Experience the traditional Emirati foods on offer at Qasr Al Hosn. The vignettes at Qasr Al Hosn Festival offer a panoply of Emirati culture and heritage and amidst this abundance of riches that serenade the senses is one that is arguably the most irresistible — the aroma of traditional Emirati foods being freshly prepared, available across the vast festival grounds. See more at: http://gulfnews.com/gntv
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00:00Food is an important part of any culture, and especially true of here in the UAE, where
00:10family and friends get together over food, sometimes to even cook together.
00:14We've come to meet some Emirati ladies who are hopefully going to show us how to make
00:17some Emirati sweets and bread.
00:20It's hot, it's hot.
00:25So she gets it across the plate, really nice and thin, and it cooks in one go, you're not
00:36supposed to turn it over.
00:37So I think she waits a few minutes as it turns golden, and then she lifts it up, and it's
00:43beautiful.
00:44It's hot, it's hot.
00:45Excellent.
00:46And now we're going to go and try some chubab, which basically looks like pancakes, but it's
00:59the Emirati way.
01:00There's no dairy, there's no milk, although they tell me that there can be dairy in it
01:04if you wish.
01:05And it's traditionally had for breakfast.
01:07She basically waits until there's bubbles on the dough, and then she turns them over.
01:12And they have to be just the right thickness, they can't be too thick.
01:16Only this lady knows when it's golden on the other side, and she's pretty much right
01:19every time.
01:20So here we go, it's almost done.
01:24And here, we're going to have it served with some syrup, date syrup.
01:28It can be served with honey, but they also can have it for breakfast with cheese or anything
01:34else you fancy to put on top of it.
01:37It's just perfect.
01:40Mmm, so good.
01:45The leghemat and chubab are really popular, and they always draw in big crowds.
01:50The secret to perfect leghemat is the oil temperature.
01:53If it's too hot, it will burn on the outside and it will not cook on the inside.
01:57If it's too cold, it will not be these perfect little round shapes that you see here.
02:02So the ladies here have been telling me this is a dish they make out in the desert whenever
02:05they go for a picnic.
02:07So when they go in the winter, they'll make leghemat, but not in the summer.
02:11No one dares because of the summer heat.
02:13You don't want this oil anywhere near you.
02:15When they're nice and golden, she dips them out, takes out the extra oil, and they sit
02:20in the corner before they're covered with date syrup and sesame seeds.
02:25Wow, it's perfect.
02:28It's crispy on the outside, it's fluffy on the inside, and the date syrup and the sesame
02:33seeds just bring out all the flavors.
02:36Back in the day, seafood was a huge part of the Emirati diet.
02:39We're going to go and check out how they cooked fish in the olden days.
02:43They would basically put them in these things, which are called tannous, and they used to
02:47be made out of clay in the ground.
02:49And the fish would sit there for about 45 minutes, and in the end, it was perfectly
02:54grilled.
02:55So I have to cover my hand in water to not burn my hand or any hair on my arm.
03:02I can feel the heat from here.
03:08Have I done it right?
03:10Yeah?
03:11Okay.
03:12I did it right.
03:13Excellent.
03:14The shrimps have been marinated in a salt, saffron, and Arabic masala mixture, and then
03:20you simply just put them on the barbecue for 10 to 15 minutes and leave them to grill.
03:26The squid have been marinated in the same Arabic masala mixture and have been cooking
03:30away for the last 10 minutes.
03:32As you can see, they're just about ready to eat now.
03:39Even if you're not a seafood fan, you will love this.
03:42It doesn't taste like seafood.
03:44It tastes like chicken with a lot of flavor.
03:46We're going to check out another authentic dish in a little place at the heart of the
03:51Castle Al Hussein.
03:52This is lamb harris.
03:53It's basically wheat and lamb cooked for a very long time.
03:57The trick is all in that stirring and mixing, which gives it that stretchy feel.
04:02Excuse me?
04:03Can I have the dengo?
04:09Delicious.
04:10There's so many flavors, but you can really taste the lamb.
04:13It's really nice and heavy.
04:15Perfect morning dish to keep you going through the day.
04:18We've only just touched the surface of the variety of Emirati food that is available.
04:22Whether you like amazing pastries, lamb, or mouthwatering fish,
04:26UAE Cuisine certainly has something to offer everyone.
04:29Sarvi Grandpaia, Golf News.