Traditional UAE food, and where to buy the best ingredients for it!

What better way to celebrate the upcoming festivities for National day than trying out some of the classic traditional UAE food. Though the region is known to have a multicultural culinary scene from your authentic American steak, a traditional English breakfast or spicy Thai or Chinese cuisine, the UAE is also known to have its own cuisine that reflects its culture and heritage.

A classic Emirati cuisine include meat, fish, and rice, with lamb and mutton being the most preferred type of meats consumed. In addition, tea and coffee are the most common beverages, with spices like cardamom, saffron, and mint added to give that unique flavor.

So, if you’re looking to ‘Go Local’ this National day, here are some delicious and easy UAE dishes you can indulge in and even make yourself!

Shawarma

Trust me this is as delicious as it looks! Shawarma is staple for your go to Arabic Street food in the UAE. It’s a non-vegetarian dish which includes chicken, lamb, or beef, along with several vegetables like cucumbers tomatoes, mixed with special sauce and pickles all wrapped in soft flatbread. Yes, we are drooling already just describing this delicacy. The highlight of this dish is the how the chicken or lamb meat are well marinated and slow cooked on a vertical rotisserie for a few hours which makes every bite worthwhile! It’s also easy to make and for beginners you can get Food Crowd’s marinated shredded chicken ready to grill.

Fattoush

Looking for a healthier and vegetarian option? Fattoush is your best bet! It is a Middle Eastern salad made of fresh lettuce, diced tomatoes, cucumbers, mint leaves, onion, garlic, lemons, an olive oil. It is often served with fried or toasted pieces of Arabic bread and considered a starter dish. However, this dish is quite filling on its own and works well as a full meal.

Al Harees

A popular dish served during traditional Arabic festivals and special occasions like Ramadan and wedding across the Middle Eastern countries. It requires only a few ingredients like whole wheat and meat but takes a bit of time in preparing. It’s like a porridge dish made in a special pot wherein all ingredients are cooked until the meat becomes soft and get absolutely dissolved into the wheat. You can garnish this dish with fried onions, lime and peppers once done

Machboos

This UAE dish is also commonly served at most traditional Arabic ceremonies. It is an aromatic rice delicacy slowly cooked in an oven with a variety of meat, chicken, vegetables, and spices arranged in layers. The spice mixes are found in any Arabic stores across the region or in our pantry section

Luqaimat

This is probably the most eaten dessert in the Arabian world. It is made with mix of flour, cornflour, instant yeast, yoghurt, and cardamom powder. Once it’s combined with adequate water, this blend is deep-fried and then generously drizzled with date syrup or sugar syrup before it’s served warm.

Shopping for ingredients to make your National Day special delicacies isn’t so hard. Food Crowd is just a click away to avoid the hassle!