Edition 3, July 2014

DUBAI’S BEST SELECTION OF FOOD AND DINING NEWS IN A BIMONTHLY E-MAGAZINE ISSUE 3, JULY 2014

fasting

iftar

reflection

Ramadan suhoor Eid

Dubai culture

sacrifice

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Our wonder ful contributors Anjana Chaturvedi www.maayeka.blogspot.ae Arva Ahmed www.iliveinafryingpan.com Assia Othman www.assiakitchen.com Dalia Dogmoch www.daliaskitchen.com Debbie Rogers www.coffeecakesandrunning.me Debbie Steedman www.therealgeordiearmani.com Dima Sharif www.dimasharif.com Drina Cabral www.eaternalzest.com Holly S Warah www.arabiczeal.com Irini Savva www.irinisavva.com

If you are a passionate blogger based in Dubai and blog on food and culinary travels, we are looking for you. For advertorial and sponsorship enquiries, please shoot us an email at editor@foodemagdxb.com.

Jasmine Perrera www.peartreediaries.com

Please visit our website and feel welcome to provide feedback:

Linda Ottawa www.lapetitepaniere.com

www.foodemagdxb.com

Ishita B Saha www.ishitaunblogged.com

Najla Koya www.foodiecorner.wordpress.com Nisreen M. Shawwa www.monsterscallmemama.com Nabeela Ismail www.beelabakes.blogspot.ae Prachi Grover www.orangekitchens.blogspot.ae Preeti Alam www.spicynotes.net Priya Srinvasan www.enveetukitchen.com Priyanka Bhattacharya Dutt www.thefoodsoldier.blogspot.ae Reem Alshamshi www.foodiva.net Samantha Wood www.foodiva.net Sarah Walton www.thehedonista.com Sayana Rahiman www.mymouthisfull.com Shaima Al Tamimi www.potsandpatterns.com Stacy Rushton www.foodlustpeoplelove.com Sukaina Rajabali www.sipsandspoonfuls.com Swati Bansalrao www.swatibansalrao.com

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All articles have been published with the consent of our contributors. They are a particularly talented bunch - not only have they designed the recipes and/ or written the stories you read, they have also taken some incredible photos, which are all by the author of the article unless marked otherwise.

Ramadan Kareem!

How to release a food publication in a month of fasting?

It poses quite a question, particularly for expat residents who do not practice Ramadan. How do we put something together that both inspires and assists without offending or tempting our Muslim readers?

Luckily, at this publication, it’s not just about two nonMuslim editors finding their way in the dark - we have many contributors who have helped us to breach our cultural gap, and so hopefully we have prepared something that will touch all readers in the right way.

This issue, we bring you more traditional Arabic recipes, and combine them with some others a little out of the box, but still very appropriate to serve for an Iftar or Suhoor meal. We also have some tips for fasting, ideas that will help those of you joining in to get through the day.

Our food stories this month focus on attitudes to Ramadan and the breaking of the fast, from a Muslims, a non-Muslim, and a converted Muslim, two of which come with inspired recipes (we’re talking lgeimats people those addictive little Emirati donut holes that are the toast of Dubai!)

Our culinary travel highlights this month are close enough for the Eid break, and there’s also a rundown on Ramadan for the uninitiated, just to prove there is definitely a reason for the food-traveller to visit the region while the local population fasts.

Instead of restaurant reviews, this month we give you five Emirati restaurants you must try, plus a rundown on Iftars and Suhoors around Dubai, and for those who don’t fast, a list of restaurants where you can grab a sneaky mid-day snack.

Finally, we have our foodporn section, provided by Swati Bansalrao. Best not to look at that until sundown....

Do bombard us with your love on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (you will find us as @foodemagdxb everywhere) and help us to trend a new hashtag... #foodemagdxb With love Sarah Walton and Ishita B Saha

www.foodemagdxb.com 3

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My Ramadan - Suhoor throughthe years

Ramadan rituals and an inspired recipe - Lgeimats

Cooking with Kids - Ramadan Inspiration

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Fasting and health - Ramadan tips

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Iftar in a different world called ‘Naif’

Contributors and Welcome

Contents 10 12 14

17 18 22 27 37 44

52 68 82

Foodpor n

Restaurants - Iftars, Suhoors, Emirati Restaurants and openings

Culinary Travel - Ramadan tips, Dar es Salam, Barcelona and Iran

Desserts and cakes

Main courses

Starters, sauces and sides

Breads and bakes

Drinks

Recipes - an Iftar feast

This issue’s cover bySarah Walton of thehedonista.com taken at Bab Al Shams Resort and Spa

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Iftar in a different world called ‘Naif’.

Arva Ahmed www.iliveinafryingpan.com 6 minutes before sunset. We parked our cars near the Fish and Vegetable market, greeted each other, and started walking. Naif was on the other side of the pedestrian bridge. And Naif was where we had planned to be...10 minutes earlier.

As we hurried through the streets, winding our way through invisible folds of oppressively hot air, we entered a different world. A hushed world. Naif had an eerie calm that you’d rarely ever see in this very historic, very congested area. An occasional taxi would screech around the corner, narrowly missing the men tranquilly crossing the road on their way to Iftar. The place was one of heightened religious anticipation…waiting out the last 4 minutes before sunset.

The air gently murmured, Hush, keep the camera away. This is not the place…

So I listened to the air. I didn’t unpack my camera. All I have is the memory of a place that was so incredibly different from the massive Iftar gathering I had been invited to last year. So different from the luxurious tents described in the Iftar invites that PR companies have been feeding my inbox.

It was a different world. A disciplined world. I have no photos of that world before sunset, no photos of that feeling of calm, of community, of a religious sensibility that lingers over in those 3…2 minutes before sunset. A time for photos would 6

come, that time would be later, maybe over the Iftar table…but that time was not now. I have no photos of that place for you, just a memory of the path we followed. So come, just walk through it again with me.

The first sight that greeted our fasting eyes was a massive tray of freshly fried pakodas. Untouched of course, waiting out their final 2 minutes of chastity before being devoured. Groups of men were sitting cross-legged on the floor, over chaddars spread out in a little alley off of the main road. Some had orange halves in one hand, plastic glasses of water in the other. I don’t remember anyone talking. Whether it was the hunger, the fatigue, or the religious importance of the moment, every soul was silently tuned into one channel—the Adhan.

It was a different world. A devoted world. One where there was a mosque on every block, one where we could see at least two mosques from almost any point on the road.

When we peered into the shops, we

could see the staff huddled in a single, communal circle on the floor, their chappals neatly lined up at the entrance, all waiting for the call to prayer.

Sunset. The air exploded with the resounding calls from minarets all around us, chanting out to the hot, hot sky in religious unison. Hands were uniformly raised to the mouth, ending a day without food, without water, for the most pious, without temptation—ending a day with so little, yet so much. This is the food of spiritual fulfilment.

We were still on the road, a rare sight of two women armed with bottles of water and a ziplock of dates. I’ve broken my fast with dates and water many a time. Actually, every single time. But this time was different. It was in a different world.

A more modest world. A world that felt closer to what Ramadan is meant to be.

The only element of decadence was the dates that Reem had bought me. There was one set drenched in

syrupy dibs (date honey), and another stuffed with candied nuts. I made a mental note to gift Reem anything but dates in the future—my date finds in the city pale in comparison to what I tasted from her stash that day.

We finally found a mosque with a ladies section, and within minutes, we were part of the Muslim masses in Naif, standing shoulder to shoulder, praying with the Imam, lowering our heads in the direction of Makkah.

Back out on to the street, this different world had suddenly become full of life, full of smells, full of photo opportunities itching to happen. We experimented at three places that night, a few hits, many more misses, but all together, the experience of strolling down the row of restaurants in Naif’s Frij Murar area was unforgettable.

We poked our noses into a corner cafeteria, craving the pakodas that had been stacked up against the window display. You’d be shocked

to see how many pakodas they cram in to one brown paper bag for a petty 5 dirhams.

Onions, chillies, eggplant slices… coated in gram flour batter and plonked into seething oil. But sadly, not strained very well. I couldn’t stomach more than one greasy piece that had been thrown into the microwave and reheated for us.

Dubai has better pakoda places, and this was sadly not one of them.

Oily pakodas in hand, we stepped into Pak-Afghan Darbar and sprawled out on a raised, majlis-style dias. We experienced Iftar as the Afghanis traditionally prepare it, with a homely bowl of thick, warm noodle soup. I couldn’t quite dissect the Aush, it was one of those grandma concoctions—some spices, maybe beef broth, tender doughy noodles, the perfect amount of heat—that you’d rather just sink into and not overanalyse.

Another traditional Afghan Iftar dish that graced our plastic dasterkhan was mantoo: pasta parcels of

minced beef, dotted with yogurt and some sort of subtly spiced tomato gravy. The actual dumpling skin was chewier than I’d have wished, but the filling and the saucy drizzle cuddled my tongue with cosy, beefy, handmade comfort.

We had saved the legendary Delhi Restaurant, ‘since 1978,’ for last.

This is one of those places that I’ve only just discovered thanks to a very well-informed friend. Their buttery beef nahari, cooked overnight for twelve hours, has cleanly ousted my previous nahari favourite in the city.

We didn’t have nahari that day, opting for something lighter—a lipsmacking raita with fragrant ground coriander, and chicken cubes of malai boti kabab, marinated in cream and grilled till tender. We found a few chunks of chicken that had the scary translucent sheen of uncooked chicken at the centre. I’m hoping it was a one-off. But next time, I’m sticking to my true loves at this restaurant: the nahari and green

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chilli keema (minced meat).

Thankfully, the gulab jamun more than made up for the chicken disaster. We declared that the deep fried balls of khoya (milk powder), coloured at the core with some sort of reddish essence (potentially saffron, or plain food colouring), was a fitting end to our Iftar excursion in Naif.

If there’s one thought I’d love to leave you with, it’s that almost all the food we had that evening was consumed (save the semi-cooked chicken). We packed up our leftovers, even those 5 dirham pakodas, wherever we could. There’s never any shame in walking out with a box of leftover food. I’ve been known to even pick up bottles of unfinished water and walk out—not because I’m cheap, but because I don’t believe in wastage where I can genuinely avoid it, whether in Ramadan, or at any other time of the year. Food wastage has increasingly become an alarming and embarrassing issue during Ramadan, and I’m relieved to see that local government agencies are starting to take initiatives to address it.

Wait, there’s a second thought too.

If you truly want to experience the spirit of Ramadan, step off the beaten buffet track and stroll down the modest streets of a place like Naif, or Hor Al Anz, or I’ve been told, Meena Bazaar in Bur Dubai.

These are the areas where Ramadan really feels like Ramadan, and not some sort of commercialized, well-publicized affair. These are the places that offer a truly communal, down-to-earth, cross-cultural Muslim experience, the ‘Back to Basics’ Ramadan experience. These are the places where you’ll suddenly feel like you’ve been transported to...a very, very different world..

Photos, top to bottom: Beefy Afghani mantoo, the riverbed for a yoghurt and tomato gravy to flow through Afghani Aush. Homely, noodley, I’ll remember you dearly when I’m down with a cold.

Sugar syrup drenched ball of Gulab Jamun

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Fasting and Health: Organic & Healthy Food Expert Dima Sharif’s Ramadan tips Enjoy delicious meals without sacrificing your health this Ramadan.

Dima is a big fan of OBE Organic meats and shares this guide with them and your health in mind.

1. During Ramadan it is important to focus on eating more proteins as they help you keep hunger at bay.

Because proteins are harder to digest than other food groups, they keep you feeling full for longer periods of time. Pair meats with complex carbs (barley, lentils, whole wheat, green wheat, semolina...etc) and high fiber foods such as beans - white, red kidney, corn, broccoli, artichokes etc.) sustain you from hunger for longer times, and keep your body healthy.

prepare before you go to bed and wake up to a ready meal.

5. Cook amazing meals this Ramadan without laboring too hard in the kitchen! Slow cooking is an excellent method e oven, not only helps you produce succulent food, but it also allows you more free time to rest and spend with your family. Slow cooking is also an excellent way to have Suhoor ready without spending hours at night preparing the meal. Simply

6. OBE Organic, Halal, Grass-fed minced beef is an excellent choice of proteins to have for Suhoor without having to spend a long time in the early morning to prepare this meal. Minced meat does not require a long time to prepare and can be cooked and added to a lentil or barley pilaf, or fried with eggs, or made into oven-grilled kafta patties to be had with yogurt, all of which can be prepared real quick, but will sustain you for a long time, enabling you to fast a long day with ease.

2. Proteins are a better source of energy than any other food type and you need to sustain your levels of energy during a long day’s fast.

Carbs turn into sugars inside your body, which give you instant energy but then cause the energy levels to drop shortly after. While proteins give you a more enduring energy that lasts you way longer. Therefore it is best that you consume more proteins during the Holy month.

3. Don’t sacrifice your health during amadan. People tend to over indulge after breaking the fast, which troubles their digestive system and causes them to put on extra weight even though they fast the whole day. Beef is generally leaner than other red meats and it is important to choose healthier during Ramadan.

4. Ramadan is a month where you can detox your body from all the toxins that could be building up and what better way to do this than eating only organic and grass-fed beef. Take this chance and choose OBE Organic Halal and Grass-fed beef that contains no chemicals or any toxins whatsoever and help your body detox.

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Cooking with kids: Inspiring Cheflings with the spirit of Ramadan This will be our first Ramadan in Dubai. We moved here a little more than a year back and we weren’t in the city the last time around. This year however, things are a little different - we are here, Ramadan is falling much earlier and Sara is getting an opportunity to learn about Ramadan at school.

Some of her Muslim classmates might be keeping their first Ramadan and it would be nice to support them.

We too have been discussing the significance of this holy month with her. With all the extravagant Iftars around, I want her to understand the essence of Ramadan - why it is so special for all her friends who are observing it and how she can be a part of this.

Ever since we have moved here, we have been helping her to embrace the Emirati culture. Be it Haq-Al-Lailah, where she received dates and sweets from some of our friends and we made fruit bars to share with everyone, or now Ramadan and then the Eid. I want her to appreciate the traditions associated with Ramadan and how ‘sharing and giving’ are the fundamental principles behind it.

Just like in Diwali, when we share what we have with the less fortunate. It could be something really simple like donating some of her toys, clothes or books to the needy; things that she picks from her own cupboard to understand that sharing is about having a big heart or giving away some of the coins that she has collected over the year and buy an icecream for child who has never had one or perhaps making something for the underprivileged. Simple gestures 10

are often the biggest.

Dried-fruit truffles Ingredients »» 1/4 cup almonds »» 1/4 cup walnuts »» 1/4 cup cashews »» 1/4 cup dates pitted »» 1 tsp honey »» a pinch of salt »» 2-3 tbsp of desiccated coconut/white sesame seeds

We often make this truffle recipe at home and this Ramadan, my little chefling will be making these for her friends. The recipe is loaded with the goodness of dates, which are rich in vitamins and minerals. It also contains nuts which are good fats for the body, especially growing children. The truffles are a breeze to make and once you’ve blitzed the ingredients, the little ones can assist you in rolling them into balls or even make them into fun shapes using cookie cutters. Feel free to substitute the nuts according to your child’s liking and enjoy these little bites of heaven with them. My little chefling & I wish you all Ramadan Kareem!

Prachi Grover orangekitchens.blogspot.ae Method 1. Put everything except the desiccated coconut/ white sesame seeds in a dry grinder and blitz till it is a smooth paste.

2. Roll into balls, taking one tablespoon at a time.

3. Next, roll these truffles into the desiccated coconut sesame seeds.

4. Give them to your fasting friends as the sun goes down.

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Inspired Recipes: Ramadan meal rituals, and glorious Lgeimats As we welcome Ramadan, I felt the urge to write a post about this holy month and what it means to us Muslims.

Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic Lunar Calendar and it is also the month when the Holy Quran was revealed to the last Messenger of God, Prophet Mohammed Peace Be Upon Him via the Angel Jibril. Whilst all of you know that Ramadan is a month of fasting from dawn to dusk, the purpose of this month is to teach us patience, to be pious, restraint from temptations, food, drinks, sexual activities and to seek greater things beyond worldly pleasures.

As Ramadan moves closer to the summer months (according to the lunar calendar, Ramadan always fall 10 days earlier than the previous year), fasting becomes tougher as the time we break our fast (Maghrib) pushes on to 7:30 pm as opposed to 5:30pm during the winter season.

Who am I to complain though when Muslims in Europe observe Iftar around 9:30 pm in the summers!

It is a month when many special dishes appear on the Iftar Menu, recipes that are not usually cooked in the Emirati Kitchens during other times of the year - Harees and Lgeimat in particular.

Even if you’re not a foodie, Ramadan is an interesting month as food is the only thing that is on your mind before breaking the fast. It’s almost funny because you’re bound to catch at least 2 or 3 co-workers browsing food sites at 11am in the morning, in search for inspiration for that evening. Bear in mind that come Iftar time, you’re prepared to eat a whole a cow!

Speaking of which, over eating is a very common practice during Ramadan. As I mentioned earlier, restraint is one of the things that Ramadan teaches you to practice and it ought to be applicable even 12

after a person breaks the fast. It’s not that you’re not allowed to eat whatever you want, rather, you need to learn to consume food in moderation. It’s common sense anyway.

Our culture calls for eating in two installments upon breaking our fast.

The first installment is when Maghrib call to prayer prevails. We eat a few dates with a glass of laban or soup.

The men go to pray in the mosque whilst the women pray at home and after the have finished, they help setting up the dining area. By this time, half an hour would have passed so that your stomach starts to accept more food. While you’ll still be hungry, you will also notice that you get full after a few bites.

The problem is, when you’re fasting, your mind flashes you images of all the dishes you want to eat, so by default you end up cooking or putting more food on your plate than you can handle and end up feeling bloated and wasting food.

Talking of wastage, it’s certainly not a respectful way of using up resources, no matter how abundant or scarce they are. Ramadan is a time to reflect upon your actions and give more to the less fortunate.

So when making meals, always leave aside a plate or two to give away to the man who washes your car, or guards the building you live in. At least that way, you’re making sure that you won’t end up with leftovers to throw. Unless you’ll utilise it for Suhoor of course.

Suhoor is not the easiest meal to wake up for it occurs anytime past midnight to just before Fajr timing.

The later you observe Suhoor the better it is, because then the food can serve as a source of energy through the fasting hours.

Fasting is a rewarding experience for the mind, body and soul and as you intensify on praying and reflect on habits to make a change for good, not just during this holy month.

Lgeimats (translated it means mini-bites) are light, deep-fried, miniballs of dough that are traditionally drizzled with date syrup. It is an Emirati tradition to make lgeimats in Ramadan.

The main challenge is to give the lgeimats a well-rounded shape.

Traditionally, the dough is dropped into the oil by hand and it takes a lot of practice to achieve the right shape.

However, Lgeimat dough-droppers are easily found in most of the big supermarkets here and any MiddleEastern specialty store.

Another method that can be used is to fill a large sandwich bag with the dough, snip off the end of the bag, squeeze the dough into a tablespoon that has been dipped in salted water and drop bit by bit into the oil.

