American Bedu

“Native” Saudi food
Current mood: hungry
Category: Travel and Places

First I’d like to thank Molly for her email with some queries about the Kingdom.  It is my pleasure to respond to them in a series of messages and as I am writing this during lunchtime, I thought I’d start with “native” Saudi food.Molly had asked what are the typical and traditional foods in the Kingdom.  To begin with I’d like to say that there is a strong Lebanese influence to many of the dishes that are prepared routinely here.  If one is familiar with Lebanese food many of the same types of dishes and spices used are found in the Kingdom.Rice is a staple of every Saudi and can be fixed in a variety of ways using cumin, red chilis, sauteed onions, cardimon and other spices to vary the flavor.  Basmati rice from India seems to be the most popular type of rice used but Egyptian rice is a runner up particularly during winter when many Saudis prepare seleek.Yes, that was the first teaser to seguing to specific dishes made in the Kingdom.  The overall most popular is called “kupsa.”  Kupsa is a chicken (dijaj) and rice (roz) dish.  It is a simple and delicious dish which literally cooks itself and is one of the few dishes that even the majority of Saudi men not only know how but take pride in making!For kupsa, first start with soaking 1.5 – 2 cups of rice in water.  Then add a small amount of olive oil in a large saucepan.  Chop and dice one large onion.  Once the onion is soft and slightly golden in flavor add two chopped tomatos to the mix.  Salt and pepper to your taste.  Add other spices as you wish.  I tend to add a mix simply called “Saudi kupsa spice” which is found at most local grocery stores in the Kingdom.  This seems to be a mixing of about 4-5 differing spices and provides a tasty flavor.  Allow this mixture to simmer until the tomatos have turned into a juicy mixture.  Now add 4-6 pieces of chicken.  I prefer to use chicken legs but actually one can use any pieces they prefer or substitute with other meat as well.  (I’ve made kupsa with lamb, veal, beef, (beef) sausages, fish and shrimp).  Stir this mixture occasionally but allow the chicken to cook and simmer for about 30 minutes.  Then add water to the mix until the chicken is tender.  (I just usually let it all simmer for no less than 60 minutes).  This is also an ideal time to add additional spices if wished.Once the chicken is tender there are two options:  One, the chicken can be removed and placed into the oven.  If so, I usually broil for five minutes to add a little crispiness and then bake on low.  Or two, leave the chicken in the pan and add the rice.After adding the rice, increase the heat to bring the rice to a fast boil and make sure all the rice is “just covered” by the water.  Let boil for 1-2 minutes and then shift to lowest heat.  Allow rice to cook until tender (usually 20-30 minutes) and I typically cover the pan as the rice cooks.When serving I usually serve on a platter with the rice in the center and the chicken pieces around the outer edges.Kupsa is typically served with the traditional “Saudi” salad of cubed cucumbers, onions and tomatos.  I’ll make my own dressing to serve over the salad which is equal portions of oil and vinegar and then adding some squeezed lemon juice, salt and pepper.  Sometimes to jazz it up I’ll also put in a “dash” of hot sauce too. Some other typical dishes I will just describe.  They are more timely to make and I still have to follow a written recipe.  Favorites are garcon; jereesh; seleek.Garcon is a one-pan dish which starts with a layer of brown bread in very small slices or by a mix of brown flour and water and then rolling very tiny individual pieces until a dish is lined.  Then a mix of vegetables (such as green beans and squash or potatoes or carrots) is added together with meat.  The preferred meat in the Kingdom is lamb.  I’ve never really acquired a taste for lamb myself so I usually substitute with roast beef.  Again, Saudi spices are added and the dish is baked and served.Jereesh is similar to bouger or cracked wheat.  It can either be baked or cooked atop the stove.  Milk and/or cream is added to the mix to thicken as well as chicken or lamb and some sauteed onions.  This is one of my all-time favorite Saudi dishes.  I prefer to bake it mainly because it is healthier and less fattening.Seleek is a dish served primarily during the cold rainy season.  The ingredients are chicken, Egyptian rice, milk, water and spices.  The chicken is cooked first by boiling and then placed in the broiler until crispy.  The chicken water is then used to cook the rice although milk is also added to the mixture.  The rice is cooked until it becomes similar to sticky rice.  This is a simple and satisfying meal.Favorite Saudi vegetables seem to be okra, squash, tomatoes, onion, eggplant.  Most vegetable dishes are prepared in oil and cooked atop the stove until tender.  The dishes are tasty but one has to be careful about how much oil they consume.Saudi spice markets are a real treat to explore.  Most of the grocery stores will have extensive spice selections to include bulk spices.  Many spices are pre-prepared and packaged but most of the Saudi women I know like to make their own special mixes of differing spices.When cooking the Saudi foods I guess because the aroma of the spices are stronger than what is typically encountered in the West, the whole house will take on the smell of the meal.  I usually try to lessen the aroma of cooking and light scented candles prior to beginning food preparations.The majority of Saudi dishes rely on fresh ingredients and many which are to be thinly diced and chopped.  Most of the dishes take time to prepare as well as several hours to cook.  My take on this is that the majority of Saudi women do not work or have a housemaid so it makes it easier to have the time to prepare these dishes.During Ramadan and the Eid holidays (think of these as celebrations similar to Christmas and Easter in the Western world), so many special dishes and sweets are prepared.  A great treat and feast is when a camel is slaughtered and a full lamb will be stuffed inside the camel and a chicken in turn is stuffed inside the lamb.  I’m told that the stuffed camel is then either bbq’d above a fire or most traditionally, is buried and baked in the desert sands.  Since I still consider a camel cute and a pet, I have chosen not to participate in this event so I’m only relaying what I’ve been told.I hope this post gives an indication of some of the Saudi foods.  I realize I did not go into much detail on desserts but just picture desserts made traditionally with honey or cream and sweet, fattening and very delicious!In closing this post, I have also provided a link which describes some of the traditional and popular restaurants of Riyadh:http://www.arriyadh.com/En/cgi-bin/f/ALL/r_SubRestaurants.asp?AttOrder=1 

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