Summon Your Inner Chef this Ramadan

If you like cooking and hosting dinners, why not try your hand at cooking some traditional Qatari food this Ramadan. We have selected some of our favourite dishes and shared these recipes to spark some motivation and culinary inspiration in your homes.

Thareed ‘Qatari Lasagne’

Ingredients

1 kg lamb stew meat
5 litres of water
300 g of finely chopped onions
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp of corn oil
1 tbsp tomato paste
3 large potatoes, each potato quartered
4 small kousa (zucchini), each piece cut into pieces
1 large carrot, cut into 4 pieces
1 large capsicum, cubes
4 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 pieces of whole black dried lemons
1-3 pieces of green chilli
3 cubes of Maggi bullion
1 tablespoon of Arabic spice mix
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon black lemon powder (loomi aswad)
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon cardamom powder
1 teaspoon black pepper powder
1 teaspoon red Kashmiri chilli powder (or cayenne pepper)
5 large piece of Raqaq bread (or 2-3 pieces of khubz or makook)
some coriander leaves, finely chopped

Instructions

1) In a large pot, boil the lamb meat removing the foam when it starts to boil. Boil for 1 hour.

2) Strain and reserve the broth.

3) In a large pot, heat the oil and sauté the onions until they get a nice golden brown colour. Don’t burn the onions! Add the garlic and stir until fragrant.

4) Add the tomato paste and all of the vegetables, except the kousa. Mix together to coat the vegetables with the tomato paste.

5) Rinse the two whole dried lemons and then pierce each one once with a sharp knife.

6) Add the lamb meat, reserved broth, Maggi bullion cubes, and the remaining ingredients, EXCEPT for the kousa and the chopped coriander leaves.

7) Add more water if necessary to make this stew a bit soupy. Taste for seasoning.

8) Bring the stew to a boil and then let it simmer until the potatoes are almost done. You can now add the kousa and the chopped cilantro. Cook until the kousa is fork-tender.

9) Remove the meat and vegetables from the pot and keep aside on a large platter.

10) In a large deep-sided bowl, add one layer of Raqaq bread (or whichever bread you are using).

11) Add another layer of bread and ladle some more liquid.

12) layer of bread will be soaking with the liquid from the stew. None of the bread should be left dry.

13) Now, add the meat and veggies, as well as the remaining liquid.

14) Enjoy!

Kunafa

Ingredients

250 grams Kunafa Dough (strands)
200 grams Butter (Salted) , melted
1/4 cup Pistachios , chopped
For Filling
1 cup Milk
2 teaspoons Corn flour
1 teaspoon Rose water
1/2 cup Ricotta Cheese , grated
For Sugar syrup
1-1/2 cup Sugar
1 cup Water
1 teaspoon Lemon juice
1 teaspoon Rose water

Instructions

1) To begin making the Arabic Sweet Kunafa Recipe (Knafeh), preheat oven to 180 C. We shall start with preparing sugar syrup. In a saucepan add sugar and water and boil until it becomes sticky and comes to syrup consistency. It should have a two string consistency. Ensure you do this on low heat.

2) Remove the sugar syrup from the heat, add lemon juice and rose water. Stir and keep aside.

3) Next for preparing filling. Heat milk and add corn flour whisking vigorously without forming lumps. Boil keeping it in low flame and once it thickens, add rose water and allow the milk custard to cool completely.

4) For preparing kunafa crust, break the strands of kunafa dough (strands) with hands. Add melted butter and mix well with hands to coat the kunafa dough well with butter. Now divide the quantity of coated strands into two. You can also make Kunafa dough (strands) at home, but it takes time.

5) Take the baking pan lined with parchment paper and greased with butter. Add one half of the kunafa pastry to the bottom and press well into even layer.

6) Pour the milk pudding and spread evenly. Sprinkle the shredded cheese above the pudding.

7) Next add the other half of the kunafa pastry at top and press down gently. Add chopped pistachios at top. Preheat the oven to 180 C.

8) Place the Arabic Kunafa Pastry in the oven and bake for about 30 to 40 minutes until the top turns brown and crispy.

9) Once the kunafa is baked, allow it cool and pour half of the sugar syrup at top.

10) Take a knife and run through the sides. Place a plate at top and flip gently. Pour the remaining sugar syrup over the kunafa and add chopped pistachios.

11) Slice and serve the Arabic Sweet Kunafa warm. The cheese may become hard so always make it hot before serving. Enjoy this royal dessert at home.