Lgeimats

Ingredients »»

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

»»

1-1/2 cups whole-wheat flour

»»

2 tbsp cornstarch

»»

1 tbsp sugar

»»

1/2 tsp salt

»»

1- 1/4 cups warm water

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1 tsp instant yeast

Shaima Al Tamimi www.potsandpatterns.com Method 1. Stir the yeast and sugar in warm water until it dissolves well. Add the saffron threads and set aside till bubbles rise on the surface.

»»

few saffron threads

2. Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add in the yogurt and water mixture and mix until all the ingredients are incorporated. Let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 hr.

»»

oil for deep-frying

3. Heat the oil in a frying pan or a

»» 1/2 small pot plain yogurt (room temperature)

deep fryer and drop the balls of dough using one of the methods mentioned above.

4. Frequently turn the balls over in the oil to ensure they are browned evenly. Remove once they achieve a golden brown color and place them onto an oil absorbent paper.

5. Drizzling options: date syrup, sugar syrup, honey, icing sugar, toasted sesame seeds.

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My Ramadan: Suhoor through the Years

Photograph courtesy Palace Hotels and Resorts

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Holly S Warah www.arabiczeal.com

Most people know about Iftar, that pivotal meal during Ramadan that breaks the dawn-to-sunset fast.

Another Ramadan ritual is Suhoor, the early morning meal typically eaten in the pitch-black hour just before dawn.

My introduction to Suhoor was in my husband’s family home in Bethlehem.

It was my first Ramadan, and I fasted “for the experience.” At about 3:30 am, my husband’s family gathered on the floor, seated around a low table in the sitting room, florescent lights on, tea brewing, eggs frying.

What I remember well was being woken by a man whose job it was to walk the streets in the middle of the night beating a drum and shouting supplications in Arabic. The whole neighborhood woke up: shops and bakeries and pajama-clad neighbors buying rounds of fresh bread.

The food at the table consisted of a protein dish such as eggs, hummus or ful. Little plates were set out: jam, laban, chunks of sesame halva, and triangles of Laughing Cow cheese - all eaten with bites of bread. Gracing the table was always tea, strong and sweet, flavored with mint, prepared in an aluminum tea pot and served in tiny tea glasses.

Back home in Washington State, as a young wife during Ramadan, I recreated a variation of this Suhoor for my husband. I set out the same tea in the same pot and arranged little plates of nuts, dried fruits, jam, yogurt, and sesame halva - lots of dishes, but nothing cooked. I was aiming for maximum visual impact with minimal effort.

Some years later, I began to fast myself, this time for real. Out of fear of fainting from starvation, I woke up extra-early to serve myself elaborate Suhoors - including fruit, main course, side dish and dessert (yes, it’s true), followed by American coffee and two Tums.

Then our family grew, and gradually one by one, our children began to fast.

Suhoor took on a whole new

importance: I wanted to fill my three kids with as many calories, nutrients and liquids as possible. My friend Rima told me about her Arab-American Suhoors growing up in Michigan. In the middle of the night, the house was brimming with aroma of food. Rima and her brothers would come to the dining table spread with an array of Arabic foods - just as her mother pulled from the oven a pan of homemade cinnamon rolls. I wanted to be that mother.

But I never was. Not even once.

Like breakfast, Suhoor is a personal thing. Naturally, each kid wanted something different. The oldest wanted a bowl of cereal, the youngest, eggs, and the middle child insisted on a Nutella sandwich on white bread with no crusts (whatever). Some of these Suhoors were served bedside with me begging the child to eat a piece of fruit and drink a glass of something. Anything!

I still had this vision of us eating Suhoor together. That’s when the candle tradition started. My daughter simply could not stand the lights flipped on in the middle of the night.

So, we started the candle-lit Suhoor.

As the kids got older, they began to wake themselves and prepare their own Suhoor. For a mother, this is a revelation. Suhoor got easier. I could focus on my own meal of oatmeal with raisins and walnuts.

And last year, we had the most slovenly Ramadan ever. It was August in Dubai, the heat beastly, and the kids off school. We slept until noon (or later) and often stayed up until suhoor.

We didn’t eat our typical Suhoor foods, but rather a continuation of the grazing since Iftar. We were shameless.

And this year, what will Suhoor hold for our family? Time will tell, but I suspect it will involve Nutella and candles. The food will not be the same as those first Iftars in Bethlehem; however, I hope to gather the family around the table in the same way that my mother-in-law did.

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The month of Ramadan is a holy time of physical cleansing, mental reflection, and intense spiritual connection all across the Islamic world. The sacred ritual of abstaining from eating and drinking from sunrise to sunset, observed by Muslims globally, has far-reaching implications beyond physical restraint.

Join us on the roads of Dubai to hear the Islamic call to prayer as well as to bring dates and water to our lips in observance of breaking the fast per Islamic tradition in the Middle East.

Learn about the significance of Ramadan, whilst experiencing a 4-course ‘Iftar’ menu that features some of our favourite seasonal Ramadan treats: refreshing glassfuls of a date and rosewater drink, bowls of heartwarming Arabian lentil soup, Iraqi meat and bulgur patties, fried baby pancakes stuffed with fresh clotted cream...and so many others that we keep discovering in our hunt for the best Iftar treats around town.

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Recipes: the best from our blogs, Ramadan Inspiration

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Recipes: Drinks - Non-alcoholic thirst quenchers to partner your Iftar Kokum Sharbat Ingredients »» »» »» »» »» »» »»»»

Kokum -12 Sugar-3/4 cup Water-1 cup Black salt-1/2 tsp Roasted cumin powder-1/2 tsp Lemon juice- 1 tsp(optional) Ice cubes -few

Method 1. Soak kokum in a cup of warm water for 45 minutes.

2. Grind the soaked kokum in the mixer (along with the water) and make a smooth paste.

3. In a pan add sugar and water and boil for approx 5-8 minutes and make a syrup (thick, like gulab jamun syrup) 4. Let the syrup cool down completely.

5. Add the kokum paste in the sugar syrup and mix well.

6. Strain the syrup through a fine sieve.

7. Now add black salt, roasted cumin powder and lemon juice in it.

8. Now the kokum sharbat concentrate is ready.

9. You can easily store this concentrate in the refrigerator for a week.

10. To serve - Add 3 cups of chilled water and ice cubes in the concentrate (optionally add some mint leaves) 11. Apply some lemon juice on the rim of the serving glass.

12. Mix some sugar and roasted cumin powder and spread it in a plate.

13. Dip the glass rim in this mixture.

14. Gently pour the sharbat in the glass and serve.

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Anjana Chaturvedi www.maayeka.blogspot.ae Kokum is a very healthy and cooling fruit, famous in the coastal areas of India especially in the Konkan region. They use it in various ways, especially as a souring agent in the curries. Kokum butter is commercialy used in confectionery. The kokum fruit has many medicinal properties. It can be applied directly on the skin for allergy cures. It is also a very good antioxident, and aids digestion. Kokum butter is sometimes an ingredient in beauty products.

Kokum sharbat/drink is made with the soft kokum which is deep purple in colour. The dried fruit is soaked, mashed and then sugar syrup, black salt and roasted cumin powder is added.

This drink can also be made with fresh kokum fruit.

Once made, the thick concentrate can be stored in the refrigerator for a week.

Frozen Aam Pana/ Green Mango Pulp Ishita Saha www.ishitaunblogged.com Aam Pana or the Green Mango Drink is a great coolant, perfect to combat the Dubai summers. The mango concentrate can be very easily made at home and stored for some time.

Ingredients »» 14 green mangoes »» 1-1/2 cup sugar »» 1/2 tsp rock salt »» 1/2 tsp ginger powder »» 1/4 tsp roasted cumin powder * »» 1/2 tsp organic food colouring »» mint leaves, morecumin powder and a pinch of salt for garnishing Method 1. Soak the green mangoes for a while and pat them dry. This will make sure that the sticky substance that oozes out from the mangoes are gone.

2. Smoke the green mangoes evenly on all sides on fire (You may use barbecue coals as well).

3. Peel the skin off and scoop out the pulp from inside.

4. Purée the pulp in a blender with sugar, rock salt, roasted cumin powder.

5. Put it in an ice-tray and freeze.

6. To serve, pour the frozen green mango ice cubes into a jug of water and add mint leaves, roasted cumin powder and let the herbs soak in a while to infuse some aroma and it’s herbal benefits. Stir before you serve.

7. Wet the rim of the glass and sprinkle a bit of salt before serving.

Notes »» Roasted cumin powder: In a skillet or a flat bottomed frying pan, dry roast cumin seeds. Stir constantly for a minute without burning them. Grind the roasted cumin seeds finely into a powder. »» Initially the water turns out to be mildly flavoured but as the pulp melts the water soon catches the strong taste. »»

You may wish to boil or grill the green mangoes.

»» Add the ‘smoky’ smell by placing the pulp of the mangoes on a plate, setting a small piece of paper on fire on the same plate and covering the entire plate with an iron bowl. »»

Add sugar according to preference.

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Beetroot Kheer/ Payasam Ingredients

Method

»» 1/2 cup shredded beetroot/ beets, tightly packed »» 2 cups full fat milk »» 6 tbsp condensed milk or 1/2 cup sugar »» 1 tsp cardamom powder »» 4-5 cashew nuts »» few almond silvers for garnishing

1. In a pressure cooker, add ghee.

When it becomes hot, add the shredded beets along with cashew nuts and saute for 3-5 minutes in a medium flame.

2. Next, add milk to it, mix well and close the lid of the cooker. Let it cook for 4 whistles in a medium flame.

3. Let it cool and let the pressure release on its own. Open the lid and using a hand blender, blend the beets with milk to a smooth liquid.

Kheer/Payasam is an easy dish that can be prepared using a pressure cooker.

It is deliciously pink and a treat for the hungry eyes.

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4. Take it back to the stove, add condensed milk or sugar, cardamom powder and mix well.

5. Let it sit on the stove until it becomes frothy (takes about 5 - 8 minutes in a medium flame).

6. Stir constantly during that time and scrape down the sides too.

Garnish with almond silvers and serve warm.

Priya Srinivasan www.enveetukitchen.com

Horchata

The horchata originally came to Mexico via the Spaniards, who called it Agua— or horchata. It’s a very cooling drink with spicy foods, and would be an innovative exchange for Salep, a traditional Iftar drink.

Ingredients »»

1/3 cup long grain rice

»»

1 1-inch piece Mexican cinnamon

»» 2 1-inch strips lime or lemon zest plus grated lime zest, for garnish »» 1 cup whole blanched almonds, lightly toasted »»

1 cup sugar

»»

½ tsp. pure vanilla extract

Method 1. Put the rice in a blender or spice grinder and process until it’s completely pulverized, with a flourlike texture.

2. Transfer into a large container and add the cinnamon, lime zest, and almonds. Stir in 2 cups water, cover, and let it sit overnight 3. Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until as smooth as possible.

4. Add 2 more cups of water, mix, and strain into a pitcher through a sieve or colander lined with damp cheesecloth, pouring carefully and slowly and pressing the solids with the back of a wooden spoon to extract as much liquid as possible.

5. If you have lots of bits remaining in the cheesecloth, blend again with some of the strained liquid, then strain over the damp cheesecloths once again.

6. Stir in the sugar and vanilla, then taste and add more sugar if you like.

7. Serve over ice, garnished with fresh lime zest or sprinkle freshly grated cinnamon.

Swati Bansalrao swatibansalrao.com 21

Recipes: Breads and Baked items to complete your table Karelian Pasty – traditional Finnish food with Emirati twist

Minna Herranen www.nakedplateblog.com

Ingredients »»

200 g rye flour

»»

60 g wheat flour

»»

200 ml cold water

»»

1 tbsp salt

»» 1 tbsp sunflower or other cooking oil For the filling: »» 200 g Egyptian rice (or any sticky rice like Calrose), for Emirati version use Harees »» 1 lt milk, for Emirati version use Camel milk »»

1 tbs salt

»»

1 tbs oil

»» melted butter for brushing ready baked pasties Method 1. Mix all the first ingredients together to make dough and leave it rest for a while. Dough can be frozen for later use and it lasts well in fridge few days.

2. Cook rice (or Harees or barley if you use) together with milk to texture and consistency of porridge. In heavy bottom pot combine milk, oil and salt bring to boil and add 22

rice (harees or barley). Stir constantly to prevent sticking and burning.

Continue cooking and stirring at low heat for 30-45 minutes or until rice (harees or barley) is done.

3. Preheat oven to very hot 250-300°C. 4. Roll rye pasty crust dough into 4 pieces of equal size, 10 cm long rolls.

5. Cut each roll into appx 1.5 cm long pieces, dust each in flour (half rye and half wheat).

6. With rolling pin roll each piece into a thin oval. (see notes) 7. Put 2 to 3 tbsp of rice (harees or barley) porridge on the middle of each pasty crust.

8. Pull the sides of the pastries up and crimp them up to close the sides around the filling.

9. Bake the pastries on parchment lined baking sheet in the very hot oven for 10 minutes until they turn slightly golden brownish.

10. Brush with melted butter straight after taking them from the oven.

11. Cover with parchment paper and tea towel to allow pasties to soften.

Notes: »» I used pasta machine to make thin crusts. First use your fingers to flatten the dough button, then pass it through the machine to make it thinner, the knob on the

machine on mark 3. Repeat once again dusting the dough with flour if needed on both sides before passing it through the machine, the knob on the machine on mark 7.

Algerian Bread or Khobz Eddar Ingredients »»

250 g of wheat flour

»» 250 g of durum wheat fine semolina »»

1 tsp of salt

»»

11 g of dry instant yeast

»»

1 tsp of white granulated sugar

»» 1 tsp of zaatar (or caraway or cumin seeds) »»

1 tsp of nigella seeds

»»

200 ml of lukewarm milk

»»

1 egg

»»

1 egg yolk for the brush

Method 1. In a large bowl, add the flour, semolina and start sifting with your fingers.

2. Make a small well in the middle and add dry yeast, nigella seeds, zaatar and sugar.

We have included Linda’s handmade instructions. She also has the method best used for a mixer available on her blog linked above.

3. Mix all the ingredients with your fingers.

4. Add salt, egg and pour the lukewarm milk slowly over it.

5. Knead with your palms and continue to pour the milk, little by little.

6. Knead until the dough becomes soft and non sticky (15 minutes).

7. Put the dough into a bowl, cover the dough with a kitchen towel and let the dough rise for 1 hour in a warm place.

8. After an hour, restart kneading with your hands for about 10 minutes.

9. Bend and fold the dough by using the palm of your hands and your fingers (you can hear the noise of the bubbles from the dough under your fingers).

10. Grease a round oven tray and place the dough.

11. Flatten the dough with your palms.

Linda Ottawa lapetitepaniere.com

12. Brush the top of the dough with an egg yolk.

13. Draw lines with a knife.

14. Sprinkle zaatar and nigella seeds alternatively.

15. Let the dough rise for another 1 hour (the dough will not rise much).

16. Preheat the oven to 200ºC degrees 17. Bake for 30/35 minutes or till the bread turns golden brown.

18. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

23

Saffron Scones with Date Syrup & Pistachios

Jasmine Perrera peartreediaries.com

Ingredients

Method

»» 2 cups all-purpose flour

1. Mix flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.

»»

3 tsp baking powder

»»

pinch of salt

2. Soak saffron strands in milk for few minutes.

»» 1/3 cup oil (olive or vegetable)

3. In a cup, put in oil and egg and beat well. Add milk with saffron.

»»

1 egg

»»

1/3 cup milk

4. Pour the wet mixture into the flour and mix until combined and forms dough.

»» 1/2 tsp saffron (strands) »» 4 tbsp date syrup (dibs) »» 1 tsp pistachios, chopped

5. Place the dough on a floured surface and pat down with your hands until about 5 cm thickness and cut into rounds.

6. On a greased baking tray, placed cut dough and bake in a hot oven 200°C for 10 – 15 minutes.

7. Serve with date syrup and chopped pistachios.

Chattipathiri Ingredients

»»

4 cups of water

»»

a pinch of salt

Chicken mince »»

500 g chicken

Dip

»»

3 large onions

»»

2 cups of thick coconut milk

»»

1” piece of ginger

»»

1 tsp of garam masala

»»

6 cloves of garlic

»»

few sprigs of coriander leaves

»»

3 green chillies

»»

1 tsp chilli powder

»»

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

»»

1 tsp pepper powder

»»

1 tsp garam masala

»» few sprigs coriander leaves, chopped Pancakes »» 24

2 cups all-purpose flour

3. Remove the bones and shred the chicken into small pieces (you may use a food processor).

4. In a medium sized non stick pan, heat oil.

5. Add the chopped onions and saute till it turns soft. Now add the chopped chillies, ginger and garlic and saute for 3-4 minutes.

Method

6. Mix the shredded chicken and saute well for 10-15 minutes. Toss in pepper powder and garam masala according to your preference.

Chicken mince

7. Stir in the chopped coriander leaves.

1. Cut the chicken into big pieces.

Rub the chilli and turmeric powder on the pieces and keep aside for 15 minutes.

8. Turn off the flame and let the mixture cool.

2. Cook the chicken pieces in a little water and salt (you may use a pressure cooker).

Pancakes 9. Beat the flour and water in a

blender to get a lump free batter. Add the salt.

10. Heat a non stick pan, add a big ladle of batter and cook on one side on low flame. Do not toss the pancake. The pancake should not be too thin, or else it might tear while layering.

11. Transfer the pancakes to a greased plate or newspaper, once finished.

Do not keep the pancakes on top of each other as they will stick to each other .

Putting it all together 12. Take a deep bottomed non stick pan and grease with ghee.

13. Take a pancake. Dip it in the coconut milk and keep in the pan.

14. Spread about 2 tbsps of the chicken mince over the pancake.

15. Repeat the process of adding layers of pancake and chicken mixture. The top most layer should be a pancake.

16. When all the pancakes are arranged, pour the remaining coconut milk over the layers.

17. Sprinkle a few drops of ghee around the sides of the pan.

18. Cover the pan with lid and cook on medium flame for around 20 minutes, until the coconut milk is absorbed.

19. Transfer to a plate upside down and cut into slices to serve

Najla Koya foodiecorner.wordpress.com

25

Gingerbread Lamp

Ingredients »»

250g butter, softened

»»

2/3 cup soft brown sugar

»»

1/2 cup date honey (dhibs)

»»

2 eggs, beaten

»»

4 cups flour

»»

1/2 cup self raising flour

»»

2 tbsp ground ginger

»»

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

»»

1 tsp ground cloves

»»

2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

»» 15-20 clear boiled sweets (lollies), crushed with a mortar and pestle into coarse powder. »» 1 1/2 cups icing sugar 1/2 tsp coffee essence »»

1/2 tsp cinnamon

»»

1-2 tbsp boiling water

Method 1. Prepare your template (sample alongside) 2. Preheat oven to 180 C. 3. Cream the butter, sugar and golden syrup with an electric beater. When light and fluffy, add the eggs gradually.

4. Switch to a wooden spoon, and add all dry ingredients, sifted together. As dough firms up, remove from bowl and knead a little on a floured surface.

5. Divide the mix into four, and wrap 3 pieces in plastic wrap and refrigerate.

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6. Place the remaining piece between two pieces of baking paper and roll to 1/2 cm thickness.

