AI-generated photo.
Iraqi · Iconic, Baghdad · Iraq
Pacha
Also called باجة
Pacha (باجة), a Baghdad plate from Iraq.
Pai editors’ mark 5 / 5
Plan, list, and collections
Pacha is cooked in Baghdad as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Simmer the lamb with a great deal of garlic until the broth is rich, then serve it over torn bread. Trotters are the old cut. Leg is the lamb this pantry weighs. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Health
How this plate sits
Counted from the ingredient table. The score, richness, and badges describe one serving as written. The ring and the nutrient table follow the serving count above. This is general information, not medical advice.
79
Health score
Light & nourishing
Moderate
Richness
Light
Light to very rich, from fat, saturated fat, sugar, and the cream or butter in the plate.
- Protein 47%
- Carbs 22%
- Fat 31%
Watch · Diabetes-friendly
It misses a gentler mark: sugar, fiber, the starch mix, or the richness of the plate.
Watch · Heart-friendly
Saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, or fiber keeps this off the heart-friendly list.
Watch · Weight loss
Calories, protein, or richness make this a fuller plate than a light day wants.
Suits · High protein
About 38.8 g of protein in the serving.
Watch · Low sodium
About 822 mg of sodium, above the 450 mg mark.
Watch · Gluten-free
Wheat or gluten is in the required list.
Suits · Dairy-free
No milk ingredients in the required list.
Watch · Vegetarian
Meat, poultry, fish, or shellfish is in the required list.
Suits · Pregnancy
No alcohol, liver, or caffeine in the required list. Cook meat, eggs, and seafood through.
Suits · Gentle when sick
Mild, not fried, and not a very rich plate. Comfort, not a treatment.
Suits · Kid-friendly
Heat stays mild, and the required list has no alcohol or liver.
Calories by ingredient
Each number is that ingredient’s table calories, split across the servings.
- Lamb leg202 kcal
- Pita55 kcal
- Olive oil31 kcal
- Yellow onion15 kcal
- Low-sodium beef broth11 kcal
- Garlic7 kcal
Glycemic load
Estimated glycemic load for this count: 11.4. The bands come from the ingredient table.
Portion
One serving, as written, is about 329 kcal.
Allergens. Gluten, Wheat
Make it healthier
Use half the salt
Salt adds no calories in this table, so the calorie figure stays put while sodium falls.
About 329 kcal after the change.
Use half the kosher salt and finish with citrus or vinegar.
The same plate with less sodium. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
Serve three-quarters of the plate.
The seasoning stays. The calories fall with the portion. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
| Nutrient | Amount | % daily value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 329 kcal | 16% |
| Protein | 38.8 g | 78% |
| Carbohydrate | 18.6 g | 7% |
| Fiber | 1.6 g | 6% |
| Total sugars | 3.2 g | 6% |
| Fat | 11.4 g | 15% |
| Saturated fat | 2.9 g | 14% |
| Cholesterol | 106 mg | 35% |
| Sodium | 822 mg | 36% |
| Potassium | 777 mg | 17% |
| Calcium | 61 mg | 5% |
| Iron | 3.8 mg | 21% |
| Magnesium | 55 mg | 13% |
| Zinc | 6 mg | 55% |
| Vitamin A | 17 mcg | 2% |
| Vitamin C | 7.3 mg | 8% |
| Vitamin D | 0 mcg | 0% |
| Vitamin E · estimate | 0.9 mg | 6% |
| Vitamin K · estimate | 9 mcg | 8% |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.5 mg | 38% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.5 mg | 39% |
| Niacin (B3) | 10.3 mg | 64% |
| Vitamin B6 · estimate | 0.6 mg | 32% |
| Folate · estimate | 33 mcg | 8% |
| Vitamin B12 | 2.6 mcg | 109% |
Low-confidence marks sit on glycemic load or on vitamins the USDA row left blank. Those vitamins are filled from a food-group reference and labeled as estimates. Reported USDA values, including zeros, are kept. 50 g is the daily value for added sugar. This figure is total sugar, including fruit and milk.
- A serving stays under about 420 calories, so it can sit inside an ordinary day.
- Protein is high enough to make the meal satisfying.
