Easy Tuna Salad and Rice Omani Style Mezroota
This simplified form of a light traditional Omani dish is usually eaten during the hot summer months. Traditionally, a type of dried Omani fish soaked in water is used and boiled with turmeric. However, tuna makes a great substitute. Don’t be put off by the quantity of onions used in this dish; the process of […]
Kuwaiti Fish Curry Samak Karee
This curry dish probably came to Kuwait from the Indian sub-continent, either with the Kuwaiti traders or with the thousands of workers lured to the Arab Gulf states by the petroleum industry. Curry dishes are today an integral part of the kitchens in all the Arab Gulf countries. They are as a rule not as […]
Perfect Fish Cakes Samak Kufta
These tasty and flavorful fish cakes found in the United Arab Emirates are also popular in other Arab Gulf countries. Samak Kufta is a unique combination of fish and complementing ingredients that produce a mildly spicy fish cake. Although its texture is somewhat similar to the Arab East’s meat kufta (made with lamb or beef), […]
Lightly Breaded Fish in a Tangy Tomato Sauce Salona
I first relished this traditional dish in one of the classy hotels that abound in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates’ powerhouse. Like many of the other hotels in the city, it always featured on its menu a number of traditional Arab Gulf dishes and on that day it was Salona, a dish of fish in […]
Grilled Marinated Fish Kebabs Tikat Hamour
“Let’s have hamour again for dinner this evening. I love this fish! Let’s order fried hamour!” My daughter seemed to have read my mind as we sat down in the Al-Areesh Restaurant in Dubai’s Heritage Village planning to order our meal. The night before at the Fetafeet Restaurant overlooking the famous Dubai Creek crowded with […]
Fish Fillets in an Aromatic Red Sauce Yakhnat Samak
In Kuwait eating is not eating without fish. For centuries, pearl diving, trading and fishing were the mainstay of the Kuwaitis. The sea gave them their livelihood and the seafood dishes that they so highly relish. Almost twenty years ago while in Kuwait, during the second week of my trip, I experienced the graciousness that […]
Red Bell Pepper Dip with Pine Nuts Muhammara
The culinary art of Syria’s second largest city, Aleppo, in my view the best in the Middle East, did not develop by accident but took shape century after century as culture after culture flowed through the city. Along the same lines, the countries of the Arab Gulf are on the same path of reaching a […]
Sesame Seed Sticks Asabi’ Simsim
From the days of The One Thousand and One Arabian Nights, and even before, sesame seeds have been a part of Arab cuisine—used in everything from appetizers to main dishes and to desserts. Numerous sweets, especially those of Arab North Africa, include the seeds as an important ingredient or for a garnish. However, the origin […]
Deviled Eggs Arabian-Style Baydh Mahshi
This Saudi Arabian dish, which likely came into the country by the way of expatriates from the West, can be served as a main dish, side dish or as an appetizer. The addition of yogurt as well as spinach gives this Saudi version its distinct flavor and appearance. The lettuce leaves are not merely garnish; […]
Yogurt and Tahini Dip with Fresh Herbs
Originally a Sudanese dish, Yogurt and Tahini Dip is now a national dish in Qatar. The slightly nutty and smooth flavor along with the punch of garlic goes great especially with Wafer-Thin Bedouin Pancakes or any type of crusty bread. But it is the good-old standby, Pita Bread that serves best as the scooping spoon […]