Saleeg Recipe (Hejazi Creamy Rice with Chicken)
Make Saudi saleeg: short-grain rice simmered in chicken stock and milk until creamy, served with roast chicken and ghee. The Hejazi comfort dish.
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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Jallab Recipe (Date, Grape and Rose Drink)
Make jallab at home, the dark Ramadan drink of date and grape molasses with rose water, served over crushed ice with pine nuts and raisins. Ready in 10 minutes.
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Jareesh Recipe (Kuwaiti Cracked Wheat with Chicken)
Make Kuwaiti jareesh: cracked wheat slow-cooked with chicken and spices until creamy, finished with a crisp onion and ghee topping. A Ramadan favourite.
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Qatayef Recipe (Ramadan Stuffed Pancakes)
Make qatayef, the Ramadan stuffed pancakes: a bubbly one-side batter, nut or cream filling, sealed edges and a light syrup. Fixes for pancakes that won’t seal.
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Chicken Kabsa Recipe (Saudi One-Pot Spiced Rice)
Make Saudi chicken kabsa in one pot: chicken simmered with tomato, loomi and baharat, then rice cooked in the stock and topped with nuts and raisins.
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Saudi Chicken Shawarma Recipe (Street Style at Home)
Make Saudi street-style chicken shawarma at home with charred, juicy chicken, garlic toum and pickles, wrapped and toasted. No rotisserie needed.
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Falafel Recipe (Crispy Middle Eastern Chickpea Fritters)
Make crispy, fluffy falafel from soaked dried chickpeas and fresh herbs. Why canned chickpeas fall apart, the right grind and frying temperature.
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Saudi Saffron Fish and Rice Recipe (Sayadieh Style)
Make Gulf-style saffron fish and rice: flaky spiced fish, golden saffron rice cooked in fish stock and caramelised onions. Ready in about an hour.
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Lamb Mandi Recipe (Yemeni Style, Smoky and Tender)
Make Yemeni lamb mandi at home: fall-apart lamb, rice cooked in its broth, and a charcoal smoke finish. Hawaij spice blend and oven method included.
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Kunafa Recipe (Crispy Cheese Kunafa with Syrup)
Make crispy, golden kunafa with a stretchy cheese centre and fragrant sugar syrup. Kataifi or semolina base, butter ratios and baking tips.
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