Remove top piece and cut to size of template pattern. Remove excess and place with other pieces in the refrigerator. If desired, imprint with a design (fondant or

cookie cutters work well – I have used an 8-petal flower ), and cut holes all the way through for the ‘windows’.

7. Bake for 10 minutes on a lined baking tray. While you are waiting, prepare your second piece.

8. When 10 minutes is up, remove the piece and quickly yet carefully fill the holes with a thick layer of powdered lollies, taking care to get into all corners, but not onto the surface of the gingerbread as it quickly melts and sticks. Put back in the oven for 2 minutes, or until lollies have melted. Don’t burn the gingerbread!

9. Repeat until all pieces of the template are complete. Set aside to harden for at least one day. Cover with a cloth once cool.

10. Combine icing ingredients, starting with 1 tablespoon of water, and increasing little by little if it is too dense to stir. You are aiming for a very thick paste.

11.

Use a piping bag to attach

sides to each other. Tie a string around the standing house/lamp until dry. Use a knife in a cup of boiling water to smooth over rough finishing and tidy up.

12. When dry, make another batch of icing, or add a little boiling water to reserved mix, and paint thin layers in areas you wish to adorn. Press in decorations before it dries This recipe is also featured in Dima Sharif’s Ramadan Special 2014 -

Sarah Walton www.thehedonista.com

Recipes: Starters, sauces and Sides Lentil and yoghurt soup Ingredients »»

2 tbsp olive oil

»»

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

»»

1 large onion, chopped

»»

5 cloves garlic, finely minced

»»

2 tsp cumin

»»

1 1/2 cups lentils

»»

6 cups vegetable stock

»»

juice of one lemon

»»

1 cup yoghurt

»»

salt and black pepper to taste

»»

fresh parsley to garnish

Method 1. Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the carrots, onions and all by 1/2 tsp of garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally until softened (Approximately 10 minutes).

2. Add the cumin, and cook, stirring, until fragrant (about a minute or so).

3. Add the lentils and the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook, covered for 25-30 minutes, or until lentils are soft.

4. With a hand blender, puree the soup until smooth, add the lemon juice and season to taste, then cook for another minute or so to integrate.

5. Whisk the yoghurt with garlic, sald and pepper and give the soup a generous swirl before garnishing with parsley and serving.

Dalia Dogmoch www.daliaskitchen.com 27

Egyptian Chickpeas Soup - humus sham Ingredients »» 4 cups chickpeas, precooked (or 2 cans) »»

1 onion, cut into 8 pieces

»» 2 big tomatoes, cut into 4 pieces »»

2 tbsp tomato paste

»»

4 garlic cloves, crushed

»»

1 tsp cumin

»»

½ tsp black pepper

»»

½ tsp chili powder

»»

1 tsp salt

»»

8 cups water

»»

2 tbsp olive oil

»» Method 1. In a deep pan, heat the olive oil and add in the onion. Stir for few minutes.

2. Add in the garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste and keep cooking for few minutes.

3. Add the chickpeas, the spices and pour on the water.

4. Keep cooking for 20 minutes to help the chickpeas to get all the flavors.

5. Squeeze some lemon juice on before serving.

Assia Othman assiakitchen.com

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Image credit: Sally Prosser

Assia’s Khmisa Collection consists of two beautiful mini cookbooks - Tagines & Shorbahs. Through these cookbooks Assia shares her passion for Moroccan and Arabic cuisine in particular and also International cuisine. They have been specially created for sharing authentic recipes which can be made at home and are available at most supermarkets and bookstores.

Fattoush Ingredients »» 1 big lettuce, chopped into 1 inch strips »» 2 medium tomatoes, chopped into cubes or 4 cherry tomatoes »»

2 big cucumbers, chopped into cubes

»»

1 big onion, cut into slices

»»

2 pods of garlic, chopped

»»

1 medium lemon, squeezed

»» 1 cup pomegranate seeds or 1/4 cup of pomegranate concentrate »»

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil – 1/4 cup

»»

salt as per taste

»»

2 tbsp sumac

»» 2 Arabic Pita Breads, toasted or grilled until golden brown and broken into squares of 1 inch »»

sprig of mint leaves, dried

»»

1 cup parsley leaves, chopped

»»

1 cup mint leaves, chopped

»»

1 sprig rosemary

Method 1. For the Dressing: Mix sumac with lemon juice, pomegranate concentrate or 2 tbsp pomegranate molass, garlic and dried mint. Add olive oil, salt. Add lemon juice or pomegranate concentrate according to your desired level of sweetness-sourness.

2. Coat the Pita Bread pieces with olive oil and set them aside.

3. Mix lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions in a mixing bowl.

4. Add the pomegranate seeds, olive oil, pomegranate concentrate, salt and the toasted Pita Bread pieces.

5. Add the dressing and mix well 6. Sprinkle some sumac and add the fresh leaves to serve.

Ishita Saha www.ishitaunblogged.com

Sumac is a popular spice used in Middle Eastern cuisine to add a lemony taste to salads or meat. It is readily available in supermarkets here.

To make Pomegranate concentrate, boil 1lt of pomegranate juice for 4 hours in low flame to get a thick pomegranate syrup. This can be refrigerated upto months. (Or you can purchase it from the Arabic section in the supermarket!)

29

Baby Spinach Salad with Dates and Almonds Ingredients »»

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

»»

1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced

»» 100 g Medjool dates, pitted and quartered »»

30 g unsalted butter

»»

2 tbsp olive oil

»» 2 small pitas, about 100 g, roughly torn »»

75 g almonds, roughly chopped

»»

2 tsp sumac

»»

1/2 tsp chilli flakes

»»

150 g baby spinach

»»

2 tbsp lemon juice

Method 1. Put the vinegar, onion and dates in a small bowl. Add a pinch of salt and mix well. Leave to marinate for 20 min and then drain any residual vinegar and discard.

2. Meanwhile, heat the butter and half the olive oil in a medium frying pan.

Add the pita and almonds and cook them on medium heat for 4-6 min, stirring all the time, until the pita is crunchy and golden brown.

3. Remove from the heat and mix in the sumac, chill and 1/4 tsp of salt. Set aside to cool.

4. Toss the spinach leaves with the pita mix in a large bowl. Add the dates and red onion, remaining olive oil, lemon juice and another pinch of salt.

Taste for seasoning and serve immediately

30

Homemade Hummus Swati Bansalrao swatibansalrao.com

Adapted from Ottolenghi Ingredients »»

250 g dried chickpeas

»»

1 tsp soda bicarbonate

»»

1.5 lts of fresh water

»»

270 g tahini paste

»»

4 tbsp lemon juice

»»

4 garlic cloves, crushed

»»

100 ml ice cold water

»»

salt

»»

Pine nuts

»»

Parsley

Method 1. Soak the dried chick peas in cold water a day before. Leave them overnight.

2. Next day, drain the chickpeas. Place a medium saucepan on high heat and add the chickpeas and soda bicarbonate. Cook for about 3 min, stirring constantly.

3. Add 1.5 lts of fresh water and bring to a boil. Cook, skimming off any foam and any skins that float to the surface.

The chickpeas can cook for anywhere between 20 to 40 min, depending on the type and freshness. Once done, they should be very tender, breaking up easily when pressed between your thumb and finger, almost but not quite mushy.

4. Drain the chickpeas.

5. Place the chickpeas in a food processor and process until you get a stiff paste.

Then, with the machine still running, add the tahini paste, lemon juice, garlic and 1 1/2 tsp of salt.

6. Finally, slowly drizzle in the iced water and allow it to mic until you get a very smooth and creamy paste, about 5 min.

7. Transfer the hummus into a bowl and cover it with a cling film. Let it rest for about 30 min. Drizzle a bot of olive oil, sprinkle some toasted pine nuts and freshly chopped parsley on it. Use straight away or refrigerate until needed.

Make sure to take it out of the fridge at least 30 min before serving.

31

Raw Artichoke Salad

Ingredients

Method

»» raw heart of artichoke, thinly sliced

1. Clean the artichokes: Rinse thoroughly with water, and place it upside down on a clean cloth to dry.

»» medium sized potato, peeled and cut into bite-size cubes »» avocado, pitted, peeled and diced

32

»»

2 tbs capers

»»

handful of basil (green or purple)

»»

1 juice of lemon

»»

2 tbs olive oil

»»

1 clove garlic, crushed

»»

pinch of salt and pepper

2. Cut off about 3cm of the artichoketop. Using kitchen scissors, trim the pointed part of the leaves.

Start removing the dry green leaves starting with the outermost, pulling it downward. Continue doing this till you reach the soft pale leaves. Peel off and clean the stem using a sharp knife.

3. Cut it into two halves. Remove the purple leaves and the inedible chokes using a small spoon.

4. Put the ready halves immediately in water with some lemon juice so they won’t change color.

5. Prepare the dressing by adding juice of lemon, olive oil, crushed garlic clove, salt and pepper.

6. Pour half of the dressing on the potatoes and put in an oven for roasting.

7. Once the potatoes are done, toss in all the ingredients.

Nisreen M. Shawwa www.monsterscallmemama.com

Quick homemade tomato ketchup Have you ever wondered what ingredients go into your condiments? A product like ketchup is so quick and easy to make, and yet we find it easier to reach for a bottle of the ready made stuff. Since summer is arriving and tomatoes will be bursting into season, it’s a great time to make some of your favourite tomato based sauces. This one will last in the refrigerator for a few weeks, provided you store it in a sterilised jar. Since it’s all natural, try not to double dip with a spoon that has been dipped in other foods (or licked) as it will only spoil the sauce sooner.

Ingredients »» 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil »» 1 large brown onion, peeled and diced »» 2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced »» 500 g fresh tomatoes, chopped »» 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar »» 1 tbsp honey »» 1 tsp wholegrain Dijon mustard »» 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon »» 1/4 tsp ground cloves »» 1 whole star anise »» 1 bay leaf »» salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Heat the oil in a pot. Sauté the onions and garlic on medium heat until they have softened and the onions are translucent.

2. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer gently with the lid on until the tomatoes are very soft - about 30 minutes.

3. Discard bay leaf and star anise.

4. Using a hand blender, puree the sauce to the desired consistency.

5. When the sauce is cool enough to handle, pour into a sterilised jar. Allow the sauce to cool completely before sealing with the lid. Keep refrigerated until required.

Irini Savva www.irinisavva.com 33

Dry fruits stuffed Dahi Vada Ingredients »» 1 cup black split lentil or urad dal »»

asafoetida - a pinch

»» 10-12 pieces cashew nuts, chopped »»

25-30 raisins

»» oil to deep fry the vadas or dumplings »»

salt to taste

Ingredients for the Garnish »»

3 cups of yogurt

»» 1/2 cup tamarind chutney (available in regular supermarkets) »»

1 tsp red chilli powder

»»

1 roasted cumin seeds

»»

1/2 tsp black salt

»» 2 tbsp freshly chopped green coriander »»

2 tbsp pomegranate seeds

Method 1. Soak urad dal in water for 3-4 hours. Drain and grind into a smooth batter using very little water.

2. Transfer into a mixing bowl and add asafoetida and salt. Whisk the lentil paste well in a circular motion in one direction, so that the batter becomes fluffy and the vadas soft.

3. Heat oil in a kadhai or wok, wet your palms and place a lime sized dollop of the lentil paste on your palm, flatten it to form a 2” - 2.5” patty. Place a few pieces of chopped nuts and raisins on the flatten patty, wet your hand again and place a little bit of paste over the nuts to cover and seal well.

Repeat the same process to make 34

Preeti Alam www.spicynotes.net

vadas of the remaining batter.

4. Carefully slide the vada into the hot oil, fry until golden brown.

Drain and soak vadas in cold water (for almost 30-45 minutes before serving).

5. In a large mixing bowl place the yogurt and whisk well so that there are no lumps in it. Squeeze the vadas between your palm to remove any excess water. Place the vadas in the whisked yogurt for 10 minutes before serving.

6. Arrange the dunked vadas on the serving bowl, Pour the remaining yogurt over the vadas.

Garnish with red chilli powder, roasted cumin powder, black salt, tamarind chutney, chopped green coriander and pomegranate seeds.

Vegetable Sheek Kabab.

Ingredients »» 1 cup of mixed vegetables, chopped (carrots, french beans, green peas) »» 1/2 cup of paneer or cottage cheese »» 2 medium boiled potato, mashed »»

3 green chillies

»»

1” piece of ginger

»»

Garlic - 3-4 cloves

»»

1/4 cup fresh mint leaves

»»

2 tbsp cornflour

»»

1/2 tsp garam masala powder

»»

Salt to taste

»»

1 tbsp chat masala

»»

Oil for shallow frying

»»

12- 14 bamboo skewers

Method 1. Place the chopped vegetables, ginger, garlic, green chillies, mint leaves and paneer in a food processor and mince them.

2. In a large mixing bowl add the minced vegetables, mashed potato, garam masala powder, salt and cornflour. The corn flour and mashed potato will help the vegetables bind together so they can be shaped into kababs.

3. Once the kabab mixture is ready, divide equally into lemon sized balls (approximately 12 - 14). With wet palms, shape each of them onto individual bamboo skewers to form kababs. Ensure that you press the ends firmly, so that they don’t fall apart. (if you are using bamboo skewers please soak them in water for at least 2-3 hours before using or they will tend to burn)

Preeti Alam www.spicynotes.net

4. Heat oil in a shallow non stick pan, place the kababs on it and cook in moderate flame. Keep rotating the skewers at intervals so that the kababs are well done on all sides.

5. Once the kababs are done, drain and keep aside on absorbent paper and sprinkle some chaat masala.

6. Serve hot along with freshly made salad and green coriander chutney or ketchup.

Notes »» Before you mince the vegetables, ensure that they are completely dry, potatoes are well mashed and there are no lumps as these would make the kabab fall apart. The binding has to be right so that the kababs don’t all apart, so if required, add a tablespoon of corn flour. If you have a grill at home, then there is no need to shallow fry.

35

Stuffed Tomatoes Tagine

Assia Othman assiakitchen.com

Ingredients »»

5 big tomatoes

»»

5 eggs

»»

3 tbsp coriander, chopped

»»

3 tbsp parsley, chopped

»»

2 tbsp tomato paste

»»

1 can diced tomatoes

»»

100g fetta cheese

»»

100g emmental cheese, grated

»»

½ tsp ginger

»»

½ tsp cumin

»»

1 tsp paprika

»»

1 tsp salt

»»

½ tsp black pepper

»»

2 tbsp olive oil

Method 1. Cut the tomatoes from the top, remove the seeds and sprinkle with some salt. Turn it opened side down in a plate. Keep aside to remove excess of water .

2. In a deep bowl, mix the parsley with coriander, tomato paste, spices, garlic qnd olive oil to form a “sharmoula” (Sharmoula Blend is a spice mixture that is used in Morocco and the Mediterranean region) 3. Take one big tablespoon from the sharmoula and add it to the canned tomatoes. Bring to boil in a tagine for few minutes.

4. Meanwhile, mix the rest of sharmoula in the bowl with fetta and emmental cheese.

5. Divide the eggs, the egg yolks should be not beaten, but place them carefully in a small bowl to use them in the last step of the recipe.

6. Add the egg whites to the sharmoula- cheese mixture. Mix well, then full the tomatoes with this 36

mixture.

7. Place the egg yolks on the top of each tomato for a beautiful look.

And place the tomatoes on the top of the tomato sauce boiled previously in the tagine.

8. Low the heat, cover the tagine and keep cooking for 15 minutes until the eggs are done.

Notes »» This recipe can be cooked in the oven also. »» Sharmoula Blend is a spice mixture that is used in Morocco and the Mediterranean region)

Recipes: Main Courses - Traditional Iftar dishes from around the world Ingredients »»

1 kg of mutton

»» ½ kg of wheat grains (soaked in water for 1 ½ hour) »» 1 cup of gram lentils (soaked and boiled) »» 3 medium onions (thinly sliced) »»

2 tbsp garlic ginger paste

»» 2 tsp garam masala powder (1 is for garnishing) »»

2 tbsp red chilli powder

»»

1 ½ tbsp coriander powder

»»

1 tsp turmeric powder

»»

Salt to taste

»»

Pinch of soda

»»

1 ½ cup ghee

»»

1 bunch of fresh mint leaves

lentils in a food processor. Make it into a thick paste by adding 2 cups of water while processing it.

4. Pour the lentil paste into the meat and wheat mixture and stir to mix well. Place the pan on a griddle on low heat and cook for 30 to 40 minutes.

Haleem

Ishita Saha www.ishitaunblogged.com

5. Fry the sliced onion in ghee or oil and drain on absorbent paper towel. When the Haleem is cooked, sprinkle fried onions, garam masala powder, fresh mint, and coriander leaves. Garnish with cumin and ginger. Keep a little of the seasoning separately and serve with Haleem.

»» 1 bunch of fresh coriander leaves »» Green chilli (finely chopped - to taste) »»

4 lemons (cut in quarters)

Method 1. Heat ghee in a pan. Put the meat, add ginger and garlic paste, red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and salt. Cook on medium heat.

2. In a separate pan, boil wheat grains with lots of water, add salt.

When the grains become tender and mushy add a pinch of soda and cook further for 15 to 20 minutes.

3. Now mix the wheat grains with the meat and mix well. Stir continuously so that both are mixed properly. Now grind the

37

Creamy Fish & Capsicum Tagine Ingredients »»

800 g sword fish loins

»»

6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

»»

1 red capsicum

»»

1 yellow capsicum

»»

1 green capsicum

»»

4 tbsp chives, chopped

»»

2 lemon, juiced

»»

¼ tsp cumin

»»

¼ tsp ginger

»»

½ tsp white pepper

»»

1 tsp salt

»»

2 cups cooking cream

»»

2 tbsp butter

Method 1. Start by roasting the capsicums on the top of your stove or in the oven, until becoming dark. Rub into a plastic bag and keep rest for 10 minutes.

2. Peel the capsicums and remove the dark burned skin. Dice the capsicums and keep aside.

3. Season the fish with salt and pepper. Squeeze lemon juice on top.

4. Heat the butter in a pot. Cook the fish from both sides to give him a very light golden color.

5. Add the garlic, the diced capsicums and the cumin. Keep cooking for 10 minutes.

6. Now add the cream, low the heat then cover. Cook for additional 10 minutes.

7. Sprinkle with chives and serve.

Assia Othman assiakitchen.com 38

Assia’s Khmisa Collection consists of two beautiful mini cookbooks - Tagines & Shorbahs. Through these cookbooks Assia shares her passion for Moroccan and Arabic cuisine in particular and also International cuisine. They have been specially created for sharing authentic recipes which can be made at home and are available at most supermarkets and bookstores.

Chicken Shawar ma

Sukaina Rajabali sipsandspoonfuls.com

Ingredients »» 500 g boneless chicken, cut into 1” cubes »»

2 tbs canola oil

»»

½ cup yoghurt

»»

1 egg, beaten lightly

»»

juice of 1 lemon

»»

1 tsp pepper

»»

1 tsp cardamom powder

»»

1 tsp cinnamon powder

»»

salt to taste

»»

½ tsp red chilli flakes

»»

½ tsp garam masala

»»

2 tsp garlic paste

»»

1 tsp ginger paste

For the salad »» Petals of 1 small rose (washed we1 cup finely sliced lettuce »»

1 cucumber chopped

»»

1 tomato chopped

»»

3 tbs chopped coriander

»»

3 tbs pomegranates

For the dressing »»

½ cup yoghurt

»»

juice of 1 lemon

»»

2 tbs chopped coriander

Method

»»

2 tbs chopped mint

»»

salt to taste

1. Marinate the chicken in all the ingredients and set aside for an hour or so. Heat a non stick pan on medium to high heat and add the marinated chicken. Stir fry the chicken until it has cooked through and is dry- less than 10 minutes.

