UAE Cultural Heritage
24
The UAE boasts a number of traditional
dishes. The Emirati diet relies heavily
on fish, meat and rice infused with
a mixture of spices like cardamom,
ginger, turmeric and saffron, thanks to
the country's trading heritage. Emirati
dishes are meant to be shared.
Al Madrooba, a mix of slated fish, spices
and thick sauce is one of the most
popular dishes. It is usually served with
saffron flavoured rice, nuts and spices.
Executive Chef Paul Hage from the
HGBR&S whets our appetite with two
delicious local recipes…
Arabic coffee is entrenched in hospitality,
tradition and ceremony. In the Gulf and
especially in the UAE, coffee is served in a
small delicate cup (finjaan). The cup is filled
hallway or less, to enable it to cool quickly.
The finjaan should be received with the right
hand.
To be gracious, guest should accept at least
one cup, however, it is standard to accept
three. A swish or jiggle of the cup shows that
you are finished. Arabic coffee can be served
at any time in the home, at social gatherings
or at business meetings. In Dubai, you might
even be served Arabic coffee at a mall.
Ingredients:
1.5 liters of water
75 grams of Arabic coffee, coarsely ground
2 teaspoons of cardamom (ground or
crushed)
10 grams of whole cloves
A pinch of saffron
1 teaspoon of rose water (optional)
Method
1. Bring the water to the boil
2. Add the ground coffee mixed with a half
the quantity of the cardamom and cloves.
Keep it on the heat for 10 minutes.
3. Stir once and boil for a further five minutes.
4. Remove the coffee pot from the heat,
cover and allow the coffee to settle to the
bottom for a minute. Do not stir.
5. Add the rest of the crushed cardamom
and cloves, plus the saffron to a Dallah. If
you don’t have one, simply use a medium
sized flask.
6. Strain and pour the steaming coffee into
the flask.
7. Brew for a further 5-10 minutes before
serving.
Local
flavour
of the Emirates
Ramadan Kareem!
Iftar is one of the religious observances
of Ramadan and is often celebrated
with family and community, gathering to
break their fast together. Iftar is taken
right after the Maghrib prayer, which is
at sunset. It is mandatory for worshipers
to break the fast with water and dates
in emulation of the Prophet Muhammed
(PBUH), who broke his fast in the same
manner.
Common Iftar meals:
Harees:
Boiled, cracked, or coarsely-
ground wheat and meat or chicken
Machbous:
Rice-based dish infused
with spices, meats and nuts
Biryani:
Rice with lamb
Margooga:
Stew of vegetables,
meatand soaked arabic bread
Mishwy:
Emirati version of a shish
kebab
Mhammar:
Small local fish served with
rice
Raqaq:
Crispy wafer-thin bread
Saloona:
Chicken stew served with
rice or bread
Thareed:
Crispy flat bread layered with
a meat soup
Warak Enab:
Stuffed grape leaves
Desert Desserts:
Chabab:
Emirati pancake
Khabeesa:
Cardamom semolina
pudding
Khameer:
Traditional Emirati bread
Luqaimat:
Fried dumplings with syrup
Arabic Coffee
