By : Fazmina Samat

The festive season in Qatar is marked by delightful traditions and mouthwatering culinary experiences. As families gather to celebrate, the aroma of traditional Qatari dishes fills the air, bringing joy and togetherness to the table. Let’s explore some cherished recipes that add flavour to this joyous time!

Here are nine popular Qatari fusion dishes that showcase the region’s culinary diversity, especially during the holiday season. These dishes combine traditional flavours with festive ingredients, highlighting the culture and celebratory spirit of the season in Qatar.

Harees

A comforting and nourishing dish, Harees is a meal that has a porridge-like consistency, made from wheat, meat and a dash of spices.

Cooking Process : Harees is prepared by soaking wheat overnight, cooking it with seasoned meat until it transforms into a comforting, porridge-like dish. It is often beaten and incorporated with butter or ghee, which depicts generosity.

Significance: It is with no doubt more than a meal; it is a symbol of sharing often exchanged with neighbours and shared among the less fortunate during Ramadan and special gatherings.

Majboos

This fragrant dish is a staple during celebrations, featuring tender meat, aromatic rice and a blend of spices that create a symphony of flavour.

Cooking Process : This flavorful delicacy involves cooking rice with spices, meats like chicken, lamb, or seafood and a hint of dried lemon known as loomi. For the final touch, this dish is garnished with nuts or raisins.

Significance: Considered as a national dish, this dish oozes hospitality and warmth. This dish is distinctive with festivity, symbolizing the spirit of hospitality and commonly gracing the tables during joyous celebrations.  

Balaleet

This is one of Qatar’s beloved traditional breakfast treats which can also double up as a delightful dessert. What’s unique about this dish is that it can be enjoyed hot or cold and offers a blend of sweet and savoury flavours.

Cooking Process: Layers of vermicelli are first cooked and fried with a combination of ghee, sugar, ground ginger, cardamom powder and saffron-soaked rose water. Then a generous layer of omelette strips is added on top of the vermicelli to complete the dish.  

Significance: This dish is mostly seen on Eid mornings, and lies in its representation of a sweet start to the day and the celebration that follows.

Thareed

Thareed or informally known as the Arab Lasagna is another popular festive dish that embodies comfort and fulfillment.

Cooking Process: Layers of crisp bread soaked in a tomato-based meat stew, create a soul-warming harmony of flavours.

Significance: According to Islamic hadiths’ Prophet Muhammed considered Thareed to be as ‘the best among the dishes’ offering nourishment and warmth.

Umm Ali

This delicacy that originates from Egypt is also considered a national pride in Qatari food culture. With a deep history behind this dish, it is nevertheless presented as a sweet gesture of sharing during special occasions, festive and holiday seasons.

Cooking Process: This dish is baked with pastry, sweetened milk, nuts and sugar until golden perfection. To complete the dessert this dish is often seen garnished with powdered sugar or a handful of toasted nuts for richness.

Significance: The origin of this dish was created by a widow, Umm Ali, in honour of the death of  Shajar al-Durr who was striving for sole ruling, leading to the killing of the sultan who was her husband. Despite the dark history, this dish continues to be served at big events and holidays.

Qouzi

This is considered as an extravagant dish that showcases the epitome of Qatari generosity.

Cooking Process : Qouzi features lamb stuffed with rice, nuts with a considerable amount of spices together is slow-roasted mostly in underground ovens, to tender perfection.

Significance : A dish like this, is with no doubt fit for celebration, it embodies the essence of Qatari hospitality during grand feasts.

Luqaimat

Literally translated as ‘mouthful’ can be described as doughnut balls made with yeast and fried to a golden-brown colour.

Cooking Process: Small dough balls that are deep-fried and coated with date syrup or honey, and are sometimes seen sprinkled with sesame seeds.

Significance: Often savoured during the festive season, this dish complements any dish and can be enjoyed at any time of the year. Luqaimat, sweet treats bring happiness and communal sharing to the holiday season.

Madrouba

Derived from the Arabic word for ‘hit’ and informally translated as ‘beaten rice’ is a comfort food that is cooked down and this mixture is beaten with a wooden spatula to look like a porridge-like consistency.

Cooking Process: This dish is made with rice and chicken or lamb, with butter and spices which are then cooked down to a porridge-like texture and beaten to a smooth consistency.

Significance: Served during holidays, It embodies the love and care of traditional Qatari cuisines, offered affectionately to guests.

Stuffed Camel

A magnificence of a dish that is reserved for the most special occasions, or if you're willing to splurge hefty on holiday seasons. The stuffed camel dish is a culinary spectacle!

Cooking Process: The process involves stuffing a whole camel with chicken, lamb, eggs, and fish subsequently roasting it for several hours. This dish is often seen prepared by professionals.

Significance: This dish signifies the highest level of hospitality, gracing weddings or national celebrations which help symbolize the event’s utmost importance. However, if you’re willing to dig deep into your pockets on a holiday season – there’s no one stopping you!

As you see, in every bite and every aroma unfolded these dishes carry stories, traditions and warmth of Qatari culture. By sharing these recipes we honor the legacy behind these dishes. Let these recipes not only tantalize your taste buds but also become a part of your festive traditions, connecting you to the heart and soul of Qatar’s cultural heritage.

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