Experience traditional Emirati food

Gulf News

Experience the traditional Emirati foods on offer at Qasr Al Hosn. The vignettes at Qasr Al Hosn Festival offer a panoply of Emirati culture and heritage and amidst this abundance of riches that serenade the senses is one that is arguably the most irresistible — the aroma of traditional Emirati foods being freshly prepared, available across the vast festival grounds. See more at: http://gulfnews.com/gntv

Transcript

00:00Food is an important part of any culture, and especially true of here in the UAE, where

00:10family and friends get together over food, sometimes to even cook together.

00:14We've come to meet some Emirati ladies who are hopefully going to show us how to make

00:17some Emirati sweets and bread.

00:20It's hot, it's hot.

00:25So she gets it across the plate, really nice and thin, and it cooks in one go, you're not

00:36supposed to turn it over.

00:37So I think she waits a few minutes as it turns golden, and then she lifts it up, and it's

00:43beautiful.

00:44It's hot, it's hot.

00:45Excellent.

00:46And now we're going to go and try some chubab, which basically looks like pancakes, but it's

00:59the Emirati way.

01:00There's no dairy, there's no milk, although they tell me that there can be dairy in it

01:04if you wish.

01:05And it's traditionally had for breakfast.

01:07She basically waits until there's bubbles on the dough, and then she turns them over.

01:12And they have to be just the right thickness, they can't be too thick.

01:16Only this lady knows when it's golden on the other side, and she's pretty much right

01:19every time.

01:20So here we go, it's almost done.

01:24And here, we're going to have it served with some syrup, date syrup.

01:28It can be served with honey, but they also can have it for breakfast with cheese or anything

01:34else you fancy to put on top of it.

01:37It's just perfect.

01:40Mmm, so good.

01:45The leghemat and chubab are really popular, and they always draw in big crowds.

01:50The secret to perfect leghemat is the oil temperature.

01:53If it's too hot, it will burn on the outside and it will not cook on the inside.

01:57If it's too cold, it will not be these perfect little round shapes that you see here.

02:02So the ladies here have been telling me this is a dish they make out in the desert whenever

02:05they go for a picnic.

02:07So when they go in the winter, they'll make leghemat, but not in the summer.

02:11No one dares because of the summer heat.

02:13You don't want this oil anywhere near you.

02:15When they're nice and golden, she dips them out, takes out the extra oil, and they sit

02:20in the corner before they're covered with date syrup and sesame seeds.

02:25Wow, it's perfect.

02:28It's crispy on the outside, it's fluffy on the inside, and the date syrup and the sesame

02:33seeds just bring out all the flavors.

02:36Back in the day, seafood was a huge part of the Emirati diet.

02:39We're going to go and check out how they cooked fish in the olden days.

02:43They would basically put them in these things, which are called tannous, and they used to

02:47be made out of clay in the ground.

02:49And the fish would sit there for about 45 minutes, and in the end, it was perfectly

02:54grilled.

02:55So I have to cover my hand in water to not burn my hand or any hair on my arm.

03:02I can feel the heat from here.

03:08Have I done it right?

03:10Yeah?

03:11Okay.

03:12I did it right.

03:13Excellent.

03:14The shrimps have been marinated in a salt, saffron, and Arabic masala mixture, and then

03:20you simply just put them on the barbecue for 10 to 15 minutes and leave them to grill.

03:26The squid have been marinated in the same Arabic masala mixture and have been cooking

03:30away for the last 10 minutes.

03:32As you can see, they're just about ready to eat now.

03:39Even if you're not a seafood fan, you will love this.

03:42It doesn't taste like seafood.

03:44It tastes like chicken with a lot of flavor.

03:46We're going to check out another authentic dish in a little place at the heart of the

03:51Castle Al Hussein.

03:52This is lamb harris.

03:53It's basically wheat and lamb cooked for a very long time.

03:57The trick is all in that stirring and mixing, which gives it that stretchy feel.

04:02Excuse me?

04:03Can I have the dengo?

04:09Delicious.

04:10There's so many flavors, but you can really taste the lamb.

04:13It's really nice and heavy.

04:15Perfect morning dish to keep you going through the day.

04:18We've only just touched the surface of the variety of Emirati food that is available.

04:22Whether you like amazing pastries, lamb, or mouthwatering fish,

04:26UAE Cuisine certainly has something to offer everyone.

04:29Sarvi Grandpaia, Golf News.

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