Make sure you break up the chicken with a wooden spoon and keep stirring as it cooks.

To serve »» 6 Arabic pita breads (makes 6 large shawarmas) »»

Tabasco sauce

»»

Baking paper

2. Assemble the salad by mixing all

the ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix together all the dressing ingredients.

3. To assemble the shawarma, heat the pita bread on a skillet to warm it.

Divide the salad amongst the six pita breads. Top the salad with the chicken. Drizzle the yoghurt dip over the chicken and add a dash of Tabasco sauce. Roll the pita bread tightly and wrap in baking paper.

Serve immediately.

39

Chicken Fatteh Ingredients »» 2 medium chickens (about 2.5lbs each), cut into pieces with bone and skin »»

6-8 cups of water

»»

1 tbsp whole cardamom

»»

1 tbsp salt

»»

1 tsp cracked black pepper

»»

1 cinnamon stick

»»

2 bay leaves

For the yoghurt sauce: »»

6 cups low fat yoghurt

»»

1/4 cup water

»»

2 tbsp tahini

»»

2-3 garlic cloves (finely minced)

»»

salt and pepper to taste

»»

1 large arabic flat bread

»»

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

»»

1/4 cup toasted almonds

»»

1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley

Method 1. Place the chicken and water in a large stockpot on a high heat, making sure that there is enough water to just cover the chicken. Add the cardamom seeds, salt, pepper, cinnamon stick and bay leaves, and bring to the boil.

2. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and simmer until the chicken is tender, approximately 45-60 minutes. Allow to cool.

3. When cool enough to handle, remove the skin and take the meat off the bone.

4. Take 1 cup of the chicken broth, pass it through a seive and simmer in a small saucepan until reduced by 40

half. Set aside.

5. While the chicken is cooking, whisk the yoghurt and the water, then add the sesame paste, garlic, salt and pepper and mix well. set aside.

6. Cut the arabic bread into squares and sautee in a pan in oil, or toast gently and set aside.

7. Assemble the dish by layering a serving dish with a little of the yoghurt mixture, place the chicken on top, drizzle some stock, add more yoghurt and then top with the toasted bread, nuts and parsley to serve.

Dalia Dogmoch www.daliaskitchen.com

Dima Sharif www.dimasharif.com

Dawood Basha is one of the most famous Levantine stews. While the classic recipe calls for using lamb meat, and usually not in the form of Kafta but rather as cubes and at times on the bone. Beef is leaner than lamb, so it is a good option when you are limiting the amount of fat in the recipe. The classic Samneh (traditional clarified butter) has been substituted with olive oil for a leaner and healthier option.

With that said, there is no compromise on the flavour here.

Ingredients »»

1 kg onions, finely sliced

»»

1 cup oil

»» 1 kg tTomatoes, peeled and pureed »»

1 tbsp tomato paste

»»

1 lt organic beef broth

»»

salt & black pepper to taste

»»

juice of 1/2 lemon

»»

1 kg minced Beef

»» 1 small red onion, peeled and quartered »»

Dawood Basha

3. Grease a baking tray with oil and place the Kaftas on it, rolling them in the oil to coat. Season lightly with salt and black pepper, and roast in a 450ºF oven for exactly 5 minutes, turning once throughout. Once done, remove from the oven and set aside.

4. Heat oil in a large deep saucepan. Caramelise the onions on medium heat until golden (do not over cook or the taste will become bitter). Stir the onions very often, and keep the saucepan covered in order not to scorch the onions.

5. Once caramelised, add the beef broth and bring it to a boil. Add the pureed tomatoes and tomato paste and season to taste.

6. Now add the Kaftas and lemon juice, stir and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring frequently.

7. Serve hot, sprinkled with toasted pine nuts and chopped fresh parsley as garnish, alongside rice pilaf and a side of yogurt.

1 clove garlic

»» 1 bunch parsley, use leaves only, washed and drained »»

salt & black pepper to taste

Method 1. Start by making the Kafta balls.

Place the meat, the quartered onion, garlic clove and washed parsley leaves in a food processor and season with salt and black pepper. Then process until smooth.

2. Remove from the processor, and using a measuring spoon, divide the Kaftas into 1 tbsp pieces.

Shape each piece into a ball by rolling between slightly damp palms, or by shaping into Kebabs (roll the ball onto a short snake).

Repeat until all Kafta pieces are shaped.

41

Lamb and Date Tajine Ingredients »» 1.5 kg lamb shanks (roughly 3 large pieces) »» 100 g pitted and chopped dates »» 1 inch thumb size piece of ginger (chopped) »» 2 garlic cloves (chopped) »»

1 tsp paprika

»»

2 tsp cumin

»»

2 tsp cinnamon

»»

1 tsp nutmeg

»» 2 tbsp vegetable oil »» 1 large onion chopped »» 1 stick cinnamon »»

3 pieces star anise

»»

4 pods black cardamom

»»

1 lemon, zest and juice

»»

1 tbsp tomato puree

»» 1 organic tomato (or any) stock cube »»

3 to 4 stands of saffron

»»

2 medium sized potatoes

»» 1 -1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper »»

parsley, freshly chopped

Method 1. For the marinade: blend the chopped ginger, garlic and dates (with a couple tablespoons of water to loosen the mixture) and combine with paprika, cumin, cinnamon and nutmeg to make a paste.

2. Coat the lamb shanks evenly and pop into a large zip lock bag or 42

container to marinate over night (or for a minimum of 8 hours).

3. Pre-heat the oven to 165ºC 4. Heat up the vegetable oil in a Dutch oven or a good Tajine pot.

Pop in the lamb shanks and cook on high heat for roughly 30 seconds or until browned on all sides. Do this one by one and set aside.

5. In the same oil cook the onion until brown. Add in the Cinnamon stick, star anise, black cardamom pods3 and cook for 1 minute. Add the salt, ppper, stock cube, the tomato puree and the rest of the marinade into the pot; bring it to a simmer and then add half a cup of water with the juice of lemon, the lemon zest and saffron milk to loosen the paste.

6. Pop in the potatoes and the browned lamb shanks; once it starts to simmer, give it a stir, place the lid on and cook in the oven for 3 hours, occasionally stirring.

7. Serve with a garnish of parsley over a fluffy bed of couscous.

Notes 8. Zip lock bags work better than containers as it coats the marinade evenly all around the meat.

9. Make sure to bring the marinated shanks to room temperature before cooking 10. Crush the cardamom pods open enough to see that the nose has split open (you don’t want to smash it to bits). This will allow for the aromas to better infuse the dish. Alternatively a couple gentle hit with a rolling pin should do the trick.

11. Saffron milk: With a couple teaspoon of milk in a mortar, crush the saffron threads until split open.

Alternatively you can also use water.

Splitting them open is the best way to maximize the aromatic flavor of saffron.

Drina Cabral www.eaternalzest.com

OPEN DOORS. OPEN MINDS. Ramadan 2014 JOIN US FOR A CULTURAL IFTAR DURING THE HOLY MONTH OF RAMADAN Held in the courtyard of our wind-tower house in the heart of the Al Fahidi Historic District of Old Bur Dubai, your evening begins with the Athan (the call to prayer) followed by the breaking of the fast with your Emirati hosts and enjoy Arabic coffee and dates. Then take a moment to watch your hosts pray, before Iftar is served. During which you are invited to ask any questions you may have about Ramadan, the culture or the traditions of the UAE. After Iftar, join us for a visit to the Diwan Masjid, before returning to SMCCU house for dessert and tea.

The gathering for the Iftar Events will commence approximately 15 minutes before the call to prayer every evening from Tuesday the 1st of July until Saturday the 26th of July.

Tickets are AED135 per person, under 12’s are free. To reserve an evening exclusively for your organisation, and or private groups please contact SMCCU for details. All payments must be made in advance. For more information or to make a booking, please contact us.

Tel: 04 353 6666.

Email: smccu@cultures.ae Website: www.cultures.ae Bespoke at cultural programmes are Located in House 26, Al Musallah Road, Book Online http://www.cultures.ae/index.php/online-booking-now available for faculty & parent groups.

Al Fahidi Historic District, Bur Dubai Come and experience our ‘Open Doors.

Open Minds’ Activities Inquire though your schools programme Tel: +971 4 353 6666, Fax: +971 4 353 6661 contact for more information.

smccu@cultures.ae www.cultures.ae

Follow us

f SMCCUDubai

43

Recipes: Desserts sweet enough to see you through the night and the day.

Monochrome Chocolate Cake with Hamsa motif Ingredients »» 100 g dark chocolate (e.g. 85%), chopped »» ¾ cup (187.5 ml) grapeseed Oil »»

1 cup castor sugar

»»

1 teaspoon vanilla

»»

4 eggs

»» 1 1/2 cups self-raising flour »»

60 ml cream

For the fudge frosting: »»

150 g white chocolate

»»

150 g butter, softened

»» 1 1/2 cups icing sugar, sifted For the Hamsa (or “Fatima’s hand”) decoration: »»

100 g dark chocolate

Method 1. Preheat oven to 170°C. 2. Melt chocolate in the microwave.

3. In a large bowl, mix melted chocolate and oil, then add eggs and vanilla and whip vigorously.

4. Add cream, then put the electric mixer away.

5. Add self raising flour through a sifter and incorporate gently but thoroughly with a wooden spoon.

44

6. Spoon into prepared pan and smooth the cake’s surface. Bake for around 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. It could take from 35 minutes up to about 50, depending on the diameter of your tin.

7. For the frosting, melt chocolate then leave to cool slightly. Whip up butter until fluffy, then start adding icing sugar. When combined, add cooled melted chocolate gradually until smooth. Add more icing sugar if mixture is too loose. Using a butter

knife and a cup with very hot water (dip and dry off to assist spreading as the frosting starts to stick to the knife rather than the cake) smooth on the frosting.

8. Put the cake in the fridge to cool for 1 hour.

9. Warm the remaining dark chocolate in the microwave. Taking a firm plastic bag (e.g. a snap-lock freezer bag), spoon the chocolate into one corner.

Snip the tiniest amount off the corner to make a decorating pen. If you are lucky, you may have a

store-bought decorating pen, or a clean squeezybottle with a very fine nib.

10. Decorate as desired, then chill cake further until you are ready to eat.

Sarah Walton www.thehedonista.com

French chocolate and beet cake

Ingredients »»

5 tbsp caster sugar

»» 275g dark chocolate, chopped (I used a combination of 80% and 70% dark chocolate) »»

75g unsalted butter

»»

2 tsp vanilla extract

»»

5 eggs, separated

»» 100g beetroot purée (apprx 150g small organic beetroots) »» 40g wholegrain spelt flour, whisked to remove any lumps »»

Pinch of salt

»»

Icing sugar for topping

Method 1. Wash, trim, halve the beetroots and place them in a baking tray.

2. Pour in enough water to cover the bottom of the tray and cover with foil.

3. Bake at 240C/475F/ Gas 9 for about 1 hour or until cooked through (you can also boil the beetroot if you prefer).

4. Allow to cool and process into a purée in a food blender.

5. Measure 100g for the recipe 6. Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas 3.

7. Butter a 24cm round springform cake tin and

sprinkle with a little castor sugar.

8. Roll the sugar around the tin to coat all sides and tap the rest out.

9. Melt the chocolate pieces, butter and 2 tbsp castor sugar in a large heavy based pot over low heat. As soon as the chocolate and butter melts, remove from heat and beat in the egg yolks one at a time. Stir in the beetroot purée and flour and set aside.

10. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with the salt until soft peaks form.

Add the remaining 3 tbsp castor sugar and beat until stiff and glossy. Beat in about a third of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and gently fold in the rest until there are no remaining white streaks in the mixture. Do not over mix.

11. Pour into the prepared cake tin, tapping it gently to release any bubbles.

Bake for 35 minutes. To

test if the cake is done, the top should spring back when touched. Remove the sides of the cake tin and let the cake cool on a wire rack. Don’t worry if the cake deflates - it’s supposed to. Dust lightly with sifted icing sugar and serve.

Irini Savva www.irinisavva.com 45

Cinnamon Pecan Swirl Bundt with Cinnamon Glaze Ingredients For the cake: »»

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

»»

1 tsp baking soda

»»

2 tsp baking powder

»»

1/2 tsp salt

»» 3/4 cup butter, room temperature »»

1 1/2 cups white sugar

»»

3 eggs

»»

1 tsp vanilla extract

»»

1 cup buttermilk

For the swirl: »»

3/4 cup pecans

»»

1 tsp ground cinnamon

»»

1/2 cup brown sugar

»»

Pinch salt

For the glaze: »»

1 cup powdered sugar

»»

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

»»

2-4 tsp milk

»»

Pinch of salt

Method 1. Preheat your oven to 180°C and prepare your Bundt pan by greasing it liberally with oil, butter or cooking spray.

Now shake a little flour around in the grease until the whole inside is well coated. Set aside.

2. Toast your pecans lightly in a dry skillet on the stove. When the pecans have cooled, chop them with a knife.

3. In a small bowl, mix together the ingredients for the swirl, including the chopped pecans. Set aside.

4. In another bowl, mix together your flour, baking 46

soda, baking powder and salt.

5. In a big mixing bowl, combine the butter and sugar. Beat until light yellow and fluffy. Add in the vanilla extract, then the eggs, beating well between each addition.

6. Now add in a third of the buttermilk, followed by a third of the flour mixture, beating between each addition. Continue alternating buttermilk and flour until it is all mixed together and your batter is complete.

9. Cool for about 15-20 minutes, then turn the cake out onto a plate and leave to cool completely.

10. In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar, vanilla, pinch of salt and two teaspoons of milk. Mix thoroughly with a small spoon.

Keep adding milk one teaspoon at a time until the glaze is barely pourable. Drizzle it over the top of the completely cooled Bundt.

7. Spoon about half your batter into the prepared Bundt pan and smooth it out. Then sprinkle on the swirl mixture.Top with the remaining batter, smoothing it out when you are done.

8. Bake for about 30-40 minutes or until the cake is lightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean.

Stacey Rushton www.foodlustpeoplelove.com

No-Bake Date Cheesecake Ingredients

Method

For the dates layer: »» 400 g dates, deseeded and chopped »»

2tbsp butter

»»

6 tbsp sugar

»»

1/4 cup water

For the cheesecake layer: »»

200 ml fresh cream

»»

2 tins Nestle cream

»»

1 tbsp gelatin

»»

2 tbsp sugar

»»

1 tsp vanilla essence

»» For the whipped cream layer: »»

1 sachet Dreamwhip

»»

1/2 cup milk

»»

1 tsp vanilla essence

1. For the dates layer: Heat a pan. Add 2 tbsp of butter.

When it melts add 6 tbsp of sugar. Let the sugar caramalise on medium flame.

2. Add the chopped dates to the caramalised sugar. Stir and mix in the dates. Add about 1/4 cup of water and continue to mix till the water evaporates and you get a soft paste of dates.

3. Spoon the dates paste to the pudding dish or individual glasses.

4. For the cheesecake layer: Mix 200 ml fresh cream and 2 tins of Nestle cream and 2 tbsp sugar.

5. Soak 1 tbsp of gelatin in 5 tbsp of cold water for about 10 minutes.

6. Double boil the gelatin till it is completely dissolved.

7. Add the gelatin to the cream mixture. Add 1 tsp vanilla essence.

8. Pour the cream over the dates layer and refrigerate it for 3-4 hours.

9. For the whipped cream layer: 10. Beat 1 sachet of Dreamwhip powder with 1/2 cup of milk and few drops of vanilla essence using an egg beater for 5-8 minutes.

11. Pour the whipping cream over the cheesecake layer and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Najla Koya foodiecorner.wordpress.com

12. Note: The cheesecake tastes best the next day, as it gives enough time for the dates flavour to be well absorbed by the cheesecake layer.

47

Date & Walnut Loaf Cake Ingredients »»

250 ml boiling water

»»

225 g dates, chopped

»»

1 tsp baking soda

»»

75g butter

»»

1 egg

»»

1 tsp vanilla essence

»»

225 g caster sugar

»»

275 g self-raising flour

»»

2 tsp baking powder

»»

1/2 tsp salt

»»

50g walnuts, chopped

For the topping: »»

75 g soft brown sugar

»»

2 tbsp milk

»»

25 g butter

»»

50 g walnuts, chopped

Method 1. Preheat oven to 180 C, and grease a tin loaf pan, or square pan.

2. Pour the boiling water onto the dates, and stir in the baking soda. Leave to stand.

3. Cream together the butter and sugar, then add the egg and vanilla and mix well.

4. Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt a little at a time, until all incorporated. Add the chopped walnuts, and then finally the date mixture, mixing to form a cake batter.

5. Pour into greased tin pan and bake for 50-55 minutes if using a loaf pan, or 35-40 minutes in a square pan. Check whether it is done, and leave to cool in the tin.

48

6. To make the topping, heat together the sugar, milk and butter in a small saucepan. Boil for three minutes until all the sugar has melted.

7. Take off the heat and leave to cool slightly before spreading on to the cake, and sprinkling with chopped walnuts.

Notes »» If you are looking for a less sweeter version, the topping can be discarded.

Nabeela Ismail www.beelabakes.blogspot.ae

Falooda

Sayana Rahiman www.mymouthisfull.com

Ingredients For the Milk Base: »»

500 ml full cream milk

»»

2-3 tbsp arrowroot powder

»»

Condensed Milk - 1 small tin

»»

Vanilla Extract - 1/2 tsp

»»

Rosewater - 1 tsp

»»

Sugar - 1 cup

»»

Salt - a pinch

For the Saffron Jelly: »»

10 g agar agar

»»

1/2 tsp saffron

»»

Water - to soak

»»

2 tbsp

To Serve: »»

Fresh seasonal fruits, chopped

»» Pistachios, almonds, cashew nuts - soaked for 4-5 hours and chopped »» Sabja seeds - 2 tsp washed and soaked in 1/2 cup water Method 1. Pour milk into saucepan on medium heat.

2. Add vanilla essence, rosewater, sugar and condensed milk and stir well.

3. Stir regularly to ensure the milk doesn’t burn at the bottom of the saucepan.

4. Allow the milk mixture to boil.

5. Add arrowroot powder into a small bowl and mix with enough water to make a watery mixture.

6. Once the milk is boiled, add

arrowroot into the milk. Keep stirring and allow it to thicken.

