Arabic Cooking Workshop

Last week, I attended a workshop from GET OUT GET ACTIVE, which is a really popular programme from the university gym, the EDGE. This specific workshop is perfect for anyone who wