Dubai is home to various wonderful flavors and ingredients which also forms the key ingredients in many Emirati recipes be it spices like saffron, turmeric, cardamom,thyme or items like chicken, lamb or goat. With more than thousands of immigrants residing here, this place is a cosmopolitan city where you’ll find all kinds of international cuisines including Indian, Japanese, American, Italian and many more. However, being in Dubai and not trying your hands on the best Emirati cuisine is probably the last thing to do here. Experience the best Emirati food with these popular dishes rounded up below and where you could find them

1. Harees

It’s a popular Emirati dish which has meat, wheat, and butter as its main ingredients. It’s prepared in a pot where you mix these ingredients and cook them until the batter gets thickened. Preparing this dish takes time however when done it’s worth the wait. The spices are added later to enhance its taste. 

Where you could eat: Al Mallas, Al Barza Restaurant and Cafe, Aseelah-Radisson Blu Hotel Dubai Deira Creek

2. Al Machboos

This famous dish of the gulf is cooked in a large pot using rice, chicken, lamb or a shrimp and added flavors of spices and loomi or lime powder. To prepare the dish you need to cook all these items in boiling water until they become soft. Rice is added to the pot after removing the meat and cooked again. Towards the end meat is again added along with vegetables and the dish is cooked for another 2 hours. 

Where you could eat: Al Fanar Restaurant and Cafe-Dubai Festival City Mall

3. Thereed

It’s a spicy stew served on an Emirati flatbread known as rigrag which could either be cooked using chicken, lamb or goat or completely vegetarian in taste. It’s prepared for hours and when finally done it tastes heavenly. If eaten in good quantity, it’s quite a hearty meal enough to fuel your stomach for hours. 

Where to find it: Seven Sands-The Beach, JBR, Barjeel Al Arab restaurant

4. Fattoush

It’s a purely vegetarian dish made using fresh vegetables consisting of onions, garlic, cucumbers, dried tomatoes, lemon, etc. This exquisite dish is served on pita bread either fried or toasted. It’s like a nice and healthy Emirati appetizer before starting with any meal. 

Where to find it: Al Halabi- Mall of the Emirates, Afiyet Olsun-Al Barsha 

If you are a foodie then you ought to try these authentic dishes of UAE. Try these out and blast your taste buds with the most extraordinary flavors.