11. Stir the mixture till the agar agar melts.

7. Once it is ready, take off heat and allow it to cool to room temperature.

12. Pour it onto a flat plate and allow it to cool at room temperature.

8. Soak agar agar in water for 10 minutes.

13. The agar agar will harden into a jelly form.

9. Heat the mixture on a low flame.

14. Cut into tiny diamond pieces.

10. Add saffron and sugar and mix well.

15. Layer milk base with chopped fruits, nuts, agar agar and sabja seeds. Serve cold.

49

Emirati Far ni Ingredients »»

4 cups milk

»»

3/4 cup rice flour

»»

3/4 cup dugar

»»

1/4 cup rose water

»» 1 tsp ground cardamom (placed in an empty tea bag) »»

1/2 cup hot water

»»

2 sachets gelatin

»»

50 g ground pistachio

»»

10 slivered almonds

»»

1/2 tsp cinnamon

»»

A pinch of sugar

Method 1. Place milk, rice flour and sugar in a saucepan over medium-low heat.

2. Whisk constantly until the sugar dissolves and the mixture starts to thicken., making sure to scrape the sides so that it doesn’t stick.

3. Add the rose water, cardamom water and continue to cook until it starts to become glossy.

4. Put 1/2 a cup of the mixture in a smaller bowl, sprinkle 2 regular sachets of gelatin and mix to dissolve.

5. Return the gelatin mixture to the bigger bowl and whisk.

6. Pour mixture into moulds and refrigerate until set.

Notes »» I used individual aluminum moulds to set Farni. »» To de-mould, place the container in a bowl of slightly warm water for a few seconds. Placing it too long will melt the Farni at the base and it won’t de-mould smoothly. »» Omit the gelatine for a thick, custard like consistency.

7. On a small pan, toast pistachio, almonds, cinnamon and sugar lightly.

8. Just before serving, garnish with nut mixture.

50

Sayana Rahiman www.mymouthisfull.com

Date Clafoutis Ingredients »»

300 g fresh dates, washed and pitted

»»

60 g all-purpose flour

»»

90 g sugar

»»

4 eggs, lightly beaten

»»

250 ml, fresh milk

»»

25 g unsalted butter, melted

»»

1 tsp vanilla extract

»»

1 tsp ground cinnamon

»»

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

»»

icing sugar, to dust

Method 1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC. 2. Brush a shallow ovenproof dish or pie plate with melted butter.

3. Slice the dates to bite size pieces.

4. Spread the dates into the dish in a single layer.

5. Sift the flour into a bowl, add sugar and make a well in the centre. Gradually add the combined eggs, milk and butter, whisking until smooth and free of lumps. DO NOT over mix the batter.

6. Combine the vanilla extract, cinnamon and nutmeg powders and mix well.

7. Pour the batter over the dates and bake for 40 minutes or until the batter has risen and turns golden.

8. Remove from the oven and dust with icing sugar. Serve immediately.

Notes: »» For a zesty addition, drizzle 2 tsp of orange juice over the dates before adding the batter. »» If you would like to bake individual servings, reduce the baking time according to the size of your baking dish. The key is to make sure the batter has puffed golden and pulls away slightly from the sides.

Sayana Rahiman www.mymouthisfull.com 51

CULINARY TRAVEL

This issue, we bring you some information about travelling in Ramadan to Muslim countries, and why they should still be on your Culinary Travel destinations list, even in a time of fasting. Then, we take you to four places within easy reach of Dubai, perfect for the Eid Break 52

Sarah Walton www.thehedonista.com

Ramadan and Restaurants - What this means for Non-Muslims and the food traveller The world’s about to be turned upside-down. Breakfast will become dinner, night will become day, and fasting turns to feasting.

For non-Muslim tourists, Ramadan seems to be something to avoid like bad weather. In Muslim countries, everyone fasts, at least in public.

Malls are wastelands, there’s nothing at all to do during the day in this unbearable heat. Everyone is hungry and grumpy. Working hours drop to 10 to 3, and sometimes nobody turns up to open the shop at all.

Ramadan generates its own little off season, and all those who don’t want to fast stay safe and well-fed in their own countries until it is safely over. For the believers however, Ramadan is a string that draws them back to Islamic countries – it’s a time to be united with those of similar goals. Not only that, can you imagine fasting from dawn to dusk in Norway in Summer? No easy task.

But, I’m going to tell you that you should not avoid the Middle East at this time, even if you are a food traveller seeking fodder and cultural experience simultaneously. Ramadan becomes, in fact, one of the best times to experience regional cuisine.

You just have to do it in the dark.

Like many Christian celebrations (Christmas, Easter, etc), Ramadan has become a period of celebration that has commercial appeal, and every single hotel or restaurant has jumped on the bandwagon. There are two words you will see in every brochure, hear in every lobby, and if you are Muslim, possibly dream about under every sun-drenched minute, and they are Iftar and Suhoor.

Iftar This occurs just after sunset (Maghrib), and is the equivalent of breakfast. Yes, you break-fast just

after 7pm. Traditionally it is dates and water or milk (the Prophet Mohammed broke his fast with three dates), similar to a small breakfast many of us would take in the mornings. One of my favourite bloggers, Arva Ahmed, takes us through the legitimate experience here, in a way that almost makes the most gluttonous of us all want to fast.

But that’s not usually what you’ll find when you attend Iftar. And yes, as a non-muslim, you can attend.

Amazing, isn’t it, that you can celebrate the breaking of the fast even though you cracked five hours before, and five hours before that, and probably at several other intervals during your day (even if it was in a cupboard where nobody could catch you).

Iftar when it occurs at a restaurant is generally fairly lavish. It starts after sunset, and most Muslims will not arrive still fasting – they will have broken their fast simply and prayed before arriving. And then, the feasting begins. It’s a little like a splash-up british weekend brunch (without the champagne) – the dishes range from salads through to whole baked animals, syrupy desserts and fresh fruits and vegetables. To be honest, a little fasting is recommended during the day, even for those not wholly committed, because there will be so much amazing food, you’re likely to hurt yourself if you don’t have an empty belly to start.

Suhoor Anyone coming to the Middle East and observing Islamic culture would believe that this translates as second dinner. The hotels and restaurants all seem to serve Suhoor from around 9:30 or 10pm, usually with an a-la-carte menu rather than the feasting style meal of iftar. And I suppose, if Iftar is your breakfast,

then Suhoor is your dinner. However, Suhoor is not usually eaten directly after Iftar, but in fact in the very early morning, just before prayers and the sunrise. For tourists however, or even for those who didn’t make it to Iftar, the hours have crept back into a more suitable restaurant-opening time.

What this means is that all those restaurants that would usually be open for lunch, but have to close during the day for the holy month now get to keep their doors open for a constant service – it’s just at night time. It also means that all those jetlagged Australians and Americans on a stopover to Europe can get up at midnight, walk around the souks while it’s a little cooler (trust me, you’re not doing that during the day at this time of year), and have a shawarma at 4am, then sleep in until the airport dash.

What to eat: »» Harira – this is a Middle Eastern lentil soup with tomato and coriander base, lightly spiced and usually slightly brothy with small chunks of beans, lentils and meat. It can however be quite creamy, depending on how much the chef has decided to puree the mix. »» Harees or Ursiyah – a wheat (or for the latter, rice) dish that can resemble anything from soup to concrete. It should be somewhere in the middle, similar to a congee. It will usually contain shredded slow-cooked lamb or chicken. It’s a gentle, and some may say, bland, dish, that is very traditional during Ramadan, probably due to it’s ability to fill the belly quickly without causing digestive disorders. »» Sambousa or Sambousek – Filo pastry triangles filled with sweet spiced lamb or sometimes feta cheese. Just eat one or two – there

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is plenty more coming… »» Ouzi – this really just means spiced lamb with rice, but during Ramadan, it is so much more. It’s usually a whole lamb (innards included), cooked for 24 hours in a pit. Spices are sweet and fragrant – cinnamon will feature heavily, and will often be combined with nuts and dried fruit. It’s served with all its juices oozing onto a bed of rice, and it’s abloutely incredible. Just make sure you have good light if you don’t like offal, because you might end up with a bit of gizzard if you’re not careful. (leave it for those like us who class it as a delicacy) »» Khoresht Fesenjan – a Persian origin chicken stew made with pomegranate molasses and walnuts.

Deep brown and gluey-looking, but delicious, usually slightly sour (some make it sweet) and gently spiced. »» Maqlouba or Maglouba – translates roughly as “upsidedown”, and is a chicken and rice casserole similar in style to a biryani, but with tomato and more savoury flavours (plenty of cumin) and larger pieces of meat. Can be made with lamb and/or eggplant, depending on the origin of the chef. »» Mujaddara – rice and lentils with savoury spices (like cumin, garlic,

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bay leaf, again will depend on origin of chef), brown lentils and topped with sweet crispy fried onions.

Sometimes has little threads of vermicelli noodle. »» Salad – generally avoided as those breaking the fast tend to head for the richer dishes. However, expect all the standards – fatoush, tabouleh, roca and white cheese, za’atar and haloum, and plenty of raw salad vegetables including radish, which is vital if you want to aid your digestion. »» Qatayef – dessert, served in singular pie form crumbly light pastry, stuffed with white cheese that really just tastes and shares the texture of burrata. Soaked in a cardamom, rose and saffron syrup, and often sprinkled with ground pistachios. Also look for Kunafe, which is sliced from a large flat pan in wedges. Same syrup, same cheese, but topped with crunchy vermicelli-shaped crumble. »» Umm Ali – an Arabic Bread and Butter pudding, but more delicate than the British versions, often made with pastry rather than bread, and flavoured with rose, cardamom and pistachio. Sometimes sprinkled with cinnamon or nutmeg. »»

Muhallabiya – creamy rice

dessert, usually served cold. The rice is ground and so the texture is more like a custard. Pure white, flavoured with rose and pistachio. »» Dates – there will be plenty on offer, particularly as the season has started early this year, so there may be some fresh ones to try. Also expect to find size and shape, colour, and tastes that vary from caramel to molasses to plum.

What to drink »» Jallab – a rose, grape molasses and date concoction, deep red, and resembling grenadine. Served with nuts (usually pine nut or almond) on top. »» Tamar hind – translates as “Indian date” and is, you guessed it, a tamarind drink. Usually sweetened and made with water, lemon juice and rosewater. Slightly sour. »» Kharoub – or carob, is a watery, chocolatey flavoured drink, found only rarely. »» Sahlab – or Salep, a milky hot drink made with the tubers of Orchid roots, and flavoured with orange blossom, nuts, and/or dried fruit. »»

Qamar eddin – a drink made

from sheets of dried apricot paste, usually with added orange juice. »» Lemon juice –not pure lemon juice, but sweetened and slightly dilute like an old fashioned lemonade. Fabulous for the digestion, and very refreshing.

Sometimes flavoured with chopped mint. »» Karkadeh – Cordial made from dried hibiscus flowers. Can be sweet and innocuous, but ususally slightly sour, intense, deep and floral.

Some tips for the uninitiated Eating during the day – this is prohibited for all Muslims (except a few exemptions like children, the aged or infirm, pregnant or nursing mothers), and in public, it’s also prohibited for everybody else. This includes anything that may go in the mouth, so water, chewing gum and even smoking are taboo. If you are caught, you can get arrested for this.

However, the chance of this happening is very low, as most will be offended rather than downright disgusted by your behaviour. Police will probably let you off with a warning as long as you are genuinely surprised and promise to refrain from further gobbling in front of starving people.

Expected behaviour – This is a very holy time, and so you are expected to behave with due respect. All those little laws that are relaxed during the year will be a little more strictly enforced. If you walk around the malls with a tank top and short shorts on, expect to be snarled at. If you are in a traditional area of Dubai, e.g. around the Naif souq, or in other emirates, particularly in smaller towns, you may even get spat at or arrested. Absolutely no canoodling in public, and expect to spend a night in the slammer if you’re a bit too drunk.

Booze – Surprisingly, you can still get alcohol at this time of year in many Muslim countries, and this is definitely the case in Dubai.

However, most venues will remain dry until around 8pm, and will definitely stop service before the sunrise. Liquor stores remain open, but in some cases hours are reduced.

Restaurant openings during Ramadan – Most restaurants will serve food from 8pm to around midnight, with many staying open until just before sunrise during this period. This will definitely be the case in Malls – you cannot even get a coffee during the day, but they will have extended opening hours at

night (usually until 12 or 1am). There are some exemptions, which you will find in subtle areas, usually with a black curtain drawn around, or with entry restricted to back doors.

International hotels will usually have at least one restaurant serving breakfast and lunch, and will continue to offer room service all day.

Your Ramadan Glossary »» Ramadan – also known as Ramazan, the 9th month in the Islamic calendar, when it was believed the Quran was given from heaven to the Prophet Mohammed.

All Muslims that have reached puberty, male and female, must participate in fasting during Ramadan from dawn until dusk. »» Suhoor – also called Sehur and Sahari, translates as “of the dawn”.

Also refers to the very early morning meal. »» Sawm – the fasting time (daylight). Nothing is to be taken by mouth, including water. Thoughts and actions are also to remain pure. »»

Maghrib – sunset.

»» Iftar – breaking of the fast. Also a splash-up buffet »» Laylat al-Qadr – believed to be the night when the Quran was first revealed. Every second night for five nights at the end of Ramadan. The most holy time of the holy month. »» Zakat – charity. Because all deeds committed during Ramadan are more handsomely rewarded than at other times of the year, you will find quite a bit of this going on. This can range from providing meals to strangers, donating clothes and money to the poor or providing whopping great tips to struggling waiters and cabbies. »» Eid al Fitr – the celebration at the end of Ramadan. This is like our Christmas – non-stop partying, public holidays, gifts. Just no big fat dude in red creeping down the wind tower.

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Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Come, pull up a chair. Get cozy and comfortable. I’m going to take you on a little journey and share with you a small part of me. A glimpse into my childhood, where I spent the first 18 years of my life, where my parents still live, where the big five can be found and peacocks roam free, where the ocean has a hundred hues of blue, a haven of peace. This is Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

There is so much to tell you about Dar es Salaam - this post won’t even scratch the surface. Exotic, colorful, lush, tropical. As soon as you land and the rush of hot air hits you hard, you know you’ve arrived.

We had glorious sunshine followed by tremendous outpours. Such stark contrasts. Lush green vegetation cocooned by the deep azure seas followed by arid and red dry land.

Every day we had a different activity planned. Naturally, we spent a lot of time at the various local beaches.

But Dar es Salaam has so much more to offer.

There were visits to crowded local markets in Kinondoni where you would find more exotic produce such as avocados and the crunchiest variety of pears I have ever eaten.

Or the local market in Kariakoo where vendors stalls are literally piled on top of another, produce like little mountains on each table. And sellers hollering and jostling to get your attention. The place is bustling.

We visited The Slipway - a local tourist district from where you can take fishing trips, cruise the Indian ocean, eat local fare and just watch the sun set. We bought some hand crafted wooden souvenirs and local ground coffee to bring back for friends. I was thrilled to catch a man skillfully chiseling some wood to make a delicate carving. We were enamoured with the colorful and saturated ‘tinga tinga’ paintings - a 56

style of painting developed in Dar es Salaam.

Then there was the food, oh the street food. The grilled corn or ‘makaai’ sold at every street cornervigorously scrubbed with keffir lime and a generous helping of chili powder and salt. Deep fried ‘mihogo’ (cassava) drenched in a speciality sauce of local scotch bonnet pepper and tomatoes. And one of my favorites - mishkaki.

Tender pieces of lamb eaten right off the skewer. Coconut water after each meal - ‘ngumu kyasi, maji tamu’ (slightly hard, but with sweet

water we would tell the vendor). Yes, every day. Those are the little things we miss here (in Dubai).

We made sure to eat at least one meal a day at home. In fact, the first meal we had as soon as we came back from the airport had been planned weeks in advance. Slow cooked chicken stew which is then barbequed and simmered again in a rich creamy coconut sauce, ‘kuku paka’ similar to this. With sticky coconut rice on the side. Typical African fare.

As much as we ate at home, we ventured to quaint local restaurants

Sukaina Rajabali sipsandspoonfuls.com

from time to time. Especially those dotted along the beaches. At Mediterraneo, we ate fresh off the boat kingfish which was simply grilled. No spice, no fuss but full of flavor with a side of pickled garlic and scotch bonnet peppers.

Definitely one to replicate at home.

But that’s another post.

Evenings were spent feeding the peacocks that wandered from the fauna and flora garden we live next to. My young daughter wasn’t keen at first but she quickly warmed to their cries in the evenings. She was chasing them in the garden and

before we knew it, they were more weary of her. At night, the days’ culinary adventures were digested with a few slices of papaya sprinkled with passion fruit and a dash of smoked paprika.

We were also lucky enough to visit a dairy farm on our last day. It wasn’t on the agenda, sort of just happened by accident. On the way to a picnic at my aunt’s beach house, I came across a herd of cows- a beautiful sea of velvety browns and blacks. A masaai was leading them to a nearby field to graze. You could tell they were happy cows.

I made a few quick calls and it seemed we were destined to visit.

The farm was owned by a lively Greek man who just happened to be a family friend. His passion for providing his family an open and green space, a place where nature roams freely, a place nature meets nurture led him to develop the organic farm.

Each of the twenty five cows are milked manually. Completely non commercial, the milk produced is given to local school children in the area. When he wants to show a token of appreciation to someone, 57

he will gift them a cow. Anyone who knows local Tanzanians would now how much how heartfelt and revered a gift like that is. Such an inspiring man.

And so we watched a cow being milked and its baby calf being fed from a huge bottle. We were treated to smooth and creamy homemade yoghurt. Eaten Greek style with a dollop of honey. Simple, wholesome and so moreish. We were made to feel part of their family. It was a day to remember. The perfect end to a wonderful trip.

Back in Dubai we are not empty handed. We have these memories locked in our hearts, our bellies are full with the beautiful meals we had and these photographs to remember good times spent. And some pineapples. I knew they would somehow find their way into my suitcase from the moment I had my first bite. Their sweet fragrance still lingers in my suitcase.

That is not all I brought back. There were red scotch bonnet peppersfiery in appearance and taste. ‘Mali maao’, local keffir limes that I have been sprinkling on anything in sight.

Very strong and pungent with a crackled green skin. We’ll be cooking with them in the next few days and I can’t wait to show you the results.

(You can visit Sukaina’s blog linked here for recipes cooked with these ingredients)

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Barcelona’s Market of Everything.

Priyanka Bhattacharya Dutt www.thefoodsoldier.blogspot.ae

Taste a little bit of Catalonia in just 6 bites.

At just 1 Euro. A sign like that needed no further invitation. I veered off the main, bustling street at Las Ramblas and walked into that alley. And just like Alice who fell down that rabbit hole, I walked into that door and found myself in Barcelona’s very own Wonderland - the Boqueria Market.

Nothing had quite prepared me for the sensory onslaught that followed. The sizzling sounds and smell of fish being fried. The clink of glasses being filled with freshly made Sangria. The dizzy array of colours - cherries so glossy and red that they almost looked fake! Chocolates and marzipan in every conceivable shape and size. Above all, the busy din of a market in full swing - the busy bustle of people buying, selling, bargaining.This market was probably a better guide to daily Catalonian cuisine than any of the fancy Michelin starred restaurants outside.

It turns out, that a market I had discovered quite by accident, was in fact, one of the cities oldest markets, dating back to the 1200s.

What started off as a market for butchers and fishmongers had grown to become one of Europe’s biggest markets.

