Dubai Travel Forum

I would like to return to Dubai:

- what budget things are there to do (under $20)
- is there bus service to the other emirates
- when I was there before I went to the Heritage Village and ladies were making traditional food items. One was like a crepe with cream cheese spread on the top. The other was like a donut. Does any one know what they are called and have a recipe. I was told that families often make them but they are seldom seen in a restaurant.
Thanks,

The one like crepe is called (Regags, Rukak or Krubz al Regag)and the one like donut I think is called Khamir! They are both made from flour.
Well you can go to public beach, visit shopping centers and go to a movie. Not to forget Dubai museum and heritage village which you already visited :-)
Safe trip and good luck.

I have searched those food terms and can't find a recipe. The crepe one looked so easy and was yummy. Any suggestions.

Regag (Wafer-thin) Bread
It is the most common sort of bread in the United Arab Emirates. A fairly soft paste is manually cut into pieces and spread into a frying pan or pot (Tabi). It is left on fire until the bread gets dry. The loaf is taken out of the Tabi with an iron or copper handle called Mehmas. Regag bread is usually eaten with butter and sugar. It can also be made into porridge or gruel.


Khammer (Leavened) Bread
It is made of a flour paste mixed with water and dates. The mixture is left for a whole night. In the morning it is cut into round pieces. They are then spread into loaves and baked one by one on a "Tabi" which is either a pot or a frying pan made of iron. A mixture of water and eggs is put on each loaf to improve the flavour.
Hope this helps!

Thanks I think that is the one with eggs and cheese

Now if I could find the one that is deep fried... I think it has honey in it... they look like donut holes.

I think what you are looking for is:Logaimat
Khameer, a fermented bread, is the oldest kind of bread made here in U.A.E. It could be round, small or big. It is made from a flour paste mixed well with warm water and some dates macerated in water. It also contains many kinds of spices such as hail and zafaraan. Logaimat bread is sweet to taste. It is made in the same way as khameer, the only difference being that sugar is used instead of salt. The most famous of breads is rigag, a wafer-thin bread which is eaten with white cheese or grilled meat. The Arabs have been eating it for generations. The bread is made from a soft paste of flour spread over a pan and heated till it dries up. It is then lifted using tongs made of iron or copper. Rigag is prepared using butter and sugar or porridge or gruel.

Amir, you are a mine of information but, will you stop handing out such fantastic recipes? I am trying to lose weight and you are not helping. :D

Hi Sanscott,
The bread you are refering to which is more or less like a crepe or pancake is called shebab (pronounced eshbab in gulf dialect) or qubz shebab, honey ,clotted cream and cheese is spread on it , it is a staple and native to Gulf Arab States only ,not the other Arab countries ...even in the Gulf it is mostly made at home and not sold commercially, seldom you`ll find an elderly local /traditional bakery /market day selling it.

The other donut ie; dumpling which looks like a fried ball is called in the Gulf countries loqeemat and feautres in their Ramadan spread everyday , it`s drizzeled with a sugary syrup called sheera or- date syrup just like the ones in heritage village which also tastes better than sugary syrup,dates syrup is brownish color and available in all supermarkets in the emirates in tins ,plasic jars.

There are other variations of the dumpling with different names in other Arab countries.

Reqaq is a thin huge rounded flatbread with a rough texture that breaks easily...again native to gulf only .



Here is the Gulf recipe for loqeemat dumplings...(basic recipe)
Ingredients:

Dumplings:
3 1/2 cups plain flour
1/4 ounce plain dried yeast
2 1/2 cups lukewarm water
1 teaspoon sugar
corn oil (for frying)

Syrup:
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 lemon, juice of lemon squeezed
Directions:
1 Making the dumplings:.
2 Sift the flour into a large warm mixing bowl.
3 Dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup of the lukewarm water add sugar and set aside until the mixture rises and foams.
4 Beat all remaining ingredients into the yeast mixture.

5 Gradually beat in the flour until the mixture becomes a sticky batter

6 Cover with a damp towel and set in a warm place to rise, approximately 1 1/4 hours.
7 Beat mixture well every 15 minutes for the first hour.
8 Add about 2 inches of oil to a pot suitable for deep frying and heat until very hot.
9 Use a wet teaspoon to drop spoonfuls of dough into the pot. When the dough balls swell and rise to the top, reduce the heat to medium and cook until crisp and golden brown.
10 Cooking time is about 5 minutes per batch.
11 The balls should be a nice golden brown color and crispy on the outside, but not burnt.
12 Remove the dough balls from the skillet and drain on a paper towel.
13 While they are still hot, dip them briefly into the syrup.
14 The syrup:.
15 Dissolve sugar in water in a pot over medium heat.
16 Once fully dissolved and starts to thicken, add lemon juice.
17 Bring to boil.
when it says beat it means mix/stir with a spatula

drizzle over dumplings.


Shebab bread sometimes called muhalla or sweetened...think pancakes not from the box but natural without preservatives or all the sugar....

flour
eggs
milk
baking powder
a tiny bit of sugar,maybe castor sugar
dot /pinch of salt
hotplate or pan to scoop the batter and spead it then ..proceed like a pancake lol..etc. need to get you the recipe .......we dont have these at our levant table but we do know of each others food sort of.

Awesome... thank you...

Thank you Mel! I just put on 2 KGs through just reading the recipes. :D

haha Dave :-) You should start a strict diet and no reading of Recipies!!

Budget things to to under $20:
1. Take a bus (Prefer X25, C2, C1) from end to end (2AED) nice view from every place in the city. From the most crowded to slow paced life around town!
2. Jumeirah Beach Park (5AED). Bring your towel, swimming outfit, etc. , enjoy the sun and the beach, but these days, quite challenging... just too HOT!
3. Take a taxi, go to Souq Al Bahar, watch the fountain dance with the music, The Dubai Mall, watch some shows.
4. Go to Gold Souq, Spice Souq, Cross the Creek via Abra (1AED), Shindaga Heritage Village (5AED), have Shawarma for Lunch (5AED).
5. Go to City Centre and watch movie (30AED), roam around - window shopping (0AED).

Hope these helps! Just be creative. Best thing is call your a friend, sepnd time together, talk, eat shawarma (5AED). Spending time with a friend is priceless!