Qatari Cuisine: traditional recipes enriched with imported ingredients

euronews (in English)

How did Qatari dishes become local, and how have they evolved through trade with other nations? Euronews went to the Zekreet Peninsula in western Qatar to find out

Transcript

00:00 (upbeat music)

00:01 We have turmeric, for example, and we have cumin.

00:05 They have been brought from India.

00:07 Rosewater is from Iran.

00:09 So kind of like importing from many different countries

00:12 and then combining them in their own way

00:14 to make fantastic and delicious dishes like these.

00:18 (upbeat music)

00:21 Hello, welcome to Cut the 365 with me, Adil Halim.

00:26 On this episode, we take a look at some of the elements

00:28 that go into making Qatari cuisine.

00:31 A famous chef once said, "A recipe has no soul.

00:35 "You as the cook must bring soul to the recipe."

00:38 And that's something that all cultures do

00:40 when they bring ingredients together.

00:42 Go to any country in the world and they'll feed you food

00:45 that gives you a taste of their life and their culture.

00:48 Here in Qatar, it's no different,

00:50 but how do dishes become local

00:52 and how do they develop through trade with other nations?

00:55 Charlotte Dubinsky came here to the Zakrit Peninsula

00:58 to find out.

00:59 Back in the days when they used to grind the coffee,

01:05 they used to use metal equipment.

01:07 (metal clinking)

01:09 And then with a beautiful sound,

01:10 so all the neighbors will know that this coffee is ready.

01:14 In the heat of the desert,

01:15 a sip of Arabic coffee is always welcome.

01:18 And it's also a sign of hospitality here in Qatar.

01:22 Now this coffee though is unlike anything

01:25 you've probably ever come across before.

01:28 It's yellow in color, almost like a pale straw,

01:30 and it has this creamy, delicate, light texture

01:35 that's just got this hint of spice.

01:39 And it's been expertly prepared by my guest Khaled Al-Rais.

01:43 So coffee's not from Qatar.

01:45 What makes this then uniquely Qatari?

01:48 So coffee from this region came from Yemen.

01:51 It's yellow in color because they roast it very lightly.

01:54 And then the main flavors comes from the spices that we add.

01:58 You'll notice the hints of coffee.

02:00 Then there's the cardamom,

02:01 and then there's the spices that gives it the richness,

02:04 and then the caffeine and the flavor as well.

02:07 Arabic coffee is a great place to start.

02:12 Back in Doha though, I have the chance to experience

02:14 a whole range of local foods on offer.

02:18 Randa Shake is my guide.

02:20 Wow, this looks like an incredible spread.

02:23 Could you just talk me through some of the dishes

02:26 that we have here?

02:27 Sure, so this is machboos.

02:29 This is saloona.

02:31 This is madruba, and this is haris.

02:34 Haris actually is one of the most Qatari dishes

02:36 that takes time to make.

02:37 It takes about four hours.

02:39 It's boiled, it's actually haris seeds boiled,

02:42 either with chicken or with meat.

02:44 It's kind of similar to madruba in a way where you,

02:47 basically with a wooden spoon,

02:49 it's beaten and beaten and beaten

02:51 until it becomes this kind of soft puree.

02:54 And these are all traditionally Qatari dishes?

02:57 Yes, there are many more,

02:59 but these are four of the many traditional dishes of Qatar.

03:03 Now, each of these dishes has been influenced

03:06 by ingredients that have been brought from other countries.

03:10 Can you talk me through the nuances of what we have here

03:14 and where the influences have come from?

03:16 Because Qatar was a desert, it was not self-sufficient.

03:19 It was not able to rely on itself

03:21 and had to import different products from abroad.

03:25 So we have the spices that are common,

03:28 like turmeric, for example, and we have cumin.

03:31 They have been brought from India.

03:33 You also have rosewater.

03:35 Rosewater is from Iran.

03:37 So kind of like importing from many different countries,

03:40 and also the raw materials as well,

03:42 like rice, bread, chicken, meat,

03:46 and then combining them in their own way

03:49 to make fantastic and delicious dishes like these.

03:53 Back out in the desert, it's time for dessert.

03:57 Over a hot fire, Khalid has prepared balalit,

04:00 a dish made from noodles brought to Qatar from Asia.

