An Arabian evening: lemon and mint cocktails, hummus and Arabic Chicken Machboos
Lemon and mint cocktail
On our amazing trip to Dubai, we were served a refreshing drink made of lemon and mint. I got quite addicted and since coming home have found myself drinking it a lot, with the addition of a slightly less traditional little ‘freshener’ of gin. Oh it makes all the difference. Those little minxes at British Mummy Bloggers challenged me to vlog a summer recipe, so I cheated and did this cocktail instead. Here’s a still from our ‘shoot’:
To whip up the cocktail, you’ll need
2 lemons
1 large bunch of mint
1 tablespoon sugar
Large jug of ice
Large slug of gin
So first, squeeze the lemons into the blender. Try to get as much pulp in there as possible. Then add in the mint, removing the stalks so you don’t get any woody bits in there. Add in the sugar and the ice. Whizz for a LONG time. Until your ears are ringing and you can’t bear it any more should just about do it. Finally throw in the gin. Whizz again just to mix. Serve immediately. But hey, just sip okay? This one’s a bit of a killer.
Of course, if you serve it in one of these luscious Urban Bar glasses, it’ll taste much better:
Quick and easy home made hummus
Obviously to complement your zingy cocktail, you’ll need yummy nibbles. Hummus is quick and easy and served everywhere in Dubai. You can keep a tin of chickpeas in the cupboard for when you want to whip up a quick bowl of dippy doo. Add in a handful of chopped mint or coriander for freshness:
1 tin chickpeas, drained
1 clove garlic (I sometimes cut out the garlic and just use a good quality garlic oil instead)
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Pinch of salt
2-3 tbsp olive oil or rapeseed oil
Handful of chopped mint or coriander
Paprika to garnish
So just whizz the chickpeas, garlic, lemon juice and salt up with a stick blender, glugging in enough oil to loosen the mixture. If you like it a bit runnier, feel free to add a couple of tbsp water. Stir in the herbs and serve sprinkled with paprika and maybe a swirl of oil, with crispy toasted pitta breads, breadsticks or some crunchy veg for dipping.
On our trip, we visited the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding for a talk and lunch. Our food was amazing:
For an easy main course, look no further than this Arabic staple, Machboos. It’s made everywhere in the UAE and is very similar to a chicken biryani or paella (most people think this dish originates from India, but our generous hosts in Dubai claimed it as their own!). The original is made with chicken pieces and dried limes, or loomi, which are difficult to get here so I’ve left them out (if you find them, add two and make sure you pierce them first - apparently they explode). Here they are at the spice market (front right):
Here’s my very simple version that makes for easy entertaining:
Arabic Chicken Machboos (or biryani)*
Serves 4
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 onion, finely chopped
Generous couple of pinches of salt
1 squeeze (say 2 tsp) tomato purée
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch nutmeg
1 or 2 bay leaves
4 chicken breasts,sliced into thin slivers, or leftover roast chicken, shredded
1 litre chicken stock
400g Basmati rice, well rinsed
Pinch of saffron
To garnish: fried onions, handful cashew nuts, handful sultanas and a handful of fresh coriander
So heat your oil in a heavy-based pan and gently fry the onion until translucent, adding in the salt at this stage. Add in the spices (not the saffron) and cook gently until they give off their lovely aromas. Throw in the chicken and fry gently (you might have to add a bit more oil here) until it begins to brown.
Take out the bay leaves and add in the chicken stock, rice, saffron and dried limes (if using). Stir well and cover. Turn the heat right down and leave to cook for about 20 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed and the rice is tender. Try not to keep lifting the lid as you want to keep all the steam inside. I know it sounds funny but you can tell when the rice is done as it starts to make a kind of ‘crackling’ noise! Fork it through and then keep it covered until you’re ready to serve.
