Joanna James
Mind-blowing opulence, lively nightlife, and modern architecture with the likes of the world-renowned Burj Khalifa characterise, the most “voguish” emirate of the United Arab Emirates has an assortment of delectable treats to offer, just as incredible as just about anything about the Gulf city.
Majboos, Machboos or Kabsa, which certainly does have quite a few names referring to the same dish, also has quite a base of admirers all across the Arabian Peninsula, where the mixed rice dish is considered a national dish, including the emirate of Dubai. Anyone who has had a taste of Indian cuisine would immediately recognise Majboos’ resemblance to the world-renowned Indian Biryani, for it is heavily based on influences from Persian and Indian cuisines. The secret that sets Majboos apart from the slew of rice dishes out there is the dish’s distinct approach to cooking the rice, where the water that was used for cooking fish/meat (mostly chicken) is re-used to cook the rice, perfectly infusing all the flavours and spices into the yellow, long-grain rice.
Steer clear of the gourmet buffet at your quintessential swanky Dubai hotel and start your day in the Gulf city with a heartening plate of sweet and savoury Balaleet. The Eastern Arabian dish is a traditional breakfast choice, which combines a rather unusual yet incredibly delicious sweet and savoury flavour. Vermicelli sweetened with sugar, mixed with cardamom, rose water, butter and saffron, and topped with an omelette — just a mouthful of Balaleet is bound to leave you drooling for more.
To complete your traditional Arabian meal in a Gulf city, consider savouring a cup of Sago Halawa, a classic Arabian dessert. This Qatari pudding, widely enjoyed across the Gulf, including Dubai, has its origins in the neighbouring Middle Eastern regions. As the name suggests, the main ingredient in this dessert is sago pearls, which are soaked in water, carefully strained, and then enhanced with flavours like sugar, cardamom, saffron, and rosewater.
A staple in the UAE and the vast Arabian peninsula, Saloona is an everyday home-cooked meal that comes to life in households across the region. Best described as a stew, the traditional dish is anything but your ordinary stew and packs a whole lot of flavour. Saloona’s long-associated reputation with households has made the dish so versatile, where whatever meat and vegetables are available at home at the time make the ingredients for the stew.
Sate your sweet tooth with a luqaimat or two — a deep-fried sweet dumpling relished throughout the Middle East as a dessert and a short snack. The decadent and sugar-packed local delicacy is, in its basic form, a deep-fried dough of flour, sugar, yeast, and salt, soaked in honey. A luqaimat is never far away no matter where you go in the Gulf country, from streetside cafes to posh Palm Jumeirah restaurants, offered by properties such as Anantara The Palm Dubai Resort, serving the mouth-watering classic.
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A travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
