Delicious Dubai

1. Lamb margoog

This mouth-watering, flavourful stew, which is a popular dish in Saudi Arabia, is the choice of Swedish recipe creator, Åse Falkman Fredrikson.

“I’ve had lamb margoog (lamb stew) several times in Dubai, and it has always been a favourite of mine! It’s a traditional Saudi dish. It’s fairly simple to make and super delicious.”

INGREDIENTS

Lamb margoog

500g boneless lamb meat, approx. 3cm pieces

1tsp cinnamon

1-2tsp chilli powder

1tsp cumin

1tsp cardamom

1tsp coriander powder

2tsp hot yellow curry

2tsp salt/black pepper

2tbsp oil

1 chopped red onion

2 chopped garlic cloves

2 chopped tomatoes

3tbsp tomato puree

3 large carrots

1 large eggplant

1 small squash

1 lemon (for the juice and grated skin peel, or 2 dried black lemons)

2-3 loafs of flatbread

1 handful of fresh coriander

Thick yoghurt

PREPARATION

Mix the lamb pieces with the spices. Then, put shortening in a thick-bottomed pot. Add the chopped red onion, the chopped garlic cloves and the lamb pieces. Stir in the tomato puree, the chopped tomatoes and carrots and fill the pot with water so it covers the vegetables. Let it all simmer for 20 minutes. Afterwards, stir in the lemon juice, zest, squash and eggplant, and simmer for another 10 minutes. Season the mixture with more salt and spices if necessary.

Break the flatbread into medium-sized pieces and place them on the bottom of your serving bowls. Fill the bowls with the stew. Add some fresh coriander bits and serve it with a dollop of yoghurt on top.

Bon appetit!

> You can download the full recipe booklet at the bottom of the page.

2. Grilled beef skewers

Be amazed by traditional, authentic flavours with content creator and photographer Louise Lyshøj Hansen's take on the meaty Arabic favourite, served with tabbouleh and halloumi salad.

“This recipe, or shall we say feast, is inspired by authentic Arabian flavours, and the passion and innovation from so many of the restaurants in Dubai. They often mix both local ingredients with the best from around the world, creating amazing food experiences.”

INGREDIENTS

Grilled beef skewers

500g beef

6tbsp oil

2tsp paprika

2tsp ground coriander

2tsp ground cumin

1tsp onion powder

1/2tsp chilli flakes

Salt and pepper

Tabbouleh

200g uncooked pearl barley

500g tomatoes

1 cucumber

2 spring onions

200g freshly chopped parsley

6tbsp olive oil

6tbsp lemon juice

1/4tsp sugar

Salt and pepper

Halloumi salad with tomatoes, chickpeas and peaches

1/2 can chickpeas (100g)

3tbsp oil

1/2tsp paprika

1/2tsp garlic powder

1tsp cumin

1tsp coriander

1tsp paprika

2-3 large peaches (or nectarines)

2tbsp oil

200g halloumi

200g small tomatoes

20g roasted pine nuts

Fresh basil

1tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper

PREPARATION

Mix the spices and marinate the beef in them. Thread the beef onto skewers and grill them to your liking. Once the beef skewers are done, mix all the tabbouleh ingredients in a big bowl and drizzle everything with the dressing made from olive oil, lemon juice, sugar, salt and pepper. Afterwards, heat oil in a pan and cook the halloumi until it is crisp. Once more, heat oil in a pan, add the chickpeas and spices and cook for a few minutes. Then, quickly grill the peaches on a hot grill and place them on a big plate. Finally, top the plate with the roasted chickpeas, tomatoes, halloumi, pine nuts and fresh basil.

Bon appetit!

> You can download the full recipe booklet at the bottom of the page.

3. Joojeh kebab with ice cream

Blogger Victoria Riis whips up a yummy treat with a dessert surprise with her unusual spin on the classic Joojeh kebab, served with toum and violet ice cream (yes - you read that right).

