Joanna James
The Gulf city of Doha boasts splendid cuisine with influences from Bedouins, Indian, and North African cultures, which makes its culinary treats truly one-of-a-kind. Indulge in the mouthwatering assortment of Qatari traditional dishes and let your taste buds revel in the pure tantalising flavours.
A magical blend of spices that's out of this world, a mouthful of Majboos will take you to heaven. The chicken mixed with spicy rice goes by several names, such as majboos, machboos and kabsa. The dish is incredibly popular in Doha as well as throughout the country and it is known as the national dish of Qatar. Anyone who's had a taste of the Indian cuisine will immediately recognize Majboos' resemblance to the famous spicy dish, the biryani, thus, some calling it the biryani of Qatar. Majboos involves a slow-going, steady cooking style to let the spices properly infuse into the rice, which is the secret of the dish's rich savoury flavour.
A popular choice of breakfast during the festive season of Eid, Balaleet is a favourite of Qataris that many outside of the Arab states aren't familiar with. The soft and crunchy dish is a combination of vermicelli – a thin form of rice noodles with roots in Southern China – and an omelette. It might not sound like a combination that you see every day, which is also why the dish treats you with a finger-licking deliciousness like no other. Sugar, rose water, and saffron are being added as final touches to give the sweet and savoury flavour that the dish is known for.
The beauty of Saloona is that it has no defined recipe. It allows the cook to stimulate their creativity and whip up the dish using whichever vegetables and meats are available in the household at that time. While the homemade stew has no exact set of ingredients, what usually goes into the dish includes, lamb, beef, and fish for meat and tomatoes, aubergine, carrots and potatoes for vegetables. The dish is a favourite in Qatari households; however, it can also be found at some of the best restaurants in Doha the likes offered by Al Najada Doha Hotel Apartments by Oaks.
Soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside, Luqaimat is a widely popular dessert that turns out in Qatari household kitchens during the festive season of Ramadan. You don't have to hold back on satisfying your sweet tooth until Ramadan arrives, as these sugary treats can be found at any cafe and street stall at every corner of the city.
A highly favoured dish not just in Doha but throughout Qatar and in the whole of the Middle East as well, Kousa mahshi is Arabian's go-to dish when they are in great need to make a feast that will truly impress their guests. The mouthwatering dish is put together by stuffing zucchini or courgettes with vegetables and minced lamb and adding a tad of mint and parsley as final touches.
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