Join The National and Table Tales on a culinary journey around the Middle East to savour the quintessential dishes that embody the spirit of Ramadan. From table staples to family favourites, this series of recipes – one for each day of Ramadan – pays homage to the holy month and the home cook alike.
There is no doubt that halloumi is a popular ingredient. In recent years it has become a menu staple the world over, be it as a starter, main or vegetarian addition to a salad. Grilled or deep-fried, the cheese holds its own under heat, becoming soft and gooey when cooked, as opposed to all-out melting.
Halloumi cheese, either grilled or fried, has had a renaissance in the West, but it is a staple in Mediterranean cuisine
As Hanan Sayed Worrell of Table Tales explains, while it may be having “a renaissance in the West”, halloumi has long been a “staple in Mediterranean cuisine”.
“Growing up, halloumi was a favourite for a suhoor snack, combined with refreshing watermelon,” she says.
“I have been making this recipe with the lime vinaigrette since the 1990s, inspired by Delia Smith. You can enjoy it as an appetiser or for lunch, with pitta or crusty bread, throughout the year.”
Hanan Sayed Worrell's grilled halloumi with a lime vinaigrette
Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients:
- 2 limes, zest and juice
- 2 tbsp white grape vinegar
- 2 tbsp capers
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- 2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
- 2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 500g halloumi
- 2 tbsp butter
- 4 tbsp flour
- Sprigs of coriander to garnish
Method:
- Prepare the vinaigrette dressing by whisking the lime juice, white grape vinegar, capers, garlic, mustard, coriander and two tablespoons of olive oil in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
- Pat the halloumi dry with a paper towel. Cut into three-centimetre-thick slices. Heat the remaining olive oil and the butter in a frying pan on medium heat.
- Dust each slice of halloumi in the flour to coat on both sides. Place the slices in the pan and fry for two minutes on each side until golden.
- Plate the halloumi and drizzle with the vinaigrette. Garnish with fresh coriander sprigs, and serve with pitta.
This dish has been brought to you by international recipe hunter Hanan Sayed Worrell, author of Table Tales: The Global Nomad Cuisine of Abu Dhabi. The Table Tales concept celebrates the people and stories that give flavour to recipes of the Middle East.
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Read more:
Ramadan recipes: daily dishes to try from the 'Table Tales' series
Ramadan recipe: molokhia, a medieval Arabic dish
Ramadan recipe: Sambousa puff – pastry with meat, cheese and herbs
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
if you go
The flights
Emirates have direct flights from Dubai to Glasgow from Dh3,115. Alternatively, if you want to see a bit of Edinburgh first, then you can fly there direct with Etihad from Abu Dhabi.
The hotel
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Located in the heart of Mackintosh's Glasgow, the Dakota Deluxe is perhaps the most refined hotel anywhere in the city. Doubles from Dh850
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Events and tours
There are various Mackintosh specific events throughout 2018 – for more details and to see a map of his surviving designs see glasgowmackintosh.com
For walking tours focussing on the Glasgow Style, see the website of the Glasgow School of Art.
More information
For ideas on planning a trip to Scotland, visit www.visitscotland.com
THREE
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How to invest in gold
Investors can tap into the gold price by purchasing physical jewellery, coins and even gold bars, but these need to be stored safely and possibly insured.
A cheaper and more straightforward way to benefit from gold price growth is to buy an exchange-traded fund (ETF).
Most advisers suggest sticking to “physical” ETFs. These hold actual gold bullion, bars and coins in a vault on investors’ behalf. Others do not hold gold but use derivatives to track the price instead, adding an extra layer of risk. The two biggest physical gold ETFs are SPDR Gold Trust and iShares Gold Trust.
Another way to invest in gold’s success is to buy gold mining stocks, but Mr Gravier says this brings added risks and can be more volatile. “They have a serious downside potential should the price consolidate.”
Mr Kyprianou says gold and gold miners are two different asset classes. “One is a commodity and the other is a company stock, which means they behave differently.”
Mining companies are a business, susceptible to other market forces, such as worker availability, health and safety, strikes, debt levels, and so on. “These have nothing to do with gold at all. It means that some companies will survive, others won’t.”
By contrast, when gold is mined, it just sits in a vault. “It doesn’t even rust, which means it retains its value,” Mr Kyprianou says.
You may already have exposure to gold miners in your portfolio, say, through an international ETF or actively managed mutual fund.
You could spread this risk with an actively managed fund that invests in a spread of gold miners, with the best known being BlackRock Gold & General. It is up an incredible 55 per cent over the past year, and 240 per cent over five years. As always, past performance is no guide to the future.
if you go
The flights
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
