Food can evoke powerful memories, with many dishes packing both flavours and stories.
Whether it's a dish cooked during family celebrations or one ordered as a much-needed pick-me-up, hearty and homely foods have imprinted on our palates with one overarching criteria: they need to be comforting.
Given the UAE's melting pot of nationalities, The National asked residents from various backgrounds to share their favourite comfort foods — from the dishes they would eat when they fell ill as children, timely as flu cases are on the rise, to the timeless meals that hold a special place in their hearts.
Harees
For Emirati civil engineer Hassan Al Marashi, the ultimate comfort food means harees, which he describes as "easy to eat, hot and comforting".
A popular dish in the Arab world, harees is a porridge-like meal with boiled, cracked or coarsely ground wheat. It is mixed with meat and sometimes garnished with sugar, cinnamon or clarified butter. It is often served during Ramadan.
"I have happy memories enjoying harees with my family and with my son, who loved it as a baby. I don't know how to make it but my dad does, so maybe I'll have to get him to teach me," says Al Marashi, from Dubai.
Juk
South Korean national Yoon Kang, a social media manager in Dubai, says juk (rice porridge) is the comfort dish she turns to, especially when she's under the weather. The popular dish is usually served to the elderly and babies because it's easy to digest.
"You could compare juk to chicken noodle soup. It's made by slow-boiling rice that's been left out to soak in water for many hours," Kang says.
"The soft, moist texture of the porridge is easily swallowed and digested. It’s perfect when I couldn't keep other foods down."
The savoury rice porridge can come with chicken or beef, as well as other add-ons like nuts and pumpkin. Perhaps more famously, the porridge is mixed with abalone, which are marine snails that are highly regarded in Korean cuisine.
Aloo sabzi
Saffiya Ansari has fond memories of aloo sabzi, a traditional Indian potato curry. "My mum hardly ever cooks, but there was one summer when it became an inside family joke because she made it so much," she says. "Now it reminds me of summers spent with my extended family in London."
The dish is made with mashed boiled potatoes, cooked in a spicy tomato and onion base. It requires minimal ingredients and does not take a lot of time to prepare.
"It's slightly soupy and very flavourful despite the simplicity of the ingredients. I prefer it with chapati, but it's also perfect with paratha or rice," says Ansari, who works as an editor.
Although she knows how to make it, the British-Indian Dubai resident says her version "never hits the spot" compared to her mother's.
Arroz caldo
The Filipino rice and chicken congee is the ultimate comfort food of Sunshine Mendoza, a marketing professional, who says she can eat it for days on end.
A popular street food in Manila, arroz caldo has a strong ginger flavour and is garnished with garlic, spring onions and pepper. It is served with a dash of lime juice and fish sauce.
Although it can be made with regular rice, many Filipinos prefer using glutinous rice to elevate the dish. Typically grown in South-East Asia, glutinous rice is sticky and waxy, and is a common ingredient in Filipino cuisine, especially in desserts.
"It's easy to make, the ingredients are easily available," she says. "It's a dish that gets better with time. I can make a whole pot and eat it for three days," says Mendoza.
Maraq
For British-Yemeni journalist Rua'a Al Ameri, a traditional Yemeni maraq is a dish she reaches for when ill.
Maraq is a soup with vegetables and a choice of meat, typically chicken. It is served with fresh slices of lemon or lime that are squeezed in for added flavour.
"It is really comforting and warm for when you are sick and lacking appetite. Because it is made with fresh ingredients, it is tasty and it gives your body strength," says Al Ameri.
The dish can also be made with beef or lamb. Whatever the meat of choice, the secret to a good maraq is to use bone broth, Al Maeri says. It has potatoes, carrots and cauliflower, and is spiced with cinnamon, coriander, cumin, salt and black pepper.
Pastina in brodo
Pastina refers to tiny pasta, while brodo is stock. Italian flight attendant in Dubai Filippo Battocchio says "it is comforting because it is made with love".
Many Italians will describe the dish as one that evokes childhood memories. What makes the dish unique is the use of tiny star-shaped noodles, because it is usually served to children.
Battocchio recommends it be homemade. "If you make a homemade chicken broth from scratch, it’s a labour of love and a snap to put together with the teeny, tiny pastina," he says.
It can be made with store-bought chicken broth, but "there is absolutely nothing compared" to one that's made at home, he says.
Sunday roast chicken
For British marketing manager Catherine Dyer, comfort food reminds her of Sundays at home in Devonwith her parents and brothers.
"A simple whole roast chicken served with stuffing, roast potatoes, carrot and swede mash, gardens peas and gravy. Maybe a Yorkshire pudding too, if you're lucky," she says.
Dyer, who lives in Dubai, has special childhood memories of the roast. "I would help my dad prepare the vegetables and the whole house would smell of perfectly roast chicken," she adds.
"Whenever I visit home now, my parents, brothers and my nieces will all get together and we'll have at least one roast dinner together — it's tradition."
Spaghetti bolognese with a South African twist
Although Graeme Smit is not Italian, he considers his mother's spaghetti bolognese recipe his comfort food.
To add a South African twist to it, his mother uses Mrs Balls Chutney, an ingredient "we can't live without", says Smit. The chutney, which is also available in some supermarkets in the UAE including Waitrose, is made with cane sugar, vinegar and dried fruit.
"Like with anything my mum cooks, she will never leave it just to the recipe, she will add her unique twist to it," he recalls. His mother's spaghetti bolognese usually includes brown lentils that "completely change the texture and flavour of the dish". Smit works in public relations in Dubai.
"It’s the perfect comfort food because I grew up with it. It was definitely a go-to dish for my mom to make because she loved it too and it was super simple to make," he adds.
Scroll through the gallery below for 2023 food trends
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Fringe@Four Line-up
October 1 - Phil Nichol (stand-up comedy)
October 29 - Mandy Knight (stand-up comedy)
November 5 - Sinatra Raw (Fringe theatre)
November 8 - Imah Dumagay & Sundeep Fernandes (stand-up comedy)
November 13 - Gordon Southern (stand-up comedy)
November 22 - In Loyal Company (Fringe theatre)
November 29 - Peter Searles (comedy / theatre)
December 5 - Sinatra’s Christmas Under The Stars (music / dinner show)
ADCC AFC Women’s Champions League Group A fixtures
October 3: v Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC
October 6: v Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC
October 9: v Sabah FA
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
Types of fraud
Phishing: Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
Smishing: The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
Vishing: The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
SIM swap: Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
Identity theft: Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
Prize scams: Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
* Nada El Sawy
The biog:
Languages: Arabic, Farsi, Hindi, basic Russian
Favourite food: Pizza
Best food on the road: rice
Favourite colour: silver
Favourite bike: Gold Wing, Honda
Favourite biking destination: Canada
The biog
Favourite hobby: taking his rescue dog, Sally, for long walks.
Favourite book: anything by Stephen King, although he said the films rarely match the quality of the books
Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption stands out as his favourite movie, a classic King novella
Favourite music: “I have a wide and varied music taste, so it would be unfair to pick a single song from blues to rock as a favourite"
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
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Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Company%20Profile
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
if you go
Getting there
Etihad (Etihad.com), Emirates (emirates.com) and Air France (www.airfrance.com) fly to Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport, from Abu Dhabi and Dubai respectively. Return flights cost from around Dh3,785. It takes about 40 minutes to get from Paris to Compiègne by train, with return tickets costing €19. The Glade of the Armistice is 6.6km east of the railway station.
Staying there
On a handsome, tree-lined street near the Chateau’s park, La Parenthèse du Rond Royal (laparenthesedurondroyal.com) offers spacious b&b accommodation with thoughtful design touches. Lots of natural woods, old fashioned travelling trunks as decoration and multi-nozzle showers are part of the look, while there are free bikes for those who want to cycle to the glade. Prices start at €120 a night.
More information: musee-armistice-14-18.fr ; compiegne-tourisme.fr; uk.france.fr
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
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The Saga Continues
Wu-Tang Clan
(36 Chambers / Entertainment One)
In The Heights
Directed by: Jon M. Chu
Stars: Anthony Ramos, Lin-Manual Miranda
Rating: ****
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
The stats
Ship name: MSC Bellissima
Ship class: Meraviglia Class
Delivery date: February 27, 2019
Gross tonnage: 171,598 GT
Passenger capacity: 5,686
Crew members: 1,536
Number of cabins: 2,217
Length: 315.3 metres
Maximum speed: 22.7 knots (42kph)
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
THE BIG THREE
NOVAK DJOKOVIC
19 grand slam singles titles
Wimbledon: 5 (2011, 14, 15, 18, 19)
French Open: 2 (2016, 21)
US Open: 3 (2011, 15, 18)
Australian Open: 9 (2008, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21)
Prize money: $150m
ROGER FEDERER
20 grand slam singles titles
Wimbledon: 8 (2003, 04, 05, 06, 07, 09, 12, 17)
French Open: 1 (2009)
US Open: 5 (2004, 05, 06, 07, 08)
Australian Open: 6 (2004, 06, 07, 10, 17, 18)
Prize money: $130m
RAFAEL NADAL
20 grand slam singles titles
Wimbledon: 2 (2008, 10)
French Open: 13 (2005, 06, 07, 08, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20)
US Open: 4 (2010, 13, 17, 19)
Australian Open: 1 (2009)
Prize money: $125m
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
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Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
DSC Eagles 23 Dubai Hurricanes 36
Eagles
Tries: Bright, O’Driscoll
Cons: Carey 2
Pens: Carey 3
Hurricanes
Tries: Knight 2, Lewis, Finck, Powell, Perry
Cons: Powell 3
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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End of free parking
- paid-for parking will be rolled across Abu Dhabi island on August 18
- drivers will have three working weeks leeway before fines are issued
- areas that are currently free to park - around Sheikh Zayed Bridge, Maqta Bridge, Mussaffah Bridge and the Corniche - will now require a ticket
- villa residents will need a permit to park outside their home. One vehicle is Dh800 and a second is Dh1,200.
- The penalty for failing to pay for a ticket after 10 minutes will be Dh200
- Parking on a patch of sand will incur a fine of Dh300
Pakistan squad
Sarfraz (c), Zaman, Imam, Masood, Azam, Malik, Asif, Sohail, Shadab, Nawaz, Ashraf, Hasan, Amir, Junaid, Shinwari and Afridi