In Dubai, our gorgeous biryani was served with a garnish of onions, fried to the point where they were almost crispy, cooked with some cashew nuts and a handful of raisins. Delicious. We also ate from enormous platters of grilled fish called Safi, a really memorable meal. To the right is the Machboos and to the left is a really interesting spicy chicken ‘mousse’ called Madrouba :
Mint tea
I’m currently lusting after Denby’s newest collaboration with Monsoon: ‘Cosmic’ - a paisley print in ‘deep blue, teal, mauve and lime’. I want it all. I keep smashing my Denby Reflex, so I’m trying to persuade the hubster into a new collection. This is classic Denby quality with beautiful embellishment. What’s not to love? This teapot would be perfect for serving some refreshing mint tea in the garden after your deliciously scented Arabic meal:
And finally, for your entertainment, here’s me getting into the spirit of things and trying on the national dress (I’m on the right *cough*). Yeah, go on, laugh it up.
*Thanks to Nick Coffer for help with this recipe adaptation.
Me too - I’m up for a reunion! I bought another mint plant in Tesco today - planning another cocktail evening!
phew you published the recipe - I did try the mint and lemon drink as I too am addicted however I didnt add the sugar - not so nice !
Dubai was great - would love to go back
What an awesome post. Definitely doing (some of) this next week. Ta! Also love the pic. x
Thank you! x
MILF! MILF! MILF! MILF! MILF! MILF! MILF! MILF! MILF! MILF! MILF! MILF! MILF! MILF!
Erm… thank you?
I have a mint plant on my balcony screaming to be made into that delicious drink .. I am thinking the night of TAKE THAT, seeing as I live beside Croker .. woo hooo!! Thanks EM x
Ooh that sounds wonderful! I killed my mint so I’m having to buy it. Ubergardener that I am 🙂
Mine was a supermarket one that I re-potted and it has literally grown in to a tree! The same day I noticed its size a large bottle of vodka came into my life … there’s a sign in there somewhere 😉
Go on ya MILF ya !!
I am definitely going to try the first recipe, may mix it up a bit and try with vodka (in addition or instead). Will let you know how it goes.
If this has the required effect i may move on and make the chicken!
I’ve tried it with vodka too, Damian - it definitely has the required effect 🙂 And yes, try the chicken! It’s a nice easy one, honest x
I had to look twice at the opening photo… it really didn’t look like you ?
I assume you will doing the picnic for our Zoo trip then ?
Well, not ALL of it, hopefully! Why doesn’t it look like me? x
These sound absolutely amazing! When I saw the title I thought they sounded really nice and refreshing but didn’t realise they included gin - even better! Will definitely be trying this at the weekend. Thank you!
Hannah @ Love to Dine
http://lovetodine.wordpress.com
Thank you! It’s actually lovely and refreshing without the gin too 🙂 x
This is right up my casbah! have all the ingredients for the chicken dish so that’s friday tea sorted and as for the gin lemon drink - well it would be rude not to
It really would! Make sure you season the rice really well - it takes loads of salt. And drink lots of the gin. Just, well - just because. xx
You look so pretty in the top photo. All the photos look so inviting and the recipes look amazing. I absolutely love that type of food… but, where is the vlog? I looked for it on the British Mummy website, and couldn’t find it.
Thank you! It’s not been published yet - my ‘cameraman’ was a bit overenthusiastic with the zoom button and it needs to be edited 🙂
….but forget the outfit, you’ll frighten the pets and neighbours!
Darn.
Really looking forward to my Arabian meal…can’t guarantee garden weather sadly! I really got to love hummus and mezze with all the trimmings in Israel. They were always the starter but I could easily have dispensed with the main and pud and kept eating x
Ooh yes, we’ll do that! Nick from My Daddy cooks has an amazing Imam Bayildi recipe (y’know, that aubergine mezze one. Nom.) x
i’m rather liking the cocktail recipe. have the babies first birthday coming up soon, i think us mummas deserve a shnifter or two or three….!!x
Oh definitely! Happy birthday to the Minitownies! 🙂
I feel an Arabian nights party coming along for my friends soon, cocktails look gorgeous! Nice outfit!
Haha thank you! That’s exactly what I was thinking - I’m planning one when I get home 🙂
Heehee…I hope you brought one of those outfits home to Cavan 🙂 Fab post - scrummy recipes. Where did you get your cocktail glasses? I love those ones but haven’t found any in shops.
Believe it or not, my cocktail glasses were from Amazon! I had those Urban Bar ones but sadly only two survived the journey last time we moved… *sob* I think they’re actually margarita glasses x