pierced in a few places
• 4 cups (1 liter) boiling water
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
• ½ to 1 very large Iranian Flatbread, cut into long narrow strips
• 1 large globe eggplant, sliced into medium-thick rounds

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Put the chicken pieces in a skillet and place over medium heat to dry-roast them and get rid of any excess liquid and smell.
2. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and fry until golden, about 10 minutes. Add the star anise, cloves, and curry leaves. Then add the chicken, garlic, ginger, and whole green chili. Sauté for a couple of minutes.
3. Add the whole spices, ground spices, salt to taste, the tomato pulp, tomato paste, zucchini, potatoes, carrots, pumpkin, bell pepper, and dried limes and stir for a couple of minutes. Add the boiling water, cover, and let bubble gently for 40 minutes.
4. Add the fresh herbs and another 2 cups (500 ml) water. Cover and cook for 30 minutes. Add the bread (to taste depending on how silky you like your stew) and cook, covered, for 15 minutes, or until the bread has softened