1 Shawarma
Shawarma is one of the local specialties of the United Arab Emirates. This famous street food consists of a huge cone-shaped flatbread stuffed with finely minced meat slowly cooked on a vertical rotisserie, vegetables, spices and hummus or tahini.
Depending on where you buy it, it may contain additional ingredients and various types of meat including beef, chicken and lamb. If you are visiting Dubai and planning to experience the local street food culture, you must visit the famous shawarma outlets to savor the local flavors.
2 Tharid
The next dish from Dubai is Tharid. During the holy month of Ramadan, this is a popular dish during iftar and the end of the fast. Also called three, it is a thick stew cooked with lamb, chicken, goat, potatoes and seasonal vegetables. People usually enjoy the stew with Emirati flatbread.
3 Fattoush
Fattoush, the upcoming Dubai dish, is a treat for all fitness and health enthusiasts as it offers the right taste without causing weight gain. It is a refreshing and tasty salad.
People enjoy Fattoush with grilled or fried pita bread, broken into small pieces and mixed with the salad. Usually, it is a side dish, but it can also be a main dish when served with a main course, especially with grilled meat or chicken.
4 Kousa Mahshi
Kousa Mahshi is a popular dish among tourists in Dubai. Dubai cuisine consists of zucchini (or both) stuffed with rice, spiced meat and topped with yoghurt.
Kousa Mashii, which means “stuffed squash” in Arabic, is a light and satisfying dish that is popular throughout the Levant. The dish consists of hollowed-out zucchini stuffed with a mixture of spiced ground lamb and rice and slowly simmered in a cinnamon tomato sauce until the meat is succulent and the rice is tender.
5 Manousheh
Manousheh, a type of Arabic pizza that originated in Lebanon, is a great option for those with a more tangy palate, especially if you’re looking for Dubai cuisine. It’s essentially a Lebanese flatbread topped with one of a variety of ingredients: za’tar (za’atar is usually made from ground dried thyme, oregano, marjoram, or a combination of these, mixed with toasted sesame seeds and salt, though other spices like sumac can also be added), cheese, labaneh (strained Greek yogurt, similar to cream cheese in consistency and sour cream in taste), and eggs are the most famous.
6 Gahwa (Emirati Coffee)
Gahwa Arabic coffee, a staple of every majlis, commemorates customs and conversations. In Dubai, there is no better way to end a delicious dinner than with dessert and Arabic coffee. Coffee, called gPahwain, the Emirati dialect, has been an integral part of Arab culture for millennia. The preparation and consumption of Arabic coffee is steeped in tradition. It is a common custom in the UAE and represents unity and charity.
7 Kunafa
If you are visiting Dubai or Abu Dhabi, you should definitely try Kunafa. This Middle Eastern dessert is made with a creamy layer of milk pudding between two layers of crispy Kunafa (grated Kataifi) dough, then drizzled with simple sugar syrup.
Also, depending on where you buy it, you may find it enriched with almonds, raisins, pistachios, rose water, lemon juice, and cinnamon. This delicacy is rich and delicious and is a must-try in Dubai.
8 Rigag
Regag bread is a thin Emirati bread made from simple ingredients such as flour, water and salt. It is cooked on a griddle or flat pan, giving it a thin and crispy texture similar to that of a pancake. This traditional bread is topped with egg, cheese or honey while cooking and is usually served for breakfast. When cooked in a pan, people can top it with cheese, honey, eggs and other ingredients as a stand-alone meal. As a side dish, you can enjoy it with meat stews or as a stand-alone dish with a side of yogurt.
9
A creamy, savory, and smoky eggplant dip with tahini, garlic, and citrus: this authentic baba ganoush recipe is a must-try! A Middle Eastern dip made with roasted eggplant, garlic, tahini (sesame paste), and lemon juice, Baba Ganoush is a popular Levantine dish often served as an appetizer with pita bread, vegetables, or as a sandwich or wrap filling. Plus, it’s famous for its creamy, savory, and slightly smoky taste and is suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
10 Margoogat
Margot, a popular Dubai dish, is served in restaurants ranging from casual cafes to five-star hotels. This tomato-based meat stew is often made with chicken or lamb, but it can also be a vegetarian dish made with potatoes or zucchini. The ingredient that steals the show is a masala-like spice combination that contains turmeric, cardamom, cumin and cinnamon, among others.
