Traditional Emirati recipes from the United Arab Emirates are extremely healthy and are a great food source for health conscious individuals.
The United Arab Emirates food, also known as Emirati cuisine, has a rich cultural heritage, and it is based on the traditions of the Persian Gulf. Emirati culture can be seen primarily in their cuisine, handicrafts, and architecture. The Emirati food reflects the diversity of people who have influenced its development.
Traditional Emirati food has been greatly modified by various cultures and is now an amalgamation of dishes from around the world, including India and Southeast Asia.
5 Most Popular United Arab Emirates Dishes
A typical Arabian dinner consists of a starter, a main dish, and a salad. Salads are always the first course for dinner. They are usually served with tagine or rice. The common salad is picked, celery and eggplant, lettuce, okra, and tomatoes. These salads are prepared with the traditional Arabic sauce, known as tahina. They are served in special sauce dishes. The ingredients consist of peanuts, garlic, cumin, and lemon juice.
1. Beef Shawarma
This is a popular dish all over the Arab world. It consists of small grilled patties of beef. The most common shawarma is in wraps, but it can be served on a plate if preferred.
2. Chicken Shawarma
It consists of small grilled patties of chicken. It can also be served on a plate. This meal is often served with salad and vegetables.
3. Kafta
This is a popular dish from the United Arab Emirates. It is made from ground beef. It can be served as a main course, but it is more often served as an appetizer. Furthermore, it is served either in a wrap or on a plate.
4. Chicken Curry
This curry is one of the most common meals in the United Arab Emirates. It consists of chicken and a special curry sauce. It is served with rice and vegetables
Desserts
5. Falafel
This is a popular dish all over the Middle East and Arab countries. It consists of fried balls of ground chickpeas, onions, and spices. It is served with salads, hummus, and pickles. It can also be served with rice or tahina sauce.
20 Traditional Emirati Recipes “Simply Delicious”
1. Fish Machboos
This is a traditional Emirati recipe for Biryani which is almost similar to the Indian Biryani. It is cooked either with fish, mutton or chicken. This is the former version. I have used King Fish but it can be prepared with the popular Hamour fish too.
2. Chicken Majboos Recipe
Chicken Majboos traditional Emirati recipe is an Arabic spiced rice dish that is serve with chicken. It is considered a national dish in Arabian Gulf State in the Middle East.
Chicken Machboos, also known as Majboos, is their national dish of Kuwait which is commonly served with a local tomato garlic sauce called Daqoos. Furthermore, in the Arabic Gulf State, Majboos also has another name which they called it Kabsa.
3. Emirati Machboos with Desert Truffles
This traditional Emirati recipe made with the desert truffle is found in East and North Africa and the Middle East, from Morocco to the UAE. They are highly prized but much cheaper than European truffles.
The desert truffle is traditionally found in souks or markets from January until April. They grow in the deserts of North Africa and the Middle east, and depend on rainfall in order to grow. They are a type of edible hypogeous fungi, a subterranean ascomycete fungus that grows entirely underground. The desert truffle enjoys a symbiotic relationship with the roots of the helianthemum, or sunrose.
4. Assyrian Bean Stew With Lamb (Masheh)
Bean Stew with Lamb or “Masheh,” is a popular dish in the Middle East. Beans are simmered with lamb or beef in a tomato-based stew, until tender. This stew is usually served over a plate of vermicelli rice, or with bread.
I’m not sure why I don’t cook authentic Emirati Recipe for bean stew more often, but it’s probably because I’m always on a diet, counting carbs, and avoiding rice like the plague.
Today I decided to live a little; I invite you to do the same. After all, life is too short to never eat your favorite food!
5. Chebab Recipe with Saffron
This Chebab/Chabab/Shebab traditional Emirati recipe is one of the most known Arabian pancakes which is eaten for breakfast simply with butter, honey, sugar, jam or else with date syrup. Chebabs are yeasted pancakes and they are the most liked breakfast of many in Arabic countries.
These chebabs have their own place even in Ramadan meal. Flavored with cardamom and saffron, these pancakes are simply fabulous to indulge with some buttery honey sauce.
6. Emirati Hummus
When talking to Hannah, one of the things she mentioned that she would miss about Dubai was Arabic cuisine, especially the hummus. She explained how hummus is basically a food group in the Middle East and she would miss having access to some of the best hummus in the world.
However, she mentioned, that she had practiced her hummus making skills and had developed her own recipe. I asked Hannah to share this recipe so we too can get a taste of life in Dubai. This is a traditional Emirati recipe from her time there.
7. Mopla Kozhi Biriyani ~ Mappila Chicken Biriyani
As per the description given for this traditional Emirati recipe for biriyani, it did mention that this biriyani is featured during the Mopla (meaning Muslim) weddings in the north of Kerala. Actually speaking, this is one of the easiest biriyani I have made, and tasted really good as well.
