Make your own Shawarma

My all-time favourite snacks is definitely a proper Shawarma.

According to Wikipedia, Shawarma (Arabic: شاورما‎) is an Arab meat preparation originating from Lebanon, where lamb, chicken, turkey, beef, veal, or mixed meats are placed on a spit (commonly a vertical spit in restaurants), and may be grilled for as long as a day. Shavings are cut off the block of meat for serving, and the remainder of the block of meat is kept heated on the rotating spit. Although it can be served in shavings on a plate (generally with accompaniments), shawarma also refers to a sandwich or wrap made with shawarma meat. Shawarma is usually eaten with tabbouleh, fattoush, taboon bread, tomato, and cucumber. Toppings include tahini, hummus, pickled turnips and amba. It is similar to Turkish döner kebab and Greek gyros.

Arabic or not, a few years ago, it was actually not easy to come by a decent Shawarma anywhere in Dubai. Yes, there was a nice place in Satwa off Al Diyaffah Street (now a.k.a. 2nd December Road) that did some good ones. Yes, there might have been one or two places that were alright in Deira. In general, however, it was hard to get the "proper" variety.

Nowadays, there are quite a few places, in the Marina, in Al Barsha and not least the British Kebab Shop in Discovery Gardens, which offer British/European-style 'Doners' and even import their own pita bread. Traditionally, however, Shawarmas are served wrapped in Arabic bread - something you can find in any supermarket in town if you don't fancy trying to bake your own.

Why not make your own Shawarma to your own taste? 

It's really not hard work at all and the whole family is bound to love them.

Here's a recipe I got from a Lebanese guy who works in a take-out place in Al Barsha. The spice blend really gets the authentic taste and is everything you would expect of a proper Shawarma. Use you favourite meat; beef, lamb or chicken. It doesn't matter. It all tastes really good. It's the perfect cure for a hangover, excellent for fighting your cravings for dodgy fast food and a great, healthy and tasty lunch snack. All done and dusted in no time. 

The reason Shawarmas are so yummy? The secret's in the spices.

Shawarma meat - spice blend:

1 1/2 tsp ground allspice

1/2 tsp ground coriander seeds

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp paprika / preferably smoked (called 'pimento' - you can get it in M&S) or noble sweet

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 red onion

2 cloves garlic

2 tbsp vinaigrette or vinegar

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

500g meat - thinly sliced - either beef, chicken or lamb.

Veg for the Shawarmas:

8 cherry tomatoes, romaine or iceberg lettuce, 1 cucumber, 1 red or green bell pepper, 1 red onion.

Tahina/yogurt-dressing:

1 1/2-2 tbsp Tahina

250ml (half a pint) plain low-fat yogurt 

Harissa/chili-sauce:

2 tbsp tomato puree

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp water

1 tsp crushed chili flakes

1 tsp salt

Method:

Prep the veg and chop/dice everything finely. Arrange on a plate so they are easy to add to the Shawarmas.

Tahina-yogurt dressing: 

Mix Tahina with yogurt and add salt to taste. Tahina is a liquid paste made from ground sesame seeds. You can find Tahina in most supermarkets in the UAE. Go for the Middle Eastern-pale type made from non-rosted seeds. Keep the Tahina in the fridge after opening. 

Harissa-sauce:

Mix tomato puree with salt, water and olive oil. Add chili to taste. Add a tiny amount of ground cayenne pepper if more spicieness is required. You'll have a fine Harissa-sauce.

Shawarma Meat.

Blend the spices with the meat. Peel the garlic cloves and the onion and chop them very finely. Mix the meat and spices with the garlic, onion, 1 tbsp oil and vinegar and leave it to marinate for an hour at room temperature.

Heat-up a large cast iron pan, skillet or wok until it is sizzling hot. Add 1 tbsp oil to the pan and wait for it to heat up. Fry the meat at 3/4 heat for 3-4 minutes till it is fried thoroughly. Stir occasionally, but leave the meat time to get good contact with the pan so it can take colour and become somewhat crispy. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Serve immediately in Arabic bread or pita bread with the chopped vegetables and Tahina/yogurt-dressing (and Harissa/chili-sauce if you like a bit of a hot kick). 

All sorted and they taste really yummy. Enjoy.

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UAE National Day - Car Celebrations

Every year on 2nd December it's UAE National Day to commemorate the date of the signing of the union between 6 of the 7 Emirates (Ras Al Khaimah joined a bit later). It's a public holiday and it is marked in different ways, i.e. by fireworks, posters and decorations throughout the emirates and laser-light displays on prominent landmark buildings. It's all very nice.

