The following highlights some of the popular Traditional Emirati Foods. If you manage to be in an Emirati restaurant or you are visiting United Arab Emirates, I recommend the following:
1. Khabees
Khabees is one of the oldest traditional dishes in the United Arab Emirates. It is a classic dessert made from toasted flour, honey or sugar and spices. Khabees are first prepared by toasting the flour. Heat water and sugar (or honey) in another saucepan until the mixture comes to a boil, mix everything together and hot add ghee, cardamom, saffron and rose water and a little water. Add the water to the mixture until all the ingredients are well blended and a thick porridge-like consistency is obtained. Finally, grated coconut, sultanas, pistachios and almonds can be added to the mixture for extra flavour.
2. Khamir Bread
Emirati Khameer Bread or Khamir Bread is one of the traditional breads of the United Arab Emirates, served with fresh cheese for breakfast. This simple sourdough bread is a wonderful dish with a hint of saffron and other rich ingredients. While there is flour in the bread, powdered milk is used and the saffron adds richness and great flavour to the bread.
3. Kabsa
It is a mixture of rice, spices, meat and vegetables. Various types of meat can be used in its preparation, such as chicken, lamb, goat or kid, as well as fish and prawns. The dominant species are cloves, saffron, cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper, bay leaf and nutmeg. The oldest technique for cooking kabsa involves digging a hole in the ground to cook the meat, while the more modern technique involves a pressure cooker.
4. Salona
This is an Emirati chicken stew made with lots of seasonal vegetables and mixed with a spice called Bezar. While seafood is a staple in the UAE, meat and vegetables are cooked more frequently and mainly in one-pot stews like this one, which is a popular hearty dish with a strong flavour profile.
5. Jasheed
This is a seafood dish consisting of yaryour (baby shark) and ayish abyad (white rice) or ayish mashkhoul (fried onion rice). It tastes similar to tuna, mackerel or satni and Asians, especially Bangladeshis, will be familiar with this dish and its flavour. It is an Emirati delicacy and one of the best places to try it is the Al Jalboot restaurant in Dubai. In fact, you won’t find many restaurants that prepare this delicacy. Al Jalboot is one of the few restaurants in the country that offers local Emirati food.
6. Quzi
This is one of the most popular dishes in Dubai and so delicious that it is one of the national meals of the United Arab Emirates. A slow cooked roast lamb or mutton is served on a bed of rice topped with vegetables, hazelnuts and sultanas. The meat is incredibly tender and can be enjoyed effortlessly. It is so rich and delicious that it is considered a complete meal in itself.
7. Maqluba
Maqluba is a common dish in several Arab countries, including Iraq, Palestine, Jordan, Syria and the United Arab Emirates. Each family probably has its own way of preparing this famous dish. But one thing is certain in all versions: it is a layered dish of rice, vegetables and meat. The vegetables used in maqluba are aubergines, potatoes and cauliflower. Some versions use only cauliflower and aubergine, some use aubergine and potatoes, and some use all three.
8. Asida
It is a dish made from a cooked wheat flour dough, usually with butter, honey or palm jam. It is simple but tasty, usually eaten by hand, all from the same plate, respecting each one in turn. Ideally it is accompanied by a glass of milk. It is always present on special occasions such as the arrival of a newborn or the birthday of a prophet.
9. Harees
This is a one-pot wonder, similar to Haleem, made with simple ingredients but a laborious period of time. In a pot of meat and wheat, a pinch of salt is added and allowed to cook until well blended into a smooth, even texture like porridge. This mixture is baked slowly. Although it takes a long period of time to cook, it is truly a dish to savour.
10. Al Jabab Bread
It is a dish similar to the traditionally known pancakes, but has a special flavour provided by the characteristic Emirati syrup containing rose water, cardamom and honey. It is one of the most delicious and popular Emirati desserts.
If you found this list useful, here are some more Traditional Asian Foods to try out on my Pinterest channel.