How to Eat Like a Local in Qatar – Tantalizing and Irresistible Dishes

You may commence your sampling of genuine Qatari cuisine with the popular dish known as madrouba which happens to be a flavour-filled rice porridge consumed by the locals at many different times of the day. This dish is prepared using rice, butter, milk, chicken, and cardamom, with beans sometimes also included.

To make this dish, the ingredients described above are cooked together, after which, the dish would be allowed to simmer for an extended period till it becomes soft and smooth. Although many Qatari restaurants would have their own variations of this dish, it would often be topped with fried onions or cardamom ghee. You could enjoy delicious madrouba at Easair Café, which is located at Souq Al Wakrah, an attraction in its own right, with its labyrinth of alleyways and courtyards.

You will find that the tempting kousa mahshi happen to be Middle Eastern-style courgettes that feature a stuffing of vegetables and minced lamb seasoned using mint and parsley. On the other hand, vegetarians would have the opportunity to try versions of this dish made with chickpeas at numerous restaurants in Doha. You could dip your kousa mahshi in yoghurt or tomato paste to complete your dining experience. An attractive place at which to try out this dish would be Al Shami Home Restaurant which offers a distinctive experience for diners; it has been decorated to resemble a typical Berber tent featuring a marble fountain as well as fabrics hanging from above.

The irresistible machboos happens to be the national dish of Qatar and a must-experience dish to be enjoyed during your stay in this country. Typically, this dish would be made with chicken or lamb that is cooked slowly to provide a distinctive flavour. This dish is completed with a bed of fragrant rice as well as accompaniments like tomato sauce and salad. An accommodation choice to consider where you could also enjoy chicken machboos at one of its restaurants in Wakra would be the pleasingly located Souq Al Wakra Hotel Qatar by Tivoli.

For an unusual yet delicious snack, make sure to sample the not-to-be-missed warak enab which basically consists of vine leaves with a tasty filling. Although many of the countries of the Middle East feature a variation of this dish, you will find that the Qatari warak enab is particularly delicious.

This dish will typically be stuffed with minced lamb or beef and rice, with a seasoning of garlic, coriander, and pepper and would be completed with fresh lemon slices. An outstanding place at which to enjoy delectable warak enab would be the Shater Abbas Restaurant.

You would find that Qatar’s version of this popular dessert would be a delight for the food lover. You will see that this distinctive dessert rather resembles bread pudding with ingredients like sweetened milk, raisins and chopped nuts. This alluring dish is baked till it becomes crispy and brown on top, after which a sprinkling of cinnamon is added. The result would be a tempting and delectable, sweet treat. An interesting place at which to try out this dish would be Karaki, an establishment that is recognized for its karak tea, pastries, and desserts; the Umm Ali at this coffee shop would be filling and creamy.