In the month prior to the occasion, the supermarkets, car dealers and petrol stations are full of UAE-branded merchandise to dress up one's vehicle for the event. That seems to be what most locals and some expats really do on their own: pimp their ride Emirati style. 

For a nation that has come such a long way since it was founded only 42 years ago, it seems that it is the car that best symbolises the wealth and prosperity of the Emirates. Some would even say that the UAE went from camel to Cadilac in 25 years, so perhaps it is indeed very appropriate that patriotic affection for one's country be shown through the appearance of one's means of transport. One thing is certain: cars mean the world to most people in the emirates. 

Some people and companies do it modestly: a flag mounted on a pick-up or a poster in the rear window. Others go the full monty and spend thousands of Dirhams doing their car up with everything from complete body wraps to posters of Emirs and Crown Princes to really show their love for the ruling royals.

So elaborate are some of these festive decorations that Dubai Police has found it necessary to issue a Decree to ascertain that road safety is not jeopardized too much by the bling.

Congratulations UAE on this 42nd anniversary of the union - and have fun with the celebrations. Just be careful, please.

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Miss Camel 2013

A dusty track in the remote western region of the United Arab Emirates, on the verge of what is known as “The Empty Quarter” of the country is one of the last places you'd expect to find a beauty competition.

But the leggy, doe-eyed lovelies on parade here are of the four-legged variety.

The Al Dhafra Camel Festival held every year is a celebration of the ancient bond between humans and the "ships of the desert," which have traditionally provided Bedouins with food, clothing and transportation.

The highlight of the event, which draws more than 1,500 camel owners and 25,000 camels from all over the Arabian Peninsula to Al Dhafra, about 150km west of Abu Dhabi, is the Camel Beauty Contest.

The judges in this high-stakes contest rate the animals - the females of which are considered better looking - on criteria including firmness of ear, straightness of leg and the size of their toe cleft.

“The big size of the bones, the big foot, the height of the camel, the neck," explains one of the judges, listing the most desirable attributes.

"The smoother the neck the better, the longer the neck the better."

It's a job he takes seriously, as the spoils of victory can be significant.

The festival is an important auction market for purebred camels, and as well as commanding high prices, award-winning specimens can confer immense prestige on their owners it’s a competition between tribes as well. Everybody wants the prettiest camel to be owned by their tribe – preferably by themselves.

According to the rules laid down in the festival program, owners are required to swear religious oaths that the stated age and lineage of their animals is correct.

As well as the beauty contest and auctions, the festival also has contests in traditional pursuits such as camel racing, camel milking, falconry and date packaging. There is also racing of purebred Arabian salukis, the slender sight-hound that is one of the world's most ancient breeds of domesticated dog, as well as handicrafts displays.

While the SUV has replaced the camel as a means of transportation in the modern Emirates, it's clear the animal retains an important place in the nation's heart.

In a country about which it is often said that it went from riding camels to driving Cadillacs in 25 years, the younger generation seems aware of the importance of preserving the culture of their forefathers where camels were equal to wealth and status.

May the most beautiful camel win.

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Meanwhile in Saudi Arabia

Speaking of women not being allowed to drive a car...

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No woman, no drive!

Last weekend, there was a civil disobedience manifestation in Saudi Arabia over the completely ridiculous ban on women driving a vehicle. Reportedly, some women across the kingdom defied the government and went behind the wheel of a car despite sinister warnings of dire consequences to any woman violating the ban having been issued in advance by the authorities. I came across this brave Arab guy who has taken a classic Bob Marley song and given it a twist to suit the occasion with a little help from his friends. 
I just had to post it here.

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Walahi habibi, yalla, yallah!

So after a solid break it seems an appropriate time to pick-up blogging again.

Yes, I am still here in Dubai where the sun always shines, soldiering on in the City of Life. The above constituting approximately half of my Arabic vocabulary meaning Something like “Right, Darling, let’s go, come on”. So I will make an effort to get on with it, see if once again I can make blog become a kind of diary, a way to sort-out my thoughts and get my writing skills brushed-off. It’s so easy not to use them properly on an everyday basis in this country. There are so many other things to do, loads of distractions and hundreds of procrastinations that at times seem to lure me into neglecting writing. Distractions, like the idiot on the street outside the barrier to our covered parking area beeping away to make the security guard come out and open it. Too lazy to get out of his car and walk into reception to get the guard’s attention. Instead he is using the horn, which must be annoying everybody in the nearby buildings. But this is normal here. It’s all about me-me-me – the rest of the lot can go elf themselves. I want what I want and I want it now! It pisses me off all the time, but what to do about it, yani? It is definitely part of culture here. Even the taxi drivers are constantly beeping away when they pass you on the street to make you aware of their presence convinced that a middle-aged European male walking the limited pavements slash sand pits in Tecom must be in desperate need for a lift. “Hunk if you’re horny, habibi!” Not!

