Tastes like tradition

Gursan

Saudi cuisine is often enjoyed on dinner tables all across the Arab world. Aromatic rice and vegetables, succulent tender beef and fresh chicken marinated with the most authentic spices — all of these factors combine to make these dishes flavorsome and a unique treat for the tastebuds.
Arab News asked Eman Gazzaz, a Saudi vlogger with a popular YouTube channel ‘Saudi Food with Eman’, to share some traditional Saudi recipes.
Her first recipe, Gursan, is a meat and vegetable stew made with a special kind of bread. Mandi Rice, her second recipe needs no introduction. It is a popular dish not just in Saudi Arabia but in all Arab countries. Delicious aromatic rice served with chicken or mutton, this dish is similar to Kabsa, the main difference being the method of preparation.

Gursan

Ingredients
500 g boned lamb meat
3 carrots
4 ground tomatoes
1 eggplant
1 tbsp garlic paste
2 dried lemons
3 zucchini
1 small potato
200 g pumpkin
100 g green beans
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 chopped onions
1 red chili
1 tbsp Saudi spices
1 tbsp coriander powder
1 tbsp cumin powder
½ tsp turmeric
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp honey
Dried Gursan bread

Recipe
Cut eggplant, zucchini, potato, pumpkin, and carrots into big chunks.
Place a pot on medium high heat, and add 6 tbsp of oil.
Add onions and garlic, and cook until golden brown.
Add meat, cumin, coriander, tomato paste, turmeric, Saudi spices, and cook for five minutes.
Add ground tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes.
Add 2 liters of water and cook meat covered for 35 minutes.
Add red chili, dried lemon, green beans, carrots and cook for five minutes.
Add eggplant, zucchini, potato, pumpkin and cook for 10 minutes.
In a deep serving bowl, in layers add small chunks of Gursan bread, and a little sauce with vegetables. Add another layer of Gursan bread on top, and add some sauce with vegetables. Keep repeating this process until the dish is full.
On the top, add meat, garnish with fried onions and freshly chopped coriander.
Serve immediately.


Mandi Rice

Ingredients

1000 g chicken
1 tsp colored zaafran
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 tbsp salt
1 tsp Saudi spices
3 cups Basmati Rice
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cinnamon sticks
5 pc cardamon pods
6 pc cloves
½ cup yellow raisins
Roasted pine nuts
Roasted, shredded almonds
Chopped coriander
Charcoal for barbecue

Recipe
Mix zaafran, turmeric, salt, and Saudi spices together and rub it on the chicken on both sides; wear gloves.
On medium high heat, add five tbsp oil and four chopped onions in a pan, and cook until golden brown.
Add golden onions to a metal pot, two cinnamon sticks, five cardamom pods, 6 cloves, 1½ tbsp. salt, ½ cup yellow raisins, 3 cups washed and drained basmati rice, and warm water.
Stick your finger in the pot to make sure the water covers your index finger and mix it well.
Cover the pot with a metal rack or a steamer. Place the chicken on it.
Let it cook in a preheated oven at 185 degrees Celsius for one hour to one hour and 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven, add the chicken to the rice pot.
Make a small plate/bowl using aluminum foil, place it inside the pot. Place hot charcoal to the foil and pour some oil on it.
Cover it quickly, and seal the smoke from going out using a cloth, for 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove the charcoal, and serve rice and chicken.
Sprinkle with roasted pine nuts, shredded almonds, and chopped coriander.

For full videos on YouTube watch www.YouTube.com/SaudiFoodwithEman. You can follow Eman’s culinary journey on Instagram: SaudiFoodwithEman
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