04:04 The local twist has been to add sugar

04:06 and, to top it off, scrambled eggs.

04:10 Oh, the smell is so good.

04:12 Just a bit crunchy, comparing to the raw ones.

04:15 And there's no better way to cap the day off

04:18 than another sip of that fragrantly delicious

04:22 Arabic coffee.

04:23 Aromas and flavors that are common

04:29 in Qatari households and restaurants

04:30 have helped shape the nation's identity.

04:32 But how did they get here?

04:34 Laila Humaira takes a look at Qatar's ancient spice trade

04:37 and the fusion of international influences.

04:40 Over the centuries, Qatar's traditional foods

04:48 have been elevated by products from across the world.

04:52 Spices like ginger, star anise, and black pepper

04:55 sailed over the seas from the Indian subcontinent.

04:59 Garlic and cumin crossed the desert from the Levant,

05:02 while lumi, a dried lime, traveled up from Oman.

05:06 And while these items have become staple ingredients

05:09 in Qatari cuisine, there's still a big appetite

05:12 to continue looking over the borders

05:14 to bring in more varieties of spices and food.

05:18 The Qatar Summer Trade Fair is one way of doing that.

05:22 Every year, hundreds of vendors gather

05:24 from all over the world to display and sell products

05:28 from their home countries, including vibrant spices,

05:31 international food, and even food, jewelry, and handicrafts.

05:36 Held over two weeks, the trade fair gives both locals

05:40 and residents of Qatar a chance to try

05:42 many international delicacies and hopefully bring them home.

05:46 Younis Galab is a master spice mixer from Yemen.

05:50 He's been coming to the Qatar Summer Trade Fair

05:52 for more than a decade, and every year,

05:55 he's proud to bring the best products from Yemen,

05:58 including what's been called liquid gold.

06:01 - We always bring Yemeni honey, the number one of its kind,

06:06 cedar honey, and brown honey.

06:08 We have special spices, which are distinguished

06:11 in mixtures like matchbows.

06:13 We also make mixtures for white rice.

06:16 - A few stalls away, Siham is encouraging people

06:19 to taste a sample of her products.

06:22 The 78-year-old is a nutritionist by profession

06:25 with a passion for making all sorts of organic food,

06:28 from cheese to olive oil to bread,

06:31 all produced at her rural farm in northern Lebanon.

06:34 - For an item to be organic and fresh,

06:39 the first thing is that it should be

06:40 in your control at the farm.

06:42 You have to take care of the farm

06:43 and not spray any preservatives,

06:46 meaning we only use goat fertilizer.

06:48 Why?

06:51 Because goat fertilizer is healthy

06:53 and has no preservatives.

06:55 - Siham says her products not only offer a natural taste,

07:02 they're also great for our overall health.

07:05 This is a special product,

07:10 it's made with goat milk, goat milk and thyme.

07:13 This herb thyme is amazing for removing stomach germs.

07:16 It washes the colon of toxins,

07:18 cleans the pharynx and opens the lungs.

07:20 Even if children are experiencing nasal congestion

07:24 or are coughing or have abdominal pain,

07:27 mix a teaspoon of it with milk or tea for them.

07:30 It is extraordinary and wonderful.

07:38 Whether it's organic cheese from Lebanon

07:40 or honey from Yemen,

07:41 for traders like Siham and Younis,

07:43 many will be back next year

07:45 and sell their delicious wares.

07:47 - Food is your paint, so be creative.

07:53 That's the motto of Noor Al-Mazroui.

07:55 The Qatari chef used her own food allergies

07:58 as a launching pad to experiment with traditional recipes.

08:02 Chef Noor has invited us into her kitchen

08:04 to show us how she creates healthy versions

08:07 of popular Qatari dishes.

08:09 So now when you think about Qatari food,

08:13 what immediately comes to mind?

08:14 - Qatari food, delicious food, yummy food,

08:18 healthy food as well.

08:19 I know it sounds surprising,

08:20 but it is healthy when you cook it on the right way.

08:23 And it's food for family.

08:25 - So you're gonna make chicken machboos for us.

08:27 Can you tell us about the significance of this dish?

08:30 - It has lots of the spices that when you eat it,

08:34 you don't know what kind of spices are in there.