We have moved to Tecom, a very nice area near The Greens and opposite Internet City and Knowledge Village with one of the true landmarks of Dubai, the Al Kazim twin towers just across Sheikh Zayed Road, build to resemble the Crysler Building in New York City (only there are two of them). Location-wise it is perfect; everywhere we would want to go can be easily reached by car or even Metro. Tecom is really an up-and-coming neighbourhood in what is normally referred to as “New Dubai”. The whole area is but a few years old. We have lived in our beloved apartment for over a year now. It is a well-maintained building, a good landlord and a fair deal regarding rent. They even lowered the rent slightly at renewal even though rents in our area seem to have stabilised following the last two-years of decreasing rents in the wake of the credit crunch. We have a great two-bed apartment with a nice balcony. Needless to say there is a pool and sunbathing area on the rooftop and two gyms (gents' and ladies’) with all sorts of torture equipment in the building, full-time janitors keeping everything immaculately clean – and offering their services washing the residents’ cars 12 times a month for 100 Dirhams. 24hr security. And a covered parking space per flat downstairs where the above-mentioned idiot has just been let in after a good few minutes’ worth of being horny.

Still, it really is a good life here in Tecom, in our little apartment in the city where the sun always shines. City of Life.

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BlackBerry Battered in the UAE

Big news here in the oasis today which has caused rather a lot of fuzz within the expat community.

The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of the UAE -TRA - has said that BlackBerry Messenger, BlackBerry E-mail and BlackBerry Web-browsing services in the UAE will be suspended as of October 11. This was officially announced today by government news agency WAM. This will affect BlackBerry owners whether they signed up with Etisalat or du, the only two telecommunication service providers in the country.

Needless to say, quite a few people here were not exactly thrilled with the fact that a vast portion of the user interface on their phones can no longer be accessed or used as intended as from that date.

Alledgedly, the suspension is a result of the failure of ongoing attempts, dating back to 2007, to bring BlackBerry services in the UAE in line with UAE telecommunications regulations. Now, I have been here a fair amount of time and I have witnessed the very thorough marketing campaigns launced repeatedly by both service providers to get the public to sign-up for subscriptions for the BlacBerry service. It is an extremely popular series of handsets here in the UAE and I know loads of people who are huge fans of BlackBerrys and swear they couldn't live without it. I myself is an iPhone evangelist though, so I am really not affected by the fuzz, but I do respect those less fortunate amongst friends.

Both telecommunications operators, Etisalat and du,were informed of the decision earlier today. The notification was delivered with an instruction to ensure minimal consumer disruption in the provision of alternative services.

Shortly after the announcement, Etisalat issued the following statement:

"This is an important decision made by the Regulatory Authority and we fully understand the legal and social considerations behind the decision.

"Etisalat has an obligation to act within the law and the regulations of the TRA, while at the same time, providing our customers with the best service. Etisalat has a significant share of customers in the UAE for its mobility services, including BlackBerry customers and hence it is very important for us to ensure our customers enjoy continuity of services. Etisalat's focus at the current time is to make sure its valued customers experience continuity of mobility services. In line with its commitment towards its customers, Etisalat will soon be announcing a range of alternative mobility products and services for its existing BlackBerry customers."

The core of the problem seems to be that BlackBerry data is immediately exported offshore, where it is managed by BlackBerry servers in the US and elsewhere. Thus not passing through the filtering systems in place in the UAE where attempts to access websites or services which are considered to be not in line with UAE customs and values and otherwise considered to be offensive are blocked. BlackBerry data services are currently the only data services operating in the UAE where this is the case.

Since the BlackBerry concept and user services, however, are based on a centralised server platform, obviously it is and has been possible to access such sites which are not in line with the the UAE regulations.

Commenting on the announcement, the TRA director general said: "With no solution available and in the public interest, in order to affect resolution of this issue, as of October 11, 2010, BlackBerry Messenger, BlackBerry Email and BlackBerry Web-browsing services will be suspended until an acceptable solution can be developed and applied."

I think the matter will be resolved eventually since most normal operations on the BlackBerry like checking e-mails, texting, phoning etc will still be intact. However, from 11th October all traffic will pass through the handle filters and all traffic will thus pass through the networks of etisalat and du. At the end of the day, they will be the winners since the traffic on their networks is going to go up significantly.

On the other hand, today the number of BlackBerry handsets being offered for sale on souk.com went up quite a lot. If you want to acquire a cheep one, now might be the perfect time. Maybe, everyone will end up getting an iPhone in the end.

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