Joanna James
The Arabic food that is served in Qatar which is largely influenced by Indian and Iranian cuisine, plays a key role in the culture of Qatar. Here are 7 popular Arabic dishes to try out.
Similar to the shape of cutlets, Falafel are balls made using Fava beans and ground chickpeas that are deep fried. The dish is normally served with a dip named Tahini and is often sandwiched between pita bread. It is one of the most popular traditional Middle Eastern dishes that are known by foodies all over the world.
The word Luqaimat when translated from Arabic means bite-sized. It is a popular choice of dessert in Qatar which is crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. While it can be cooked using various combinations of ingredients, most Qatari people like to prepare it the old fashion way using milk, flour, butter, cardamom, sugar and saffron. Once cooked its dipped in either honey or sugar. While it is freely served during Ramadan it can also be found at shops that sell sweets all over Qatar.
Similar to the Sri Lankan patis, Fatayer is a triangular pastry which has several delicious ingredients like the meat of your choice, cheese and spinach stuffed inside. What sets Fatayer apart from pastries and patis is that soft bread is used to enclose the filling rather than the hard bread used in pastries or patis. They are the perfect food to pick up at your closest bakery if you're organizing a party or planning to go on a picnic.
A mix of vegetables like carrots, potatoes, beans and either mutton or chicken as a meat option is used to cook this dish that is very similar to a pot of stew. This Qatari dish is seen as the Qatar version of lasagne my most foodies. The dish is often served with a piece of bread placed at the bottom of the dish. The bread gets very flavourful and soft once it gets soaked in the stew.
You'll find many restaurants serving Harees during the Ramzan and Eid seasons in Qatar as it is a popular choice of food consumed by people celebrating the festivals. The dish is made by mixing grounded or boiled meat and wheat, cardamom, salt, pepper and cinnamon. Once cooked the dish is very gooey and is quite similar to porridge.
Whether you're staying at one of the luxurious hotels in Doha, Qatar similar to that of Al Najada Doha Hotel by Tivoli or at a hotel anywhere else in the world, if you're a traveller Shawarma is Middle Eastern dish that you've tried at least once. If you haven't there's no better place to try it than in Qatar. The word Shawarma originated in Turkey and when translated means turning; referring the process of cooking the dish where a block of meat is wrapped on to a stick and rotated over a spitfire. Once cooked a piece of meat is shaved off the block and vegetables and sauces are added to add more flavour. This delicacy can be found at both local eateries at and high-end restaurants all over Qatar.
Cooked using rice mixed with either seafood or marinated meats and often served with lemon juice or rose water for extra flavour, Machboos is one of the spiciest dishes you'll find in Qatar. If the dish isn't spicy enough you can try it with a spicy salsa dip which the staff of the restaurant you're dining at will be more than happy to provide you with.
A true believer that the pen is a mighty weapon, ventures into reaching the minds of every reader with the earnest hope of leaving an indelible stream of thought.
A travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
