Today’s chef, Hessa Al-Sulaiti, is still the master of the Qatari table in Ramadan

Qatari table dishes vary during the month of Ramadan to cover all varieties of juices, sorbets (soups), appetizers and a main course, although they are similar to some Gulf tables, but there are subtle details that make them distinct in their tastes, presentation and special touches.

Chef Hessa Rashid Al-Sulaiti, founder of kitchens for popular and international foods in Qatar, tells us about the most prominent dishes that are brought on the Qatari table during the month of Ramadan, their ingredients and methods of preparing them. Read also Today’s Chef Georgette Touma .. Free breakfast meals for vegetarians during Ramadan Today’s chef, Fatina Daher, a rich Ramadan breakfast with innovative flavors from around the world Today’s Chef Naima Al-Asri … a Ramadan dinner with Moroccan flavors Today’s chef is Sumaya Hijazi … traditional food from southern Lebanon for a Haniyeh breakfast

With her experience in food safety and restaurant management, the art of etiquette and protocol, Chef Al-Sulaiti confirms that a number of dishes that are rich in Qatari cuisine still preserve their traditional and popular character, but in recent years he has begun to open up to modern kitchens, while preserving his privacy.

In her interview with Al-Jazeera Net, Chef Hessa Al-Sulaiti believes that the Qatari table in the month of Ramadan, according to the narratives of the ancestors, did not include many dishes, but was satisfied with two or three prominent dishes. During the holy month, without consuming its original dishes.

Chef Al-Sulaiti suggests starting with juices that vary according to desire and are not limited to a specific type, taking into account the freshness of fruits, especially those that contain a large amount of water, for their benefits in replacing the body with healthy fluids and sugars.

Then the chef halted on the main dish, which varies from day to day, often rice with meat, chicken or fish, then the porridge that holds throughout the month of Ramadan on the table, and some accompanying additives such as samosas. As for the authorities, Al-Sulaiti suggests one of the Qatari table salads.

Tomato salad

Ingredients : Tomatoes and onions, a tablespoon of turkey pepper, a tablespoon of finely chopped coriander, a tablespoon of lemon juice, a teaspoon of hot green pepper, a quarter of a teaspoon each of cumin, salt and black pepper.

Method : Finely chop the tomatoes, bell peppers, onions and green peppers, after which the vegetables are placed in a bowl, then turn the ingredients until they overlap, add the cumin, coriander and lemon juice, and season with salt and black pepper, and it is ready to serve.

Mash love syrup

The soup occupies its place on the Qatari table, and among them is the love of puree, which is modern on the Qatari cuisine, and its ingredients are simple, and its preparation does not exceed one hour, and to prepare a drink for 8 people we need:

Ingredients: 1 cup of harees (wheat), 300 grams of minced meat into small cubes, two tablespoons of corn oil, two mashed cloves of garlic, two large onions, roughly chopped, and two lemons.

Seasoning spices: Put half a teaspoon of soft cinnamon and soft cardamom, a quarter of a teaspoon of black pepper, a teaspoon of salt, lemon juice to serve.

Preparation method: The wheat grain is washed several times, then it is immersed in water to soak, then the oil is placed in a saucepan over a medium heat, then the onion is added with stirring for a period ranging from one to two minutes, until its color becomes light golden, add the garlic, lime and meat. Advertising

Then the ingredients are first seasoned with black pepper, salt, cardamom, and cinnamon, and stirred for 10 minutes until the meat water dries, then add the puree or “soaked wheat” with the soaking water, cover the pot and leave on medium heat until the meat is completely cooked and mixed with the wheat.

In the last stage, we take out the lemons from the pot and cut the meat and leave them aside, and grind the soup using a manual food mill until it becomes smooth, then pour the soup into the serving dishes with the addition of the meat to it, and serve it with lemon juice.

The porridge is the king of the table

As for the main dish that is indispensable in the Qatari table during Ramadan, it is the thareed, which is one of the delicious and famous Qatari dishes, and it can be prepared with meat or chicken.

It consists of bread, meat and broth, and it is a type of food that dates back to pre-Islamic times, and it is also one of the beloved dishes of the Messenger, may blessings and peace be upon him, according to the biography books.

Ingredients: 2 kilograms of lamb, preferably Arabic lamb, half a kilogram each of potatoes, carrots and zucchini, 25 grams of tomato paste, 100 grams of finely chopped onions, 100 grams of fresh tomatoes, 70 grams of garlic, 3 pieces of Lummi, 20 grams of salt, 5 grams of cumin, cinnamon, dried cilantro, black pepper, 60 grams of finely chopped fresh cilantro, ginger, 3 grams of turmeric, gas paper, curry leaf, 3 loaves of flat bread, a little lamb fat, Or corn oil as needed.

Preparation: Dissolve a little of the lamb fat in the saucepan, add the onion until it turns red, then add the garlic, ginger, turmeric and curry leaf, then tomato, then put the meat in the pot (after boiling it a little in a second saucepan), add dried coriander, cumin and black pepper, then cinnamon and lime Black and fresh coriander, then add tomato paste, and enough water.

Leave the pot on the stove for an hour, then add the meat broth and salt, and then add the vegetables: green and hot peppers as desired, and potatoes, carrots and zucchini, and leave for half an hour after that.

Serving: Cut the tortilla bread in a large plate, then water it with the broth until it is absorbed, then put the meat and vegetables, and a final touch of fresh coriander for garnishing, then it is ready.

After this creamy dish, there must be a sweet dish, and perhaps the most famous dish in Qatar is the “sagu” dish, which is one of the popularly popular desserts and the most preferred during Ramadan.

Nekh kebab

Ingredients: 1 kilogram of uncooked flour, 4 cups of water, green onions, dill jelly, tomatoes, eggs, garlic.

Preparation: Mix the ingredients in a bowl, which are green onions, regular onions, and eggs, add coriander, tomatoes, and ground juggulan, add salt, bagels, turmeric and cumin, then pour water and flour at intervals over the ingredients until the mixture holds together, leaving a period before frying in the form of balls.

The “sagu” for dessert

Al-sagu is a sweetener that has endured on the Qatari table, and it is essential and indispensable, and its simple ingredients consist of the following ingredients:

Ingredients: 2 cups of sako, with the same amount of sugar, 1 tablespoon of crushed cardamom, soaked saffron, rose water, and 4 cups warm water.

Preparation: Mix all the ingredients in a bowl over a stove, then leave them until they stick, and pour them into serving utensils.