“My joojeh kebab with toum is inspired by one of the dinners I had at a local restaurant. My dessert, the violet ice cream topped with popcorn, is inspired by a dish I tried at the market. The kebab is simple but full of flavour. Violet is a recurring colour in many Dubai dishes, so it became the inspiration for my ice cream.”

INGREDIENTS

Kebab skewers

500g chicken tenderloins

2 shallots

50ml lemon juice

0.5g saffron

100g Greek yoghurt

1/2tsp tumeric

1tsp salt

Toum

1 clove garlic

2 egg whites

2tbsp lemon juice

1/2tsp salt

200ml canola oil

Ice cream

700ml whipping cream

1 can condensed milk

Violet essence

1/2tbsp vanilla sugar

Purple colouring

100ml milk

100g sugar

100ml syrup

Salt flakes

Popcorn

Pistachios

PREPARATION - KEBAB SKEWERS WITH TOUM

Chop the shallots and mix them with the lemon juice, saffron, Greek yoghurt, tumeric and salt. Lay down the chicken fillets and marinate them for at least 30 minutes (preferably overnight). Then, thread the chicken pieces onto a skewer and grill or fry them until they are done and nicely coloured. Use a mixer and blend the garlic, egg whites, lemon juice and salt until the mix has a foamy texture. Add oil to the mix and keep stirring until the cream thickens. Serve the kebab with oven-baked tomatoes, a sliced red onion, parsley, liba bread and toum.

PREPARATION - ICE CREAM

Whip 500ml of the cream until it is fluffy and mix it with condensed milk. Stir in the violet essence and vanilla sugar. Add food colouring to the batter and freeze everything for at least 5 hours. Mix the rest of the cream, milk, sugar and syrup in a saucepan and let it boil for about 15 minutes until the caramel sauce thickens. Season the mix with salt flakes. Mix the popcorn with a bit of caramel sauce. Then, fill some cones with the ice cream. Top the ice cream with chopped pistachios, caramel popcorn and caramel sauce.

Bon appetit!

> You can download the full recipe booklet at the bottom of the page.

4. Grilled lamb patties

Swedish cookbook author Jenny Warsén's favoured meat dish is a classic one of the Arabian cuisine featuring a super tasty twist that will keep you wanting more.

“There are so many different culinary options in Dubai, but a lamb dish is surely a classic one from Arabian cuisine. Thinking about Dubai, an eggplant dip and lamb patties felt rather obvious to me. I hope you will like them as much as I do.”

INGREDIENTS

Eggplant dip

2 eggplants

1 grated garlic clove

Salt and pepper

Grilled lamb patties

500g of minced lamb meat

1 egg

1/2 pot of parsley

2 grated garlic cloves

Salt and pepper

PREPARATION - EGGPLANT DIP

Make a few cuts in the eggplants and place them on the oven rack. Roast them for about 30 minutes until the skin is black. Allow for the eggplants to cool down and remove the skin. Put the eggplants in a bowl and mash them. Season everything with garlic, ajvar, salt and pepper. The dip is best served with fresh bread.

PREPARATION - LAMB PATTIES

Mix the minced lamb meat, egg, garlic, grated garlic cloves, salt and pepper in a bowl. Form the mixture into patties and grill them to your liking. The patties can be served with rice, couscous or in a pita bread.

Bon appetit!

> You can download the full recipe booklet at the bottom of the page.

Related Sites

1. Lamb margoog

“I’ve had lamb margoog (lamb stew) several times in Dubai, and it has always been a favourite of mine! It’s a traditional Saudi dish. It’s fairly simple to make and super delicious.”

2. Grilled beef skewers

“This recipe, or shall we say feast, is inspired by authentic Arabian flavours, and the passion and innovation from so many of the restaurants in Dubai. They often mix both local ingredients with the best from around the world, creating amazing food experiences.”

3. Joojeh kebab with ice cream

4. Grilled lamb patties

“There are so many different culinary options in Dubai, but a lamb dish is surely a classic one from Arabian cuisine. Thinking about Dubai, an eggplant dip and lamb patties felt rather obvious to me. I hope you will like them as much as I do.”