08:37 And I think each one is having their own recipe

08:40 because it doesn't have like the specific ingredients

08:42 that you have to follow.

08:43 It is like more with the taste.

08:45 Some people like to add onion, tomato.

08:47 Some people like to add more turmeric.

08:49 Some people like to make it a little bit more spicy.

08:51 So it is like a space where you can be creative

08:55 and share your love of food.

08:57 - So you mentioned the spices.

08:58 So how much impact have these spices

09:00 that have been brought to Qatar

09:01 had an impact on, you know, machboos and local dishes?

09:04 - I think if you go to Suqwag,

09:06 you will see like a heaven of spices.

09:09 And every time we went there, we saw like new spices.

09:12 So it's nice to explore

09:13 as long as you are keeping the original recipe the same.

09:16 - So you keep the base and then you kind of work with-

09:17 - Keep the base and be creative.

09:19 And as long as it will be machboos,

09:21 like for example,

09:22 we didn't used to have the machboos vegetarian,

09:24 but why would the vegetarian or vegan people

09:27 will not eat the machboos

09:28 as long as you can keep it at the same way?

09:30 - So the spices smell great.

09:31 Can we get started with some of this?

09:33 - I can't wait.

09:34 This is my favorite part.

09:35 - So for you growing up,

09:36 were these traditions passed down

09:37 from generation to generation?

09:39 - I think the first time I saw the machboos

09:40 was we were going to a trip in the desert

09:43 and my grandmother was there.

09:45 She was like putting her big pot

09:47 and putting everything inside.

09:48 I told her, "What are you doing?

09:50 How did you do it?"

09:51 She said, "Everything you put inside,

09:53 it will give you machboos."

09:54 And then I keep watching her

09:55 and she taught me that this is the way

09:58 how you do the Qatari machboos.

10:01 - I'm sure there was a method to the madness.

10:03 - Yeah, yeah, yeah.

10:03 I saw the method.

10:04 This is what I like about the hot kitchen

10:06 and this recipe,

10:07 that you feel free.

10:09 You don't feel to follow

10:10 and if you miss something,

10:11 in machboos you cannot be wrong.

10:12 - So now you're taking these traditional dishes

10:14 and making your own twist to it.

10:16 What changes are you making to the modern palate?

10:18 - Some people want a different kind of carb,

10:21 want healthier carb, complex carb.

10:23 So I try to do it with the quinoa and the pockwheat.

10:27 It was very nice.

10:28 It was surprisingly nice.

10:29 I followed the same recipe

10:31 and the texture was different,

10:33 but I crave it.

10:35 - So now some of this creativity is out of necessity

10:37 because you have food allergies, right?

10:39 - Yeah.

10:39 - So you had to be creative.

10:40 - I like to think about food accessible for everyone.

10:44 It should be accessible.

10:45 No one should go to a restaurant

10:47 or see a dish and cannot have it.

10:49 Like if I want a cake,

10:50 I cannot have it because I'm gluten free or I'm vegan.

10:53 I should have it.

10:54 If I see machboos,

10:55 I'll miss out machboos the rest of my life

10:57 because I'm vegan or I'm vegetarian.

10:59 So I feel it's your right to have the food

11:03 and do it on the way that suits your allergies.

11:06 So I'm giving them the food.

11:08 I'm reaching a bigger community with my recipes

11:12 and I'm keeping the tradition as well.

11:14 So Adel, are you ready to try the machboos?

11:16 - I think I'm ready.

11:18 - Here you go.

11:19 You can enjoy our Qatari machboos for today.

11:21 - Thank you very much for inviting us.

11:27 - I'm happy that you enjoy it

11:29 and I'm looking forward to your machboos.

11:32 - You have to cook it.

11:33 You have to try it.

11:34 - From learning about all that goes

11:38 into traditional Qatari recipes

11:40 to discovering new twists on old classics,

11:42 we hope you enjoyed what we cooked up

11:44 on this episode of Qatar 365.

11:47 And that's all the time we have for now.

11:48 For more, check out euronews.com

11:50 and connect with us through our hashtag.

11:52 Thanks for watching.

11:53 And we'll see you next time on Qatar 365.

11:56 (upbeat music)

11:58 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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