Samoon Recipe (Iraqi Diamond Bread)
Make Iraqi samoon at home: soft yeasted bread shaped into diamond rolls and baked hot until puffed and golden. Dough, shaping and oven tips that work.
Mandi, shawarma, harees, kunafa and the home cooking of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait and Iraq, written for cooks outside the Gulf. Every recipe works in a normal home kitchen: no pit oven, no special equipment, with clear timings and a fix for the usual mistakes.
Recipes developed and tested by Farwa Zeeshan
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The recipes to cook first
- 9Chicken KabsaSaudi one-pot spiced rice
Lamb MandiSmoky mandi in a home oven
Saudi Chicken ShawarmaStreet-style chicken shawarma
KunafaCrisp, syrupy Ramadan kunafa- 9QatayefRamadan stuffed pancakes
- 9JareeshCreamy Ramadan cracked wheat
- 9JallabDate and rose iftar drink
Emirati HareesSlow-beaten wheat and meat
Learn the technique
Guides behind these recipes
How to Cook Perfect Basmati RiceHow to Make Ghee at Home5 Traditional Desi Cooking Techniques Every Cook Should Know
Quick answers
Arabian Gulf Recipes FAQ
What is the difference between mandi and kabsa?
Mandi is smoked and traditionally cooked underground with the meat above the rice; kabsa is cooked in one pot with tomato and baharat.
Can I make mandi without a pit oven?
Yes. Roast the meat in a hot oven and smoke the rice with a piece of hot charcoal and ghee in a covered pot.
Which Gulf dishes are made in Ramadan?
Harees, thareed, luqaimat, kunafa and jareesh are Ramadan staples across the Gulf.
What spices are used in Gulf cooking?
Baharat, dried lime (loomi), cardamom, saffron, cinnamon and black pepper.
Every recipe
All Arabian Gulf recipes
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Iraqi Kebab Recipe (Grilled Minced Beef Kebabs)
Make Iraqi kebabs: minced beef and lamb with onion, parsley and spices, pressed onto flat skewers and grilled hot. Fat ratio and squeezing tips so they stay on.
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Masgouf Recipe (Iraqi Grilled Fish)
Make Iraqi masgouf at home: a whole fish butterflied, rubbed with tamarind, turmeric and salt, then grilled or oven-roasted skin-side down until smoky.
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Murabyan Recipe (Kuwaiti Shrimp Rice)
Make Kuwaiti murabyan: rice cooked with shrimp, dill, loomi and spices for a fragrant seafood pilaf. Learn to cook the shrimp in stages so they stay juicy.
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Quozi Recipe (Gulf Roast Lamb on Spiced Rice)
Make quozi, the Gulf feast dish: lamb shoulder slow-roasted with baharat until it falls off the bone, served over saffron rice with nuts and raisins.
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Fish Machboos Recipe (Emirati Spiced Fish and Rice)
Make Emirati fish machboos: firm fish marinated in bzar and fried, rice cooked in a loomi and tomato stock, then fish laid on top to steam.
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Chicken Machboos Recipe (Kuwaiti Spiced Rice)
Make Kuwaiti chicken machboos: chicken simmered with loomi and bzar spice, rice cooked in the stock and topped with sweet onion hashu. Served with daqqus.
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Jalamah Recipe (Saudi Spiced Lamb Stew)
Make Saudi jalamah: lamb on the bone browned, then slow-cooked with tomatoes, onions and baharat until it falls apart. A simple, rich stew for rice or bread.
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Muhallebi Recipe (Rose Milk Pudding)
Make silky muhallebi, the Arabic milk pudding thickened with cornflour and scented with rose or orange blossom, topped with pistachios. Lump-free method.
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Kaak Recipe (Saudi Date-Filled Cookies)
Make Saudi kaak, soft semolina cookie rings filled with spiced date paste for Eid and Ramadan. Dough resting, shaping and baking cues so they stay tender.
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