It is interesting to note that there is no “dum” involved in it, it’s a cook and mix kind of a biriyani. Off to the way that I made it…
8. Dejaaj Murragg/ Saloona/ Dejaaj Salona ~ Emirati Chicken Stew
The Saloona is traditional Emirati recipe somewhere hybrid between a soup and a stew. You can make it go anyway, or keep it in the middle! 😉 The best part about the saloona is the use of vegetables along with the chicken, making it easy to include the otherwise-not-so-attractive veggies to go in and getting your kids to eat them!
I have used only potatoes and carrots, but I have seen other recipes that use zucchini and brinjals, so you can add them as well.
9. Mutton Karahi & Lamb Karahi Recipe
There are some dishes in Emirati and Pakistani cuisine that really don’t need an introduction. Biryani, Pilau, Korma… they all speak for themselves. A traditional Emirati recipe for mutton Karahi also comes in this elite category.
Often found on the menus of dhabbas and restaurants all around Pakistan, served on special occasions and get-togethers, Mutton Karahi is just the epitome of good Pakistani food.
10. Emirati Balaleet
Balaleet is a traditional Emirati Recipe that is a delicious salty and sweet breakfast dish that is enjoyed on a regular basis in UAE and common to all Gulf countries.
11. Harees Recipe
Harees recipe is a traditional Arabic one pot dish made with wheat and chicken. You can even make this amazing recipe with boneless lamb too.
A traditional Emirati recipe that is made in almost all the Arab households, the Harees or harissa is made daily during Ramadan.
Whether it is for suhoor or iftar, Harees Recipe or harissa is a must have during Ramadan. With minimal spices, it is light and easy on the stomach. Harees or harissa recipe is a simple, filling and delicious dish.
12. Emirati Jisheed
A traditional Emirati recipe for Jisheed. Minced shark meat cooked in turmeric, bezar, and lime juxtaposed nicely with the bed of of aromatic basmati rice on which it was served. To the side of the neatly constructed cylinder of fish and rice, a rich tomato sauce unified the dish.
13. Roasted Eggplant with Meat Sauce
Traditional Emirati recipe for eggplant covered in meat sauce. Roasting eggplant does take some time (about an hour), so I had plenty of time to make my own meat sauce. If you want to make this recipe even easier, you can always sub the homemade meat sauce for your favorite jarred sauce, but I just want to stress how easy the meat sauce is to make yourself.
14. Tharid (Emirati Lamb Stew)
Often referred to as the Prophet favorite dish, this traditional Emirati recipe for a satisfying lamb and vegetable stew is served over thin, cracker-like bread called regag to soak up the rich juices (although we found store-bought, toasted roti to work just as well). To make the preparation easier, have your butcher cut the lamb into pieces. Todd Coleman
15. Emirati Sweet Vermicelli and Egg Omelet
Balaleet (Emirati Sweet Vermicelli and Egg Omelet) for a breakfast created from a traditional Emirati recipe! Toasted vermicelli noodles are tossed with sugar and spices, then topped with an egg omelet for a delightful contrast of sweet and savory.
16. Emirate Ouzi
Emrate Ouzi is a traditional Emirati recipe sn is one of the most popular dishes to make for Eid, especially in the season of peas, and it is a traditional Emirati recipe that anyone can prepare easily.
If you are confused in choosing the dish of the day, and you want an easy and quick recipe due to lack of time, we present to you the Ouzi method, a recipe that will not take more than half an hour, but it will be a hearty, delicious meal and suitable for the family.
17. Emirati Lamb White Bean Stew
Whatever said and done, I must say this traditional Emirati recipe for gravy is delicious! I have loved each and every gravy that I have cooked to feature under the Emirati Cuisine section and this one is no different. In fact, I guess I would choose this one as one of the contenders for my favorite. The stew has some very interesting flavors of the bezaar, loomi and the zaatar.
18. Braised Lamb Shank and Okra Stew
Traditional Emirati recipe also known as okra salouna, this flavor-packed Emirati stew combines two beloved Arabian Gulf ingredients: lamb and okra.
19. Bzar ~ How to make Emirati Spice Mix
Bzar Spice Mix is an Emirati Spice Mix, similar to our Indian Garam Masala. For the traditional Emirati recipe we blend the spice mix with butter and drizzle over soups, stews, etc.
Bzar is an integral part of Emirati Cuisine. They add this spice in dishes like Emirati Foga. It is a rice dish which has meat topping and finally they add a drizzle of this spice. They refer to stew-like dishes as referred to as Saloona or Marag.
20. Easy Samosa Recipe
Samosa is one of the most popular and elegant appetizers -specially in Ramadan- in the Arab world, Pakistan and India. For the traditional Emirati recipe we buy Samosa or Sambosak ready dough and fill it with various types of stuffing. Samosa is a very thin, long sheets of dough close to the egg roll’s dough and shaped like triangles and then deep fried.
