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Ginger and Scotch

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Emirati Recipe: Shrimp Fried with Spices (Ro-be-yann nashif)

Thu, Feb 16, 2012 | 10 Comments

posted in: Dubai - Things To Do, Middle East - only UAE, Travels, UAE Recipes | tagged as: shrimp

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Emirati Shrimp Fried with Spices

Emirati Shrimp Fried with Spices

I never did get back on track with my Emirati cooking, did I?

Lamb Biryani was the last recipe I posted but I did get to observe a few home-cooked Emirati dishes (namely, Chicken Machboos and Balaleet) this past November.

And recently, I went to an Emirati restaurant for the first time – Al Fanar in Dubai Festival City – and had a great time sitting outside on the Arabic seating and enjoying all the local dishes.

I hope to take my in-laws to Al Fanar when they visit next week.

Speaking of the in-laws, I never got around to posting the photos of their visit from 2011! So before I get into the Emirati recipe for this week, allow me to share with you some photos of our trip to Liwa last year.

(Below slideshow may not be viewable if you are reading this from an email client or mobile device):

[galobj viewid=35]

Liwa is located in the southernmost part of Abu Dhabi (the capital of the UAE), almost into Saudi Arabia, on the northern edge of Rub’ al Khali desert. The area is covered with sand dunes with heights up to 250 metres (820 ft) and the sand is a beautiful reddish-orange color due to the presence of feldspar.

From Wikipedia:

The Rub’ al Khali or Empty Quarter is one of the largest sand deserts in the world encompassing most of the southern third of the Arabian Peninsula, including southern Saudi Arabia, and areas of Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

The desert covers some 650,000 square kilometres (250,000 sq mi)…more than the combined land areas of the Netherlands, Belgium, and France.

It took us about 3 hours to drive from Dubai to Liwa. Along the way, we visited the Emirates National Auto Museum but unfortunately it was closed for some reason so I was only able to take some exterior photos of the place.

We stayed at the Tilal Hotel which was comfortable and nicely furnished and then on the way back to Dubai, we stopped at the luxurious Qasr al Sarab for lunch by the pool.

*   *   *   *   *

This week’s Emirati recipe was prepared last June.

I know, I KNOW, what a delinquent I am at posting these things.

But for once I was able to follow one of Celia’s recipes to a “T”!  Well, except for one teensy weensy change of reducing the oil from 1/2 cup to 1/4 cup and I used canola instead of corn as that’s what I had in my cupboard.

If you love shrimp like I do, this is a great Emirati recipe to try! And I hope that you get the chance to recreate this dish as well – for the recipe, please click here.

About this dish, Celia writes:

This is a very popular main course meal. The dried jumbo shrimps are ideal, but fresh locally caught prawns are just as tasty.

Some people add a little more oil at the frying stage which gives a richer flavour, while others may add one or two finely chopped green chillies during the cooking stage. When this is served as a luncheon dish it is normally accompanied by plain boiled rice, but as an evening meal, it is more common to serve paratha or chapati bread, hot from the pavement baker.

For the cook who hasn’t ready access to these types of bread, try pita bread which has been warmed in the oven or microwave. Side dishes of sliced limes and mixed salad would be the normal accompaniments for this modern dish.

I’ve never seen dried jumbo shrimps sold in Dubai but with fresh shrimp readily available, I would much rather use fresh.

First, I fried the onions, with a sprinkle of salt, in vegetable oil for about 5 minutes.

The spices for this dish were bezar, turmeric, ground fennel seeds, loomi powder, cumin, curry leaves, garlic cloves, and grated fresh ginger:

Emirati spices

This recipe calls for a “pinch” of ground fennel seeds. Now I’ve always wondered, what exactly is a pinch?

And would those with different finger sizes have different pinch quantities?

I used ¼ teaspoon of whole fennel that I mortared and pestled as I couldn’t be bothered with taking out the blender – which I keep in one cupboard but the spice grinder attachment is in the bowels of a different cupboard.

And on another note, Celia says to cook the onions until “brown” but I find that when my onions are brown, they are more accurately describe as “burnt.” Ah, well.