- Sodium is on the higher side. The swaps below pull it down.
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.
Equipment
- Heavy pot
- Scale
- Wooden spoon
- Ladle
Ingredients
Each line is stored in grams. The second amount is the other system, so a cup measure and the gram weight stay together.
Lamb leg4 pieces640 g
Garlic6 cloves20 g
Yellow onion1 onion150 g
Tomato paste2 tbsp30 g
Low-sodium beef broth3 cups700 ml
Bay leaf2 leaves1 g
Lemon juice1 tbsp15 ml
Pita2 pitas80 g
Kosher salt0.5 tsp3 g
Olive oil1 tbsp15.38 ml
The first amount follows the unit toggle. The second is the other system. Both follow the serving count.
If you need to swap
- Use half the kosher salt and finish with citrus or vinegar.. The same plate with less sodium.
- Serve three-quarters of the plate.. The seasoning stays. The calories fall with the portion.
Method
AI-generated photo.
1Set out a scale and the equipment for Pacha. Heat to a quiet simmer, about 195°F / 90°C and give it 5 minutes so the surface is actually hot. Weigh lamb leg, garlic, yellow onion, tomato paste, low-sodium beef broth, bay leaf, lemon juice, pita, kosher salt, olive oil. Pacha is cooked in Baghdad as its own plate, not as a copy of a restaurant menu. Simmer the lamb with a great deal of garlic until the broth is rich, then serve it over torn bread. Trotters are the old cut. Leg is the lamb this pantry weighs. Amounts are for 4 from foods this library can count.
Heat 5 min
AI-generated photo.
2Pacha is cooked in iraq. Also called باجة. Skim the foam once, then stop stirring so the broth stays clear.
AI-generated photo.
3Cook the aromatics first, then the main ingredient for Pacha, until the edges take a little color. Add the herb at the end so it stays green and fragrant.
Build the base
AI-generated photo.
4Add the remaining weighed foods and cook Pacha at a quiet simmer, about 195°F / 90°C. Start checking at 47 minutes. Pacha is done when the thickest piece yields to a fork and the liquid is quiet, not at a hard boil.
Simmer 47 min
- 🇮🇶 IraqMiddle Easticon-iraq-pacha-step-4
Pacha, step 5
Step 5 · Pacha
5Check the center of Pacha, not the edge. If the cue is not true yet, give it a few more minutes and look again. Opening a lid or an oven door early drops the heat.
- 🇮🇶 IraqMiddle Easticon-iraq-pacha-step-5
Pacha, step 6
Step 6 · Rest 5 min
6Rest Pacha for 5 minutes, then taste and adjust the salt. Serve it in the way it is eaten in iraq, with the sauce or garnish that belongs to it. Film Pacha in this shot order and no other: a quiet simmer with small bubbles; steam rising off the finished plate; tongs turning one piece; beans or grains tender at the edge of a bite. Slate words for the editor: windowlight, pebble, hearth, caramel, bloom, twilight, marble, enamel, zester, velvety.
Rest 5 min
How you know it is done
Pacha is done when the thickest piece yields to a fork and the liquid is quiet, not at a hard boil.
If it goes wrong
- Pacha looks done at the edge and is still raw in the center. Trust the cue, not the color. Check the thickest piece and give it a few more minutes.
- Pacha turned out salty, dry, or watery. Weigh the salt and the liquid next time. Keep the heat at the temperature in the method, and stop when the doneness cue appears.
Storage
Cool Pacha, then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Freeze portions for a month if the dish reheats in a pot or oven. Reheat leftovers until steaming.
How this dish helps your daily life
- Pacha is one of the plates people ask for by name from Baghdad.
- Every ingredient is weighed, so the calorie, protein, and sodium lines come from the table rather than a guess.
Notes
Pregnancy. Cook meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood through. Skip alcohol if a bottle is listed, or cook it until the steam no longer smells of it. There is no raw-fish step.
From the kitchen. Simmer the lamb with a great deal of garlic until the broth is rich, then serve it over torn bread. Trotters are the old cut. Leg is the lamb this pantry weighs.
Allergens in the required list: Gluten, Wheat.
Your stars and note
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.