Now usually, we engage with history through monuments or relics. Inanimate, beautifully restored and maintained structures that tell the story of their time and place in history. But here I was, in a market that had survived and endured through the centuries. A slice of history that was not a beautiful museum to be admired from afar, but an organic bustling part of present day Barcelona. I couldn’t help but day dream - Did Gaudi indulge his sweet cravings with marzipan from here? Did Picasso come here for a drink of Sangria? The possibilities were endless. I was standing at a place where history merged with the present so seamlessly.

Of course, with Sangria being sold for less than 1euro, the prices seemed out of history too.

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My Top 10 Food Surprises in Iran Arva Ahmed www.iliveinafryingpan.com The more I have tasted the melting meats, fragrant pilafs, slow-simmered stews and sweet-savoury expanse of flavours expertly navigated by authentic Iranian restaurants in Dubai, the more I have longed to visit. I finally embarked on my first small journey to Iran last week (thanks to Jason Rezaian, Tehran correspondent for the US-based Washington Post). One would hope that this 8-day trip would have quenched my burning thirst to learn more about the cuisine – but far from it. My visit has only fired up new questions, new desires and an even greater hunger to learn, one that will take many more trips to sate.

It must be known that a cuisine as ancient, rich and nuanced as Iranian food is one that varies as profoundly as the climate and terrain of the country – you can wrap up warmly near the Alborz mountains, wipe your sweaty forehead near arid desert ground and have an Arabian Nights moment in shaded lush gardens, all in one week. And I did. The best way to eat through the intricacies borne of such diversity is not in restaurants, but in the homes.

Parking yourself in someone’s home is not as easy of an endeavour unless you peel yourself away from the inspiring and maddening array of monuments, pitch yourself in a city for a decent enough amount of time and interact with the unbelievably hospitable people. When we finally slowed down to connect with a couple who was just gushing to take us home in Shiraz, it was time to fly back to Dubai. This is one of the many reasons why I must return to Iran.

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Nevertheless, despite being limited to the restaurants in Tehran, Isfahan and Shiraz and not covering even 1% of the flavours to be experienced, I am grateful for the mouth-watering food insights that came my way. And even though I have tasted and researched a fair amount about Iranian cuisine in the past, there were still surprises to

be had. Here are the top ten food surprises – a disorderly mix of foods, observations, reflections – that I digested across three of the most well-known cities of Iran: 1. Dried mint + drinking yogurt made out of sheep’s milk = Magic (aka Doogh) It took one sip of the Doogh at our first restaurant stop in Tehran to leave us completely addicted to this milky concoction swirled with dried mint leaves. Served either homemade or from store-bought bottles, the drink leaves a cool minty breeze in the lower reaches of your chest and is the

perfect balance to a kabab orgy that most restaurant runs in Iran tends to become. But the big revelation was that doogh made out of goat/sheep’s milk yoghurt is infinitely more appealing than cow’s milk, making your mouth pucker up at the edges with the sour, sharp tang of the drink before you reach out for your next juicy slab of kabab. It is less common through, the only place we swished down homemade goat’s milk doogh was in the Tehran bazaar, at an impossible-to-find restaurant called Maha. Even if you don’t find a homemade goat’s milk version, I’ll be honest – the store-bought cow’s milk

guidance or local food blogs up on the web – or at least those written in English. If you want to find the best zerehk polo ba murg (rice with barberries and chicken), no one would have psychoanalyzed the subject in the way that croissants have been hunted down in France or shawarmas and Friday brunches have been pinned to online slide shows in Dubai.

I doubt that the cyber restrictions in the country have anything to do with it – everyone has VPN and bypasses the firewalls. Jason suggested that it might be because people in the country are so accustomed to a high standard of flavours that it’s just not something people tend to feel the need to write about. It’s a given, like bathing everyday – except the flavours of an authentic Iranian meal is akin to bathing in a gold and azure-tiled hammam with milk, honey and copious amounts of saffron.

The Lonely Planet, often an excellent referral source of hidden food gems, also fell short in Iran. Other than one decent restaurant recommendation, the edition felt outdated or incomplete in parts, and two of the places we visited were overrun with tourists like ourselves clutching on to their Lonely Planet guidebooks. You’re better off just wandering out on your own.

4. Eerie staircases leading to hidden restaurants. The norm.

doogh with imposter mint essence was pretty darn good too.

2. Sheep fat.

Since we’re on the goat and sheep theme, the use of sheep fat was one of the surprises that wafted up out of a plate of one of my favourite Iranian pilafs, baghali polo ba maahicheh. The strong smell instantly hit me as I brought a spoonful of the rice with dill and broad beans closer to my face. It wasn’t the massive lamb shank on the plate that was gamey in the least – in fact, none of the meats we had in Iran had any strong aftertastes. The nose-curling smell was entirely in the

fat used to cook the rice, and many spoonfuls later, it might grow on you as it did for me. While not for everyone, rice cooked in sheep fat is worth a try at least once.

3. Missing cyber food talk.

At first, this might come as a surprise to those who know how seriously Iranians take their food. Even our in-flight meal was shockingly good – I polished off the tub of fluffy rice and chicken eggplant stew within minutes.

But when you go online, other than one restaurant guide and blogs written by Iranians abroad, there is a big gaping hole for insider restaurant

If it wasn’t hard enough to find restaurant recommendations, the fact that many restaurants are tucked away underground or in some non-descript part of a building takes the challenge of finding them to a whole other level.

It’s almost as if the restaurant doesn’t want you to discover it. One of the best places we visited with a carpet seller (thank you Hossein!) in Tehran had the signboard pictured.... You get my point. Other than a simple Persian lettering on the glass door that we found after our meal, there was nothing to help us ever find Maha again.

5. Fresh-baked bread snug under elbows, on outstretched arms, on anywhere but in a plastic baggie.

This might be typical in other countries of the Middle East, but it just doesn’t happen in Dubai. You never see someone step out on the streets here with an exposed disc of bread clasped between their elbow and their

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side, or like a serving tray on their palms with a tub of butter/cheese poised on top. If only I had been quick enough to snap a photo of someone doing this! But this was typical in Tehran, especially in the morning when people seem to have a simple breakfast of bread, preserves (quince, carrot, sour cherry, we even saw aloe vera), cream, salty feta cheese and/or walnuts. The variety of breads was incredible, though not surprising at all and I’m glad to say I have enough bread tastings in me to warrant a separate post.

6. The glorious Iranian rice crown.

Worlds apart from the burnt blackish crust you find at the base of a rice pot forgotten on your stovetop.

While some Iranian restaurants in Dubai serve food that is actually quite comparable to the above-average joints in Iran – I have yet to eat a tahdeeg here that rocks my world.

After my first tasting of the rice crust I was hooked and made it a point to order it again at every restaurant.

Tahdeeg is intentionally formed on the bottom (taht) of the pot (deeg) after the rice has been steamed. This is the last step in a complex series of washing, soaking, parboiling and steaming the grains in the chelow rice technique. The best tahdeeg were those with a crisp, buttery, golden brown or deep caramel brown crust on the top, soft squishy grains fused together at the base, and heady with the aroma of saffron. In some cases, the restaurants would add yoghurt to the rice and saffron mixture at the base of the pot, making the ‘rice crown’ experience even more tender and sublime.

7. Koresht Mast in Isfahan.

This dish deserves to be singled out on its own pedestal – you’d have to be if you were made out of sugar, saffron, yoghurt, eggs, heaps more sugar and saffron, and…shredded cow or sheep neck.

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The collagen from the neck meat makes this eccentric local stew one that is strikingly similar to a rich gelatinous porridge (a comparison I must draw because of course, we all eat gelatinous porridges every day).

Our local friends in Tehran didn’t vouch for this Isfahani speciality, but against all odds, mum and I actually enjoyed the Koresht Mast at Khan Gostar. At some points, it resembled a

Gujarati hung yoghurt dessert called shrikhand that we love scooping up with deep fried bread at home. And at other points, it brought on memories of a savoury meat and wheat Indian porridge called Haleem that we also love.

[Khan Gostar Restaurant Location: Jolfa Hotel, Hakim Nezami Street, opposite Vank Church on the Armenian-Christian side of Isfahan.]

8. Staggering variety of pickles.

And being an Indian, I thought I knew my pickles. Shops in the Tajrish market as well as across other bazaars we visited in Iran were piled high with a dizzying range of torshi, pickled vegetables and fruits. I was aware that Iranians have an affiliation to sour tastes, but I could never have imagined the variety of pickles on offer – some of which didn’t even resemble ingredients we have seen before. Pickled beans, pickled carrots, pickled corn on the cob, pickled bananas…and naturally, pickled kiwis.

9. Food self-sufficiency.

As it should be, given the global sanctions. But I still didn’t think of Iran as a rich agricultural community and was surprised to learn from Jason – who is particularly passionate about starting a new trend of growing avocadoes locally (“less than 1% of Iran’s population has ever tasted an avocado.”) – that “Iran is one of the most fertile countries on earth, and its land produces great bounty.”

His words rang true as we sauntered through the Tajrish market, bagging up burstingly ripe strawberries for our ride home, watching ladies having their stewing herbs chopped up in bulk, and puzzling over ingredients that stumped even my very own ingredient-savvy Wikipedia – mum.

After a dedicated Facebook inquiry, two Iranians confirmed that this plant is called....Valak. What?!

10. White liver. Chopped and fried.

I’ve spoken about the riceless Isfahani biryani in Dubai before, but now I could finally taste it in its birthplace.

We passed by two biryani shops on our walk through the Nasghe-Jahan bazaar in Isfahan, and thankfully both were conspicuously signposted and were advertising their one and only dish, biryani (but you still have to walk to an underground dining room to eat it.)

A soft pasty patty of fatty lamb mince arrived on a stone-baked sangak bread that had been splashed with a slow-simmered oily broth of bones.

Unlike my experience in Dubai, there was no lamby aftertaste despite the concerningly strong smell in the air.

The portion seems deceptively small, but I’d recommend splitting one order of biryani between two people. If you alternate the tender mince swaddled in bread with swigs of bottled doogh, the meal won’t be as rib-stickingly heavy as claimed by the popular warnings about this dish.

But the surprise lay not in the patty, but rather in the powdery crumble on the side. It bore the telling brown shade of caramelization, with a taste that felt different from the patty in a way we couldn’t quite describe. At the time, it seemed as if the same meat had just been flash-fried on high heat rather than being cooked as a patty.

It was only after returning to Dubai that my Iranian spice shop mentor, Mr. Reza, pointed to his chest and described the crumble as ‘white liver’ (‘black liver’ being the digestive organ as we know it in the rest of the world.)

In Persian speak, white liver is lungs.

Now that that puzzle is solved, I can finally breathe better.

But the biggest shock was a personal one.

Halfway through a weeklong trip with

multiple flawlessly-grilled kabab and koresht (stew) meals to our credit, we simply could not eat meat anymore. It was too much even for me, the girl who blended kababs into a puree when her wisdom teeth were yanked out and she was forced on to a liquid diet. I simply could not consume another kabab. You will be disappointed to hear that there were a few instances when we cowardly took meatless refuge in styrofoam cups of corn mixed with processed cheese, butter and mushrooms (to make things only marginally more respectable, let me assure you that we didn’t let the street stall add mayo to the mix.)

And…chewy bastani, or ice cream, slapped between two wafers. A must-do.For our last meal, we did the unthinkable and caved into pizza, no chano (beef) please. Our super hospitable guide seemed offended that we’d ordered the lesser of the pizza mortals and offered us a slice of his minced beef pizza. This was not the first time that someone had literally put their food into our plate before eating it first themselves. But no surprises there, Iranian hospitality is a well-known fact.

Hats off to a culture that not only nurtures brilliantly rich and complex flavours, but also encourages the warmth and generosity to share them around.

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Eating in South West Sri Lanka

Sarah Walton www.thehedonista.com

There’s a building on the corner next to the market. It’s the same colour as the sea just past a reef in the Maldives. A fresh, colour, both cool and deliciously warm at the same time. But it’s cracked in places, slabs of render have fallen off revealing the ruddy brick underneath. It’s like an incomplete puzzle. Black mould has sprouted in parts, particularly where turquoise meets russet. It follows the cracks in earnest, probably trying to dislodge another chunk. It’s the most prominent building in the market, and yet nobody’s fixed it.

They seem to enjoy its contrast, it’s ruin, like Miss Havisham did in Great Expectations.The market itself is also a contrast of colours, fresh versus ancient, wet and dry, pretty or pretty disturbing. Bananas are happy golden rainbows strung to the rafters.

Game fish lie open and oozing their life juices onto boards criss-crossed with the machete marks of twenty years of fishmongery. Buddhist monks amble in irridescent orange, offering a smile and an opportunity for good karma. Houseboys jostle and shove, squeeze the best fruit and push in line ahead of tiny maids. Vendors jabber at customers and each other in a rolling rhythmic voice that is Sinhalese, battling with the volume of other conversations, braking trucks, tinging bells of bicicles and the incessent horns of rabid tuktuks swerving around the central roundabout.

In this, I was supposed to find a birthday dinner for 14. No tenderloins or potatoes in sight – just a selection of unknown fish, obscure leaves and vegetables and the tiniest chickens I’ve ever seen, complete with their knobbly little yellow feet. I am presented with a supply place of such utter contrast and bafflement, I can’t even tell a fruit from a vegetable.

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l even have research behind me – four years of living with Mary (our Sri Lankan maid and an excellent cook), previous trips to Lanka, and the wonderful Sonya, the cook who came with our villa, who was prepared to help me out with the shopping. But for anyone who doesn’t have these helpers, I’ve included a list of the food to watch out for – both on the street, and at restaurants.

Fish Considered the greatest of the Sri Lankan fish is Seer Fish, a spotted mammoth also known as IndoPacific King Mackerel. If you go game fishing, this is the one you want. The texture is somewhat similar to kingfish or gummy shark.

It’s white fleshed, meaty, rich and if cooked incorrectly dries out horribly, much like tuna can. It will be served either in a fillet or a cutlet. The fishmonger will try and cut it in a cutlet, so make sure you specify. It’s expensive compared to other fish, even at the market. The flavour is quite rich, and so despite its ability to hold together nicely, you would be more likely to find it grilled or baked in restaurants rather than served in a curry sauce.

If you prefer a milder fish, try snapper or para – white fleshed, sweet, small and mild. Stunning when grilled whole in spices.

Dried fish is very common, and can’t be missed, although it does sometimes take a little getting used to. There are the local varieties like kattawa, which you may see drying on rushes by the sides of the roads further south. But the locals are all mad on Maldivian fish – a cured tuna you will find in many curries and sambals (my favourite, Katta Sambal) that has a taste less fishy, and more sea-like.

Fish cutlets are not actually cutlets but fish cakes. If you see them on a menu, grab them. They will be spicy, salty, crumbed and crispy. Lovely with lime and extra chilli.

Seafood Lobster is fairly widely available, delicious, but not cheap. Rock lobster (also known as spiny lobster) is a clawless variety though, meaning you get more tail meat for your rupees when buying it whole by the kilo. It is over-fished in the region, so double-think your purchase – celebrations only. You’ll usually find it served fairly plainly – it’s super when grilled with curry leaves and garlic. You will also see the odd lobster thermidor or curry.

Prawns and shrimp are available all over. Usually tiger prawns, varying

from giants to sweet blue banana prawns (or indian shrimp), and you’ll even find tiny dried shrimp flavouring many dishes. Most are farmed just north of Colombo or on the East coast at Batticaloa. Best way to eat them on the south coast is devilled – flash cooked in a sweet and spicy red sauce. Of course, it’s hard to go past curried prawns too.

Squid and cuttlefish should also be looked for – again, you could try it curried or devilled, but there are also some great dry-fried spicy options, or slow-cooked stuffed squid.

Meat There’s not much red meat available in Sri Lanka apart from frozen beef burgers and breakfast sausages.

For those who partake, you will find the occasional pork dish, which can be surprisingly good. It is only rarely found in rural areas due to lack of demand. The pork is locally farmed and is becoming a profitable industry in Lanka (albeit small). You are unlikely to find it at the market – try supermarkets (Keels is a decent option in Galle) Chicken is the same in Sri Lanka as anywhere – but don’t go looking for anything organic or free-range. A bird over the size of 1200g is also rare. The best thing about Sri Lankan chicken is of course the way they cook it. Go into any restaurant and order “Chicken curry”, and you are guaranteed the best dish available.

Vegetables Grean leafy Gotukola and Kankun are definitely worth a try. The former similar to parsley and usually served raw in a sambal with fresh coconut and lime (usually called Mallung, which translates as ‘mix-up’). The latter is usually stir-fried or curried, and is a little like spinach, but slightly firmer and without the chalky phenols.

Strange looking greens like murunga (drumsticks) are worth a try – when cooked, inside the dry outer is a pulpy sweet flesh that you get at by sucking at the stick like a straw.

Snake gourd also should be 65

considered despite its prehistoric apperance. You might see it listed on menus as cucumber curry, and that’s what it tastes like when it’s cooked (but the “cucumber curry” may also be made from white cucumber – either way, you should try it). Also great stuffed and baked.

There are some other kinds of gourd that might tickle your fancy – the bubbly bitter gourd (or its spiky brother the baby bitter gourd) or the ridge gourd, but they have a stronger taste, and may be a little too much for timid palates.

Yams are a staple, and you’ll find plenty of crazy-looking dirty lumpy things in unlimited shapes and sizes.

They vary in taste from a potato to a parsnip, and are lovely curried or fried and heavily salted.

You’ll also find plenty of ‘normal’ fruit and veg. Eggplant and beetroot curries will make you love vegetables you’ve always hated before. Plenty of carrots, beans, cauliflower and cabbage also.

Fruit Firstly, bananas. you get big ones, giant ones, little ones, red ones, green ones (plantains) and banana flowers. The flowers and the green ones are used for curries, the others eaten raw. Best roadside snack in the world.

Of course there is an array of the standard tropical fruits – mangos (sweet ones are often served with chilli, lime and salt, and the sour green ones used in cooking), beautiful papaya and pineapples the highlights. Look out for rhubarb or pineapple curries on menus – they are savoury and a worthy surprise.

Some weird and wonderful things you might find include the super juicy, tiny, yellowed indian limes, sugarcane sold by the stalk, mangosteen, breadfruit (which actually tastes like potato), rambutans (a hairy lychee), and wood apple (a super sour tamarindlike wooden skinned fruit that smells like death on the outside. It’s mainly used for cleaning, but when sweetened the flesh makes lovely drinks or ice cream) Oh, and coconuts. The yellow ones are for the milk. If you want it grated, 66

get the brown hairy ones.

Street Food Kottu, or Koththu Roti is probably the better known, and available all over Sri Lanka. Translated it becomes “chopped roti”, but there’s more to it than that. Funny thing is, it could be just about anything, and roti is only part of it. It’s a meal in itself – a stir-fry with bread, vegetables, fragrant curry leaves and usually egg. The cheapest dinner in Sri Lanka, and comes with its own show – knives swishing and clacking fast enough to shear a sheep.

Pittu is the local bread – flat, roti bread, made with coconut. Usually gluten free, as it is made with rice flour. Fantastic with onion and dried fish sambal. Pol roti is similar, but experts may tell me I have that wrong.

Isso wadey are the prawn cakes you will find along the roadsides – particularly on the Green in Colombo, but also down further south. Ulundu wadey (Ulundu Vadi) usually comes along on the same stall – a savoury, lenti batter, deepfried donut. Eat them with the spicy salsa, lime juice and salt that the stall handler will probably pop on top withoug you asking.

