15 Yummy Arabian Dishes not to be missed

Acquiring a taste for Middle Eastern food can be tricky. The cuisine is traditionally built around bold flavours, and some of the spices commonly found in Middle Eastern dishes might not be familiar to those who have never tried this kind of food before. In fact, you might not even find these spices at your local supermarket!

But don’t worry. If you’re a beginner, you may want to first try these five Arabic dishes. They are relatively easy to prepare and very friendly to the taste buds! The best part is that you can find most of the ingredients for them at your local grocery store.

Koshary is considered the national dish of Egypt, which is very interesting because it doesn’t have any meat or fish in it. It is a simple meal that consists of pasta, rice, lentils, and chickpeas, topped with tomato sauce and garlic vinegar. Add some fried onions, and you have yourself one of the simplest yet most delicious meals in Egyptian cuisine.

If you are a vegetarian visiting Morocco, you might feel like the cuisine options are limited for you. If you think that way, you are wrong. The Moroccan couscous is not only a delicious dish but also very healthy and rich in fibre. Couscous consists of coarsely ground semolina or wheat flour served with meat such as goat or lamb along with vegetables and raisins. Some people even add nuts to it for extra flavour.

If your idea of an Arabic meal is rich and spicy, you should definitely try the Lebanese Kibbeh Nayyeh, minced raw lamb, bulgur wheat, and pine nuts. The mix can be eaten alone with pita bread or with other dishes such as hummus or baba ghanoush.

The Mediterranean Sea is the water body between Europe, Africa, and Asia. It is a sea full of history, culture, and tradition. Mediterranean cuisine is one of the most popular cuisines in the world, not only for its exquisite flavours but also for its fast preparation time and healthy ingredients.

Arabian food has a lot of influence from other countries, like Italy, Persia, and India. The Arabian cuisine is famous for its desserts with dates and nuts, which are very rich in calories. But there are also plenty of dishes which are very healthy and low on calories. Here are 5 of them that you should definitely try:

1. Fattoush Salad

This dish contains lettuce, tomatoes, mint leaves, cucumbers, and some Arabic spices. It can be served with pita bread or as a side dish to meat or fish.

2. Kibbeh 

Kibbeh is prepared by stuffing minced meat into fried or baked balls made out of bulgur wheat, onions, and spices. It can also be stuffed with spinach, pine nuts, or any other ingredient you would like to add to it.

3. Kabsa

Kabsa is a traditional dish that is served with chicken or lamb and consists of tomato juice, onion, garlic, ginger, and other spices. 

Though it is a little spicy, Kabsa has been able to win the hearts of many non-Saudis.

4. Mansaf

Mansaf is one of the most important meals for Jordanians and Arabs in general. It consists of boiled rice with lamb and nuts. The dish is seasoned with a sauce called “jameed”, which is made from dried yoghurt.

5. Maqluba

Maqluba is one of the famous Palestinian dishes consisting of meat, fried vegetables, and rice cooked in layers together. That’s why this dish got its name which means “upside-down” in Arabic.

This dish includes eggplants, potatoes, cauliflower, carrots, and chicken or lamb meat. After cooking the mixture on top of heat sources, the dish should be turned upside down before serving it.

Arabic food is such a mouth-watering cuisine that it is almost impossible to resist the temptation of not trying out these five Arabic dishes.

6. Kibbeh

If you love meat and are looking for a quick and delicious snack, then Kibbeh is the dish for you! It is made of minced lamb or beef with bulgur wheat and stuffed with onions, pine nuts, and spices. This dish is so popular in Lebanon and other Arabic countries because it comes in many shapes: you can find it as a croquette, an oval shape patty, or even as a pie!

7. Hummus

Hummus is one of the best vegetarian dishes from Lebanon. Made from chickpeas, sesame paste, garlic, and lemon juice, hummus has been part of traditional Lebanese cuisine for centuries. This dish is often consumed as an appetiser when served with pita bread or even as a vegetable dip of sorts.

8. Falafel

Falafel is another vegetarian dish that has been around in Lebanon since ancient times. Made from ground chickpeas, fava beans, or both, falafel balls are deep-fried before they are served with condiments like hummus. 

Falafel is a dish that has become very popular in recent years, both in Arabic restaurants and elsewhere. The dish is made up of fried chickpeas or fava beans and is often served as an appetiser or side dish. Although it may look like falafel is only one kind of dish, it actually has many different variations depending on where you go. For example, some people like their falafel with hummus or tahini sauce, while others prefer it plain with just salt and pepper.

9. Shalel Lounge

A hidden gem in Chelsea that serves up Israeli-inspired dishes on small plates. The hummus is a must.

10. Balaboosta 

One of my favourite restaurants in New York City, Balaboosta, serves Israeli/Mediterranean food with an elegant touch. The chef is known for his ‘fluffy’ hummus, which you can top with lamb meatballs or mushrooms with confit onions and garlic chips.

11. Kubeh 

In the West Village, this tiny restaurant is a real find. The menu changes frequently but you can always order amazing kubbeh, which are Iraqi dumplings filled with ground beef or lamb and cooked in a rich broth.

12. Baba ghanoush

Baba ghanoush is an Arabic eggplant dip that originated in the Levant area (Eastern Mediterranean). It is made from grilled, peeled and mashed aubergines seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and optionally tahini.

13. Lamb Shawarma

Lamb Shawarma is an Arabic dish made with strips of lamb, chicken, turkey, beef, veal, or mixed meats. The meat is placed on a spit (commonly a vertical spit in restaurants) and maybe grilled for as long as a day. Shawarma can be served on a plate (generally with accompaniments), or as a sandwich or wrap. Shawarma is usually eaten with tabbouleh, fattoush, taboon bread, tomato, and cucumber. Toppings include tahini, hummus, pickled turnips, and amba.

14. Beef Shawarma

Beef Shawarma is prepared very much like the Lamb Shawarma above, but it uses beef instead of lamb. Beef has less fat, so the meat tends to be drier than the lamb shawarma mentioned above. Most people prefer the beef shawarma over the lamb shawarma because of beef’s firmer texture that holds up better to grilling over an open flame. Beef shawarmas are often eaten with hummus and pita bread, just like any other type of shawarma dish.

15. Kibbeh Nayyeh

Kibbeh Nayyeh is a Lebanese dish that is typically served with raw meat. It is made from ground lamb and bulgur, an ingredient similar to couscous. It can be eaten with pita bread and is often served in the summertime.

Kibbeh Nayyeh is a Lebanese dish that is typically served with raw meat. It is made from ground lamb and bulgur, an ingredient similar to couscous. It can be eaten with pita bread and is often served in the summertime.