Why Maqlubeh Tasted Overly Spiced with Chicken Breasts

First, a caveat - I hate it when people modify a recipe and then complain about the results, as if it's the original recipe's fault. I'm not complaining - just asking ;-)

I made the Palestinian Upside-Down Chicken and Rice recipe from the recent issue of the magazine. I did substitute boneless, skinless breasts for the bone-in, skin-on thighs and reduced the oil by roughly a quarter. The end result was VERY aggressively spiced. My wife couldn't tolerate it. We both liked the preparation method and thought it had some potential though.

Are the seasoning amounts in the recipe correct? I was thinking that the significant reduction in fat after my modifications might impact how the spices worked if they were fat soluble. I'm planning to try it again in the future, maybe with half the seasoning (and perhaps when my wife is on a business trip to avoid the "are you nuts?" stare :-)

Thanks!

Mitch