Cassava chips are Sri Lanka’s gourmet potato crisps. Never in a plastic packet, but bought from behind the glass of a street cart.

Slightly sweeter, more caramelly than ordinary crisps. Yum. Breakfast Hoppers, otherwise known as ‘appa’, come in three styles – plain, egg, or string. Plain hoppers are like a slightly crispy rice pancake (the batter is similar to dhosa mix) cooked in a concave pan so they end up shaped like a basket. Egg hoppers have an egg cracked in as they are cooking, which ends up perfectly soft-poached. String hoppers are a different breed altogether – a noodle cake made of red rice, and usually served with curry. a perfect accompanyment to either is pol sambola – a red-toned coconut sambol, both sweet and spicy, with far too much heat for breakfast (even though you will never get enough of it)

Milk rice (kiri bath) is like rice pudding, but firmer, and less sweet.

It’s tender and mild, in contrast to the spicy accompaniments. Usually cut into cakes, often diamond shaped.

Dessert Watalappan is my personal favourite, when it’s done the way I like it. But the problem is that it’s always a little different. With or without sultanas (Sri Lankans call them plums), cashews, various spices, ranging in colour from creamy to taupe, and texture from creme caramel to baked cheesecake.

Curd and treacle (Kiri Pani) is a constant that kids will adore. The curd is a yoghurt made from buffalo milk, and can be bought in stores in sweet little terracotta pots. The treacle is a mild, maple-like syrup tapped from the Kithul tree (Caryota urens), the same source for jaggery (the sugar used in watalappan) and a variety of alcoholic drinks including toddy, beer and arrak.

Other things to look for include uranda (sweet, deep-fried coconut balls), aggala (kithul treacle sweetened, rice flour balls), wellawahum (pancakes stuffed with coconut and cardamom), Puhul dosi (candied white pumpkin), love cake (wheat cake with cashews and sometimes puhul dosi) and aluwa (a sweet rice flour slice sometimes made with cashews and spices) Drinking Tea – it’s a given, isn’t it? Most will drink Ceylon tea sweet and milky. If you ask for plain tea, it will be black, but also sugared. Richly spiced Masala tea (Indian tea) is also fairly widely available. Most of the tea comes from the hill country further north, but there are some tea factories not far from Galle, which produce a leaf a little broader and denser in flavour than the refined higher altitude product.

Wine is generally imported. There are some grapes grown in the country for wine production but they are specific varietals suited to the tropical climate, but with inferior taste. There are wine stores in most large villages. Stick to recent vintages to avoid heat-tainted

product.

Local spirits are best avoided. Arrak and toddy are kithul tree concoctions that for the uninitiated may possibly cause blindness, and will definitely cause extreme hangovers.

The local lagers are Anchor and Lion – it’s a matter of taste, but I find the Lion crisper and with a finer bubble, making it very well suited to the humidity.

Curry And finally, a note on curry. You MUST understand curry to eat anywhere in Sri Lanka. The word refers to any dish with a spiced sauce, and so is as broad as the flavours the dishes can contain. The fundamental ingredients in nearly all curries from the region include curry leaves, rempe, salt and coconut milk, and to a lesser degree you will find mustard seeds. Most meat based dishes will also contain a curry powder and garam masala that will be a mix of many ingredients, the foremost being chilli and pepper.

Basically, the richer the flavour of the principal ingredient, the stronger the curry will be, and so if you prefer milder flavours, stick with dhal and cucumber curries. Some would compare the flavours to those found in Kerala. There are definitely some similarities.

When ordering curry on the south coast or almost anywhere in Sri Lanka, remember that it will usually be a meal in itself, rather than a singular dish. Chicken curry for instance will usually include steamed rice, then at least four side dishes, the most common of which are eggplant curry, green beans or cucumber, yellow dhal and a fresh raw sambal. Some venues are starting to evolve to the tourist demands however, and you will often also find Rendang and Thai curries – these are more likely to be singular dishes. If you ever see Lampreis on a menu, grab it – this is the original deal, translating as lump rice, it actually includes a range of several curries with rice in the middle, then cooked in a huge banana leaf. Lovely.

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Restaurants

This month, we take a break from restaurant reviews, and provide you with a couple of very useful posts to help you eat out suring Ramadan.

Iftars and Suhoors around Town Iftars for the Culture Vulture Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding (SMCCU) Located in the wind-towered heritage area of Bastakiya in Al Fahidi district, you can learn about the Islamic tradition of fasting here, followed by a walk around the entire historical site and a visit to the Diwan Masjid. Dhs 135/person (children below 12 years free); From 1st of July to 26th of July.

Sacred Sunset Voyages from Frying Pan Adventures Embark on a spiritual Ramadan awakening and learning about the essence of Ramadan. Join Arva, author of I live in a Frying Pan who organises perhaps the only food tour in Old Dubai. Join her on the roads of Dubai to hear the Islamic call to prayer sounded by the mosques in Old Dubai, followed by a 4-course Iftar menu. Break the fast with dates and rosy Jallab (a refreshing drink made with dates, carob molasses, rosewater and laced with nuts and raisins) and taste authentic Iftar specialties from one of the world’s oldest countries – Iraq.

You can feast on a communal platter of tender lamb drenched in delicious sauces; the ‘wet’ component of a traditional Iftar meal and sign off by loading up on qataif - baby turnovers stuffed with cheese, cream or nuts and doused with syrup. In the true spirit of Ramadan, you will be gifting a tray of sweets (already covered in the price!) to a worker in 68

the neighborhood.Dhs 415/person for visiting 4 restaurants/cafes (1 starter + 2 main courses + 1 dessert). There is no walking involved here and restaurant transfers take place in an A/C shuttle. The tour lasts 4 hours and starts at 7pm.

The Majlis Dubai in the Jumeirah Mosque A new humble Iftar find (in terms of Nestled in the grounds of the Jumeirah Mosque, Iftar dining comes in the form of tiered platters of traditional Arabic sweet and

savoury dishes made for sharing.

With the exception of the lentil soup which is served at the beginning, this is Iftar finger style with traditional Arabic food on offer including the Emirati sweet Balaleet and Khanfaroosh. This is a lighter option than the large hotel buffets and is served in a beautiful Majlis setting with a library of Arabic books available to browse as you dine, with the beautiful Jumeirah Mosque in the background. Apart from the sweet and savoury treats, guests are also treated to a glass of camel milk flavoured with dates or saffron and various traditional Arabic juices. Dhs 50/person

Ramadan Neil Walton Tents Photography for a rich and traditional experience www.nwpstudio.com Traditionally, Ramadan tents are erected during the month of Ramadan, where people can meet right after Maghrib or the sunset so that everyone who’s fasting for Ramadan can break their daily fast with friends and family over an Iftar meal. Dates form an important part of Iftar (three dates are eaten to break the fast, in the tradition of the prophet Mohammed, who broke his fast in this manner).

In Dubai, Iftar buffets are organised in many hotels around the city, complete with air-conditioned Ramadan Tents. I have been curious whether the grandeur of these Iftar Buffets contradict some of the very

principles of Ramadan, which is abstinence and self-discipline.

While some of my Muslim friends do not attend these Buffets because the prayer facilities for Maghrib are not there, most of these Ramadan tents nowadays have prayer rooms.

As Dima Sharif explains ‘While in Dubai, and especially among the expat community, Iftar Buffets are very popular – probably because they are away from family, and in Ramadan tradition has it that you break fast with a large number of people – it is not the actual tradition of Ramadan among most and not in fact the most famous forms of breaking fast. Actually, the tradition and spirit of Ramadan (the essence) is very much alive, and that is my focus this year.

Here are the list of some of the places where you can dine lavishly (most of these offerings are from 29th June to 29th August)… a few of them are even open for lunch and some places also serve alcohol.

Also, a first hand account of the from a few blogger friends on the Iftar offerings, based on the media previews.

The Address Downtown Dubai Fazaris welcomes you to evenings of gracious sharing to the tunes of the Oud and Tablah played live.

Succulent dates, favourite Arabic delicacies including juices, mezze, salads, grilled meats and aromatic coffees make up a generous Iftar buffet that is best enjoyed with family, friends and colleagues.

text compiled by: Ishita from Ishitaunblogged.com, Debbie from Coffeecakesandrunning.me and Jasmine from peartreediaries.com

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Dhs 200/person; Timing: Iftar buffet from sunset to 9 pm.

Or you could host your guests over Iftar with a sumptuous buffet at the The Symphony Ballroom, while enjoying views of Burj Khalifa. Price: Dhs 195/person for groups of 100 guests and above; Timing: Iftar buffet from sunset to 9pm.

The Palace Downtown Iftar and Suhour at Ewaan with stunning Ramadan tents where guests can dine and unwind in a festive ambiance, set against the tunes of a live Oud player. Iftar Buffer at Dhs 220/person, inclusive of water and Ramadan beverages; Suhour requires a minimum spend of Dhs 160/person, including food, beverage, or Shisha. Timing: Iftar Buffet from 6.30pm to 9pm; Suhour from 10pm to 2am. More info here.

Lakeside Suhour Tents at Ewaan: Indulge in a private dining experience in your own airconditioned poolside Suhoor Tent decked out with traditional Arabic seating. With views of the Dubai Fountains behind you and the ability to order a la carte this is an experience to be enjoyed with family and friends. Each tent comfortably sits 8 people with large sharing platters of Arabic treats available including succulent kebabs, tasty kibbeh and a whole mezzo of Arabic starters and desserts served by smiling and attentive waiters. Look out for the box filled with Arabic dates, fruit and sweet treats too – perfect for indulging with a Moroccan tea or Turkish coffee. Board games are provided and Shisha is also available. Dhs 1,600 (minimum spend for eight people), water, and Ramadan juices; Timing: 9pm to 2am.

Tailored Iftar or Suhour buffets may also be organised at stunning venues including the Regent Room (25 to 35 guests), and Royale Ballroom (35 to 260 guests).Dhs 155 to 195/person, subject to number of guests. Timing: Iftar from sunset to 9pm; Suhour from 10pm to 1am.

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The Address Dubai Mall

The Address Marina

Na3Na3 offers an extravagant Iftar including live cooking stations, freshly baked delicacies and traditional favourites amidst live performance of acoustic Oud and Kanoun. Dhs 195 /person; Timing: Iftar buffet from sunset until 9.30 pm.

Designed in the manner of a traditional Ramadan tent but inside a modern air-conditioned set up of the Constellation ballroom. If variety is what you taste buds are keen on this Ramadan, The Address Marina Iftar spread is your answer with a multinational fare catering exceptional taste along with dessert which left my taste buds wanting more, and more. How can one resist freshly made churros and the towering of tarts? The tent like set up within the dedicated Iftar hall adds to the ambiance the buffet to keep you going well into the month long Ramadan festivities.

La Porte des Indes, the latest fine dining restaurant serving Indian cuisine with a French twist. You can enjoy a special Iftar menu created

by Chef Vishal Rane such as Murgh ke Pakode and Roasted Chilli Seekh Kebab, Kari de Mouton or a signature Ramadan dish, the Hyderabadi Ghosht Biryani. The most popular desserts such as the Belgian Dark Chocolate Mousse and the Pistachio Kulfi will also be on the menu. Dhs 125/person, Dhs 155/ person, Dhs 175/person and Dhs 195/person (for 2, 3, 4 and 5 courses respectively)

The extensive Iftar Buffet is available from sunset until 9pm during the entire Ramadan followed by a la carte Suhour menu to be enjoyed in the Terrace Tent from 8pm onwards.

Dhs 170/person from sunset to 9 pm; A la carte Suhour menu, 8 pm onwards.

JW Marriott Marquis Dubai Iftar at the award-winning Kitchen 6 features six live cooking stations, an international buffet and a la carte option from Asian woks, Middle Eastern grills, European roasts, authentic Indian cuisine, an organic section and a world class dessert buffet. A colossal 225 dishes, prepared by specialty chefs. Dhs 195/person, daily from sunset until 9.30pm. Children less than 5 years eat for free, children aged 6-12 are invited to enjoy this restaurant for half price.

“Majestic Iftar and Sohour” in the Dubai Ballroom which is transformed for Ramadan into an opulent lounge of gold and cream, a stunning setting to share Iftar and Sohour, amidst live performance of Oud. Classic Arabian cuisine is served by award winning chefs, with an abundance of signature dishes including over 20 main course choices. You can catch on the football fever as well with the UAE’s biggest LCD screens screening the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil and Ramadan TV specials. Shisha available in a fully air conditioned

atmosphere. Dhs 195/person; Timing: From sunset to 8.30pm.

Sohour is served à la carte from 8.30pm.

availablle at The Lobby Bar and The Lobby Lounge after sunset.

Nine7One in The Oberoi, Dubai

Enjoy a sundown feast for Iftar at Anise with the finest spread of traditional Arabic fare and live entertainment. Shisha available on the terrace. Dhs 195/person, including Ramadan juices, tea, coffee and soft beverages (Dhs 98 for kids aged 6-12 years old); Timing: From Sunset until 10pm.

You can enjoy a special Iftar Iftar at Nine7One is a treat to be relished by lovers of Arabic food. Here, the diners can select from the beautifully laid out buffet with tasty and succulent starters and main courses, including a huge platter of succulent Lamb Ouzi. Apart from the buffet, you can also indulge in a few main dishes cooked to order including Shawarma, freshly cooked breads and beautiful Falafel sandwiches and burgers. Desserts are largely Arabic and traditional with some hints of molecular gastronomy presented in an interactive dessert station, think deconstructed Umm Ali, meringues that makes you smile as you exhale steam and tappanaki ice-cream with indulgent flavours.. Dhs 180/person including Ramadan beverages; Suhour menu available from 11:00pm until sunrise. Light refreshments and beverages will be

Dining at Dubai Festival City

Break your fast with family and friends during Ramadan in the relaxing atmosphere of Zaytoun and the connecting Skyline Ramadan Tent with unrivaled views of the Dubai Creek and skyline. You can order Suhour from an a la carte Arabian menu including signature dishes from the guest Arabic Master Chef from the Phoenicia Intercontinental Beirut. You can also enjoy a large selection of teas from the signature Tchaba tea station.

Dhs 195/person, including Ramadan juices, tea, coffee and soft beverages; Timing: From Sunset until 10pm while Suhour starts from 9pm until 2am.

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Asateer Tent at The Atlantis

Sheraton Dubai, Mall of Emirates

The lavish beachfront tent overlooks the Arabian Gulf and offers traditional activities and entertainment including card games, chess and backgammon – a true Arabian nights experience. Guests can enjoy a gastronomic journey through Middle Eastern cuisine from live cooking stations offering traditional delights including ouzi, a lamb and rice dish infused with Arabic spices; kebbeh bil laban, meat balls made with beef and onions and simmered in a light yoghurt sauce; and fish sayadiyha, a classic fish dish served with spiced rice and caramelised onions. This year, new signature dishes include chicken mousakhan (Arabic chicken wraps), chicken fatteh (a traditional layered Levant dish including bread crumbs, rice, yoghurt and chicken), lobster tagine with couscous and slow cooked lamb shoulder with Oriental rice. New desserts on offer include a traditional Qamar El Dine Dried Fruit Salad as well as the regular Turkish delight and nougat stations and a selection of Arabic Ice Cream mixed with regional favourites such as Baklawa, Arabic Coffee, Mistika, and Emirati Dates.

Dhs 195/person. Timing: From sunset until 8:30pm and Suhour starts from 9:30pm-2:30am with a minimum spend of Dhs 150 /person, excluding shisha.

Sanabel Restaurant offers not only a lavish Iftar Buffet that can be enjoyed with family and friends (younger guests have a dedicated kids’ corner with Wii and PlayStation), but but also lunch buffet packages starting from Dhs 45/person. Iftar packages start at Dhs 135/person and there are special group offers. More info here.

Yalumba in Le Meridien Here, you can break your fast with mouth-watering Arabic specialties prepared by our team of Arabic Chefs. The lavish buffet includes an array of hot & cold mezzehs, warm soups, grills, live cooking stations, sweets, pastries and juices. Dhs 159/ person, inclusive of Ramadan juices and water. Timing: From sunset till 8.30PM.

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Mahec in Le Meridien The perfect place in Dubai for those with a more traditional Indian palate.

You can enjoy Haleem along with other Indian specialities like Shahi Korma, Dum Biryani and array of Hot Kebabs. Dhs 149/person inclusive of Ramadan juices and water. Timing: From sunset until 8:30pm.

For those who like a quiet affair, or an A La Carte offering: Nawwara in JW Marriot Marquis Chef Youssef’s acclaimed Levantine cuisine is one of the city’s best. This ‘signature Iftar’ provides a selection of classic sharing appetizers, followed by Chef’s signature main courses and a sumptuous dessert selection, all brought to the table in bottomless quantities. Nawwara also serves shisha on the outdoor terrace overlooking the Dubai skyline. Dhs 195/person; Timing: From sunset until 9pm.

The Ivy You can enjoy four à la carte courses of sensational sharing dishes.

Commence your feast with traditional Arabic dates, before continuing on to a selection of sharing entrées, including warm harissa with chick peas & feta, hummus with Arabic flat bread and chicken shish taouk with garlic toum.

The Ivy’s Taste of Iftar main courses celebrate the tastes of the Middle East, with deliciously authentic options on offer including fish of the region, pan-fried Sultan Ibrahim with seafood machboos, lamb chermoula with simac-spiced cous cous and vegetarian kushari with fattoush and moutabel. Close the evening by filling up with The Ivy’s dessert tasting plate of five Arabian-inspired puddings, such as Egyptian mahalabiya, fruit skewers and a playful twist on the iconic British dessert – sticky toffee & date pudding. Dhs 250/person, including unlimited soft drinks and mocktails.

Timing: From sunset onwards.

The Address Dubai Mall Cabana offers an outdoor setting overlooking the pool at the The Address Dubai Mall. (with fans to accompany!) You can enjoy your shisha and order a la carte from their seasonal menu. Timing: Sunset to 2am.

Qbara Karat, the lobby lounge has an a la carte Iftar menu with delectable mezzeh, salads, soups and traditional Arabic specialties including the popular Um Ali. Timing: Sunset to 12am.

New Iftars to try in 2014 Nobu at Atlantis Chef Nobu’s signature dishes such as Steamed Seabass Dry Miso with Eggplant Puree and Creamy Rock Shrimp get a spin with Iftar staples such as dried fruit and vegetables to break one’s fast. Dhs 270/person daily during Ramadan.

Choix Patisserie Par Pierre Gagnaire A special Ramadan “bento box”, which includes Middle Eastern classics accompanied by soup, a fresh fruit platter, Arabic bread and assortment of sweet treats including dates, macarons, dry fruit, afternoon cake and Arabic delights. Dhs 360/2 persons; Available for Iftar and Suhour and Shisha service will be available in Choix Terrace from sunset.

A very contemporary Arabesque menu that has been quite a talk of the town recently with flavours and scents of the Magreb, Levant and greater Middle East.

According to their official website, “The Q is calling” and you can enjoy a lavish Iftar buffet containing traditional Arabic dishes like roasted pumpkin soup with dukkah, lentil soup with crusty bread, Harira soup, Sayadiah, Chicken Tagine, slow cooked lamb ‘Ouzi style’. Dhs 180/person; More info here.