I thought I had chilli chapatti in my freezer but it was actually chilli nan and in the middle of frying up the shrimp while Wee Scotch was napping, there was no way was I going to leave my apartment in search of chapatti or paratha so chilli nan it was!

The spices were fried for 5 minutes and the fragrance they released was so mouthwatering. Next I added the shrimp with a sprinkle of salt and simmered them for 10 minutes on very low heat with a bit of water, maybe about 1/3 cup.

 

I served this dish on white rice and chilli nan whose sole purpose were to soak up the flavorful sauce.

And I loved the garlic-ginger combo mixed in with the bezar – I would definitely use it in other variations like with chicken or beef.

These photos of Wee Scotch taste-testing the dish is from last June (when he was one and a half) and as I was editing them, I can’t believe how much my little boy has already grown!

He’s still quite fearless and willing to try anything.

He enjoys his chicken and beef, but shrimp is still his favorite.

*   *   *   *   *

Previous Emirati recipe:  Lamb Biryani (La-ham biryani)

Up next:  Fried Savoury Triangles (Samboosa)

Note:  This post is part of my Cooking Local project.

*   *   *   *   *

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About Sandy

I’m Sandy (aka “Ginger”), married to “Scotch” (not his real name).
 
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    Recipe Rating




  1. Cynthia says

    Sun, Feb 26, 2012 at 8:40 pm

    This looks so good! and I am so jealous that your son actually eats what you cook. My 2 year is such a picky eater. I have heard of all the spices except loomi powder

    Reply
  2. anh@anhsfoodblog.com says

    Thu, Feb 23, 2012 at 10:56 am

    This is a new dish to me! But I can tell it is delicious!!

    Reply
  3. Devina Divecha (FooD says

    Mon, Feb 20, 2012 at 3:28 pm

    Nice! I recently went to Al Fanar to cover the interiors for my magazine…going to visit when my Emirati friend comes back to Dubai on her holidays from uni. I want someone to tell me if the food is really authentic or not 🙂

    Love the photographs as always!

    Reply
  4. I Live in a Frying P says

    Sun, Feb 19, 2012 at 5:13 am

    Looks so good, I think I'll buy me a bag of bezar too and experiment!

    PS, have you checked out the article on this Emirati chef – mentions that she's written a book on Emirati recipes.

    Reply
  5. Sally - My Custard P says

    Fri, Feb 17, 2012 at 2:57 pm

    There's something so immensely satisfying to see children tucking into good food with gusto. You've inspired me to get out my Bezar, pronto!

    Reply
    • ginger says

      Sat, Feb 18, 2012 at 5:06 pm

      I still haven't used Arwa's mom's bezar yet – hoping to do so very soon.

      Reply
  6. sarah - the hedonist says

    Fri, Feb 17, 2012 at 1:06 pm

    scotch loves shrimp? Lucky you – I can't get my kids to go anywhere near them. How did he go with the chilli naan?

    Reply
    • ginger says

      Sat, Feb 18, 2012 at 5:07 pm

      I don't recall him taking any interest in the chilli nan. He was more fascinated by the rice and the shrimp.

      Reply
  7. nadia says

    Thu, Feb 16, 2012 at 7:51 pm

    This is very identical to how South Indians fry their shrimps in spices. Except for the bezar, the ingredients are basically the same. Oh, but this is so good with plain rice!

    My husband and I stayed at Qasr al Sarab in Nov. '10. Love their food! And their HUGE bathroom (I think I can spend the rest of my life in the over-sized tub) 😀

    Reply
    • ginger says

      Thu, Feb 16, 2012 at 8:31 pm

      Yes, i have noticed that there are huge similarities between Indian and Emirati cooking. Especially in the samboosa recipe for next time 🙂

      Qasr al Sarab is certainly beautiful!

      Reply

About Me

Homemade Chinese Noodles From ScratchI’m Sandy (aka “Ginger”), married to “Scotch” (yes, he’s Scottish).

I believe that it’s not just noodles we are creating, but memories, traditions, and a sense of pride.

I believe in slowing down, relishing time spent with our children and loved ones, and bonding through shared noodle-making experiences.  Read more…

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