St Tropez Bistro A casual chic atmosphere adds perfection to the French twist to a flavor filled Ramadan. St. Tropez stick true to the it’s cuisine from a taste of the hearty bowl of piping hot French soup to the succulent Grilled Corn-fed Chicken breast served with a side seasonal vegetables and to top of the Français inspired iftar menu, a vanilla bean crème brulee that caters an aroma to savour. Dhs 129/person for 2 courses and Dhs 159/person for three courses.

Sapori Di Bice The Italian family dining set-up is another option to try out this Ramadan with a special Ramadan 73

menu featuring an Italian take on traditional favorites such as Fattoush, lentil soup – the Ramadan staple and this lush, camel milk and saffron gelato with much more featured on a 10 course long menu. 10 courses for AED160. More info here.

Iftar out of the box, and back at home Many places offer special Ramadan Takeaways, specially by way of business lunches.

Omnia Gourmet Chef Silvena Rowe’s newly opened deli cum cafe is offering a ‘Slimming Ramadan’ concept. Everyday, Omnia Gourmet would open up by 3 pm during Ramadan and will take in orders by telephone. One can come in before the Iftar and pick up their specially prepared Ramadan boxes and take them home. All these boxes will have healthy, nutritious salads and meals.

Biryani Pot An interesting Ramadan special ‘Family Meal Combo’. Available for dine-in and takeaway, customers will be able to share a large family-sized iftar meal for four which includes a starter, a salad, two Biryanis, three curries and two tandoor grills. Dhs 180/combo.

Tom and Serg Post Iftar, Tom and Serg heads off to bed and transforms into a roastery, affectionatelyknown as “Rule the Roast”. Open nightly throughout the month of Ramadan from 7pm till late, Rule the Roast will be serving up grills and roasts, from traditional organic roasted chickens, to local hamour, Angus rib eye and a stack of trimmings. Available in 3 sizes: Big Roast (AED80), King Roast (AED95) and Family Pack* (AED 290).

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By Guest Reviewer Reem for foodiva.net

Top 5 Emirati restaurants and cafés in Dubai Where do you go for local Emirati food in Dubai?” A question that I am asked a lot. Now, I would say head over to my grandmother’s kitchen where some of the best Emirati food is made (pronounced Emarati by the way). However, although my grandmother would love it, this doesn’t really answer the question.

And so I began to taste my way around every Emirati restaurant and café in Dubai, as well as spots serving Emirati dishes in search of the best. My journey was sometimes funny, other times horrific, but always enlightening.

It has left me much wiser and as such, here are my top 5 recommendations for eating Emirati food in Dubai - in no particular order: Al Fanar I had been craving fareed all week; thin slivers of riqaaq bread drenched in a flavoursome saloona make for the perfect comfort food. We stroll into Al Fanar’s inner courtyard, charmingly named Bait Al Tawash ’Pearl Merchant’s House.’ Though inside, the décor gives a sense of sitting in an open courtyard – a blessing after our brave, but shortlived attempt to ignore the heat and enjoy the village life theme outside.

The menu, though long, is easy to read with photos and clear descriptions of the food. The complimentary harda (tahini)slathered dates are addictive. The Fanar salad is fresh, slightly sweet and gone in a minute. The fareed laham finally arrives but while good, is far from excellent. The spices are there, just not in the right proportion and the taste of black limes is overwhelming. My husband’s biryani 76

maleh is much better. Maleh is a fish that has been salted using a traditional method to keep it fresh and is (believe me) an acquired taste. The plates used are so authentic, that I’m pretty sure my grandmother has an identical set.

The luqaimat arrive, little golden pieces of heaven, and are immediately the star of the show.

Perfectly round, hot, crispy yet soft and drenched in the delicious dibbs (date syrup) – they’re the best I’ve tasted all year (sorry mum!) The strong and creamy karak complements them well. Al Fanar does a good job of giving you a glimpse of what life used to be like in the UAE. This is a great place to take visitors to. From the décor to the staff’s uniforms, a lot of thought, time and effort has gone into

creating a replica of old Dubai.

Open daily 9am – midnight. Canal Walk, Dubai Festival City Mall, T; +971 4 2329966, New branch opening soon in Town Centre, Jumeirah. AED80 per person excluding drinks.

Mama Tani On a lazy Friday, we walk into Mama Tani - a homegrown café selling Emirati ‘khameer’. The golden round khameer is my favourite traditional breakfast dish. I say dish because to call it bread would be doing it an injustice. The setting is relaxed with calm colours complementing the café’s sarrood logo (the round sarrood, made from palm fronds, is essentially a traditional table cloth – sans the table). The menu is simple and our selection Mama Tani

breakfast is served all day. For AED49 we get eggs, chebab, karak and most importantly khameer. You can choose the filling but I would stick to the classic version and slather cream cheese and honey like locals love to. The aromatic cardamom, fennel and saffron ensure the khameer tastes authentic in spite of the slightly cake-like texture. The chebab, a cross between sour dough bread and pancakes, is good. The balaleet, saffron-infused vermicelli served with eggs, is delicious. While the karak is sadly unremarkable, the camel milk hot chocolate tastes rich, creamy and different – in a good way. I’ll probably return for the golden omelette-topped balaleet, which, at AED18, is a bargain!

Open daily 8.30am – 10pm, Town

Centre, Jumeirah. T; +971 4 3854437, AED40 per person.

Milas Walking through a practically empty The Village at Dubai Mall on a weekday afternoon, we found Milas (a room for welcoming guests) to be surprisingly busy. Settling for a table inside, we were given a shared i-pad to peruse the long menu – the first sign of the indifferent service received throughout the meal.

Attempting to carry a conversation across the way-too-big-and-shiny black table, we snacked on the complimentary cumin-sprinkled danqaw (cooked chickpeas – a local staple) and steaming Arabic bread.

The traditional rocca salad was very refreshing with a light zesty dressing.

The main dishes were innovative

takes on the classics and beautifully spiced. The machboos laham pictured here arrived with rice fluffy, beef cooked to perfection and was chock full of flavour. The mbahar robyan vied for attention with saffron-infused rice and flavourful shrimps in a spicy cream sauce. The dessert, in comparison, fell rather flat with doughy doughnut-like luqaimat. Our visit ended with a nod to local custom, in the form of a tray of oud-inspired perfumes (incidentally one of my favourite brands) offered as a lovely hospitable gesture. The food definitely speaks for itself, offering a delicious, modern interpretation of Emirati cuisine.

Open daily 9am – midnight. The Village, Dubai Mall, T; +971 4 3882313, AED110 per person 77

camel meat is a sign of an authentic Emirati dish. It isn’t. Seafood was in fact prevalent across Emirati dishes, which is why there are many traditional ways to prepare, cook and store fish. Camels, on the other hand, were valuable and used for their milk and for travel. But I digress. The hot chocolate I asked for is unavailable, so I settled for a camelccino, aka camel milk cappuccino. Very creamy, with a slight hint of salt and hence a little bitter, it delivered the appropriate caffeine hit. Al Nassma chocolate, made by the same company, should have been served on the side, according to the ipad menu. This was nowhere to be found and upon further investigation I was told they were out of chocolate. Well, I’d hoped to buy some, I said. Oh, well in that case we have plenty. Hmmm.

The chocolate, once bought was delightfully rich. The Majlis also serves Arabian afternoon tea if you are looking for something a little more substantial with your camel milk drink. excluding drinks.

Al Khettar

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I walked into this place grumbling about its hard-to-find location and lack of parking. I walked out raving about the food. Al Khettar (meaning guests) is located in busy Deira and offers dishes from around the Gulf.

An unassuming entrance led us to the second floor where we were offered a private dining room. Well, why not? You can choose to either sit at a table or on the floor where meals were traditionally served. The menu has clear descriptions, even listing the origin of each dish, along with pictures to help you choose.

We opted for the falai salad, served with a light yoghurt-zattar dressing.

My riqaaq with eggs and cheese was cooked just right – light yet crispy.

I’ve been craving it ever since. As an aside but an important one, Riqaaq is actually great as a bread substitute if you are on a diet as it has very few calories. The excellent goat meat biryani, served in a clay pot, had my husband mesmerised as he polished it off. I snuck in a bite of the fluffy rice and tender meat and

could see why. Emirati dishes at Al Khettar tasted authentic, homemade and delicious. Our dessert of luqaimat was the only hiccup of the evening. It was doughy and rather over fried. However, the fragrant khameer more than made up for it.

Although traditionally a breakfast dish, once dipped in cheese and honey, it was the perfect end to our meal. Service throughout was excellent and never intrusive. I’m surprised not many people seem to know about this place. In a city where local Emirati cuisine is hard to find, this hidden gem has plenty of promise.

Open daily 8am – midnight. Al Etihad Road, opposite Dubai Police headquarters. T;+9714 2964422, AED60 per person excluding drinks.

The Majlis A location beckoning weary Dubai Mall shoppers with the promise of a delicious break, Al Majlis complements the feel of the souq with its Arabian décor and camel milk drinks menu. Many assume that

Open daily 9am – midnight. The Souk Atrium, Dubai Mall, T; +971 56 2871522, AED20 per person for drinks.

As you can see, the round-up is for restaurants where you can actually sit down and have a meal or a refreshment. There are places like the stands and pop-ups in Global Village and Al Multaqa that serve delicious luqaimat and riqaaq. For a party or a gathering, you can order from a traditional kitchen like ‘Bin Eid’ that is popular for weddings and Eid orders. If you are camping, you could swing by Al Raslan in Al Awir for breakfast on the go, literally.

For a cultural experience, you can head to SMCCU, which is on FooDiva’s bucket list, and have your meal served with a dash of local culture. Or else you can wait until the top-end Emirati restaurant Aseelah opens at the Radisson Deira, soon apparently – and Chef Silvena Rowe’s Emirati-influenced Omnia in Downtown Dubai.

So, have you tasted local Emirati food? If not, and with so many options available, have I persuaded you to try it?

For those who don’t fast - Lunch options during Ramadan 2014 I have joined forces with Foodiva and have come up with a list of independent eateries that are open for lunch options and in some cases breakfast during the month of Ramadan. This list also includes a few outlets that are in hotels (also hotels are attached to Malls in Dubai) as well as Golf Clubs.

I would however advise you ring ahead to ensure that the outlet is definitely still open. To view Foodiva’s list (she has grouped them into districts for ease of reference. According to her, this year there are nearly 60 stand-alone eateries open across Dubai for lunch, and in many cases breakfast and afternoon tea / coffee too), click on this link.

Al BADIA GOLF CLUB

BIDI BONDAI

DONER KEBAB

FRAICHE CAFE

»»

Festival City,

»»

Palm Jumeirah

»»

JLT

»»

JLT

»»

T 04 601 0101

»»

T 04 427 0515

»»

T 04 454 9522

»»

T 050 880 5467

»»

Breakfast and Lunch

»»

open from 10am

»»

Open from 9am

»»

Breakfast and Lunch

Al MANDALOUN

CACTUS CANTINA

»»

DIFC

»»

Wafi Pyramids

»»

T 04 3637474

»»

T 04 357 4441

»»

Breakfast and Lunch

»»

Lunch only

ARABIAN RANCHES GOLF CLUB

DUBAI OFFSHORE SAILING CLUB, »»

Jumeirah 3

»»

T 04 3941669

»» Breakfast and Lunch (membership required)

CARTERS »»

Wafi Pyramids

»»

Arabian Ranches

»»

T 04 3244100

»»

T 04 3663000

»»

Lunch only

»»

Breakfast and Lunch

25 55 CAFE BISTRO, »»

Dubai Marina

»»

T 04 362 7900

»»

Breakfast and Lunch

FRENCH BAKERY

»»

Dubai Internet City

»»

T 04 3307367

»»

Open 8am until 11pm

G’s BAKERY AND CAFE »»

JLT

»»

T 04 391 8841

»»

7am until 9pm

GAUCHO

ASHA’S

CASA DE TAPAS

ET SUSHI

»»

Wafi Pyramids

»»

T 04 3244100

»» Dubai Creek Yacht and Golf Club

»» Jumeirah Emirates Towers Boulevard

»»

Lunch only

»»

T 04 416 1800

»»

T 04 3198088

»»

T 04 4227898

»»

Lunch only

»»

Lunch only

»»

Breakfast and Lunch

ATMOSPHERE »»

Burj Khalifa

»»

T 04 888 3828

»» afternoon tea from 3pm until 7pm

»» Dubai International Financial Centre

CIRCLE CAFE

FLAMES

HARD ROCK CAFE

»»

Media City

»»

JLT

»»

Dubai Festival City

»»

T 04 358 8088

»»

T 04 452 6664

»»

T 04 3238900

»»

Open 10am-11pm

»»

Lunch only

»»

Lunch only

BATEEL

CLICK RESTO CAFE

FLOOKA

JAZZ@PIZZAEXPRESS

»»

DIFC

»»

Downtown Jebel Ali

»»

Jumeirah 1

»»

JLT

»»

T 04 3700404

»»

T 04 8855020

»»

T 04 422 7898

»»

T 04 441 6342

»»

Breakfast and Lunch

»»

Lunch only

»»

Lunch only

»»

Lunch 79

JEBEL ALI CLUB

LOCA

MORE CAFE

OREGANO

»»

Jebel Ali

»»

Jumeirah 1

»»

Dubai Media City

»»

T 04 884 6628

»»

T 04 3461111

»» Gold and Diamond Park

»»

T 04 4343010

»»

Breakfast and Lunch

»»

Lunch only

»»

Lunch only

JUST SALAD

»»

JLT

»»

T 04 04 365 2222

»»

T 04 3637474

»»

Open from 10am

»»

Open 8am until 10pm

»»

Breakfast and Lunch

OREGANO MORE CAFE

»»

DIFC

»»

T 04 3700469

»»

Breakfast and Lunch

MEDLEY NAIS ITALIAN KITCHEN

»»

Jumeirah Islands

»» Deira City Centre Mall

»»

T 04 3601880

»»

T 04 2941222

»»

»»

Breakfast and Lunch

»»

Breakfast and lunch

»» Open 11am until 9pm.

KEBAB SHOP

»»

Dubai Media City

»»

T 04 4538108

»»

Lunch

»»

JLT, T 04 4529991

»»

Down Town Jebel Ali

»»

T 04 8848885

»»

Lunch only

PASCAL TEPPER

»»

Dubai Media City

»»

T 04 454 2408

»»

Breakfast and Lunch

Q’BARA

MINT LEAF OF LONDON

NOFARA CAFE

»»

Wafi Pyramids

»»

DIFC

»»

JLT

»»

T 04 709 2500

»»

T 04 706 0900

»»

T 04 432 2023

»»

Lunch

»»

Breakfast and Lunch

»» Lunch only available on Friday and Saturdays

KTEER TAYYEB

MOSAICO

NOODLE HOUSE

»»

JLT

»»

T – 04 4338384

»» Jumeirah Emirates Towers Boulevard

»» Dubai International Finance Centre

»»

Palm Jumeirah

»»

T 04 3198088

»»

T 800 666353

»»

T 04 4309466

»»

Lunch only

»»

Lunch only

»»

Breakfast and Lunch

»» Open daily 9am – 1am.

LA PETITE MAISON

80

T 04 323 4350

Al MANDALOUN

»» Dubai International Financial Centre

JUMEIRAH ISLANDS CLUB

»»

»»

DIFC

»»

T 04 439 0505

»»

Lunch only

MONTGOMERIE GOLF CLUB

»»

The Springs

»»

T 04 3905600

»»

Breakfast and Lunch

RIVA BEACH

NOODLE HOUSE

ROSSOVIVO

»»

Dubai Media City

»»

Dubai Internet City

»»

T 04 3818065

»»

T 04 4272477

»»

Lunch only

»»

open 11am until 11pm.

ROYAL CHINA

SUMO SUSHI

1762 DELI

WAGAMAMA

»» Dubai International Finance Centre

»»

Dubai Media City

»»

JBR

»»

T 04 3914141

»» Dubai International Finance Centre

»»

T 04 399 5900

»»

Lunch only

»»

T 04 354 5543

»»

Lunch only

»» open Sat – Thurs 11am, weekends 1pm

REFORM SOCIAL GRILL

SUSHI COUNTER

»»

The Lakes

»»

Media City

»»

T 04 454 2638

»»

T 04 3751096

»»

Lunch and dinner

»»

Open from 11am

SANABEL

SUSHI ART

»»

Mall of Emirates

»»

T 04 377 2353 –

»» Dubai International Finance Centre

»»

Breakfast and Lunch

SALMONTINI

»»

T 800 220

»»

Lunch only

»»

T 800 1762

»» weekdays only Breakfast and Lunch

WAGAMAMA

1762 DELI

»»

Jebel Ali

»»

T 800 1762

JBR

»»

T 04 4477601

»»

T 04 3154200

»»

Breakfast and Lunch

»»

Lunch only WHEELER’S OF ST JAMES

»»

DIFC

»»

Dubai Media City

»»

Breakfast and Lunch

»»

T 04 3515210

»»

T 04 3624330

Lunch only

»»

Breakfast and Lunch

URBAN BISTRO

»» Dubai International Finance Centre

SCAFA

T 04-3794044

»»

JLT

»»

Breakfast and Lunch

»»

T 04 454 23 29

»»

Lunch only

TOSCANA

»»

Lunch only

»»

»»

T 04 8836000

»»

DIFC

»»

Emirates Towers

»» open from 4pm, closed on Tuesdays

»»

T 04 437 7511

»»

T 04 3198088

»»

open from 9am

»»

Lunch only

SOPHIE’S GASTRO CAFE

THE PAVILLION

VAPIANO

»»

Palm Jumeirah

»»

Downtown Burj Khalifa

»»

Media City

»»

T 04 4515982

»»

T 04 4477025

»»

T 04 4370786

»»

Breakfast and Lunch

»»

Open 10am until 1am

»»

Breakfast and Lunch

»»

Wafi Pyramids

T 04 341 3415

»»

T 3244100

»»

open from 10am

»»

Lunch only

ZUMA

»» Dubai International Finance Centre

THE GRAMERCY

»»

opens 12pm

T 04 366 6730

Jebel Ali

Mall of Emirates

»»

»»

»»

»»

T 04 386 0899

Madinat Jumeirah

TOKYO@THETOWERS

THAI CHAI

»»

»»

SHOOTERS

ST TROPEZ

opens 12pm

»»

T 04 3410222

»»

»»

»» Palm Jumeirah, Oceana Beach Club

»»

TANTUNI

T 04 305 6060

THYME

Mall of Emirates

JLT

»»

WEST 14TH

»»

»»

Sheikh Zayed Road

»» weekdays only – Breakfast and Lunch

TAQADO MEXICAN KITCHEN

»»

»»

T 04 425 5660

»» Lunch only (closed on Fridays)

Debbie Steedman www.therealgeordiearmani.com 81

#Foodporn:

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Swati Bansalrao has been kind enough to share with us some photots of her Peach Galette. What we adore about Swati’s photographs is the way she manages to make something as simple as some ingredients and an easy tart look good enough to hang on your wall.

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Does it all look too good to eat? If you think you might manage a mouthful or three, you can find the recipe here on her blog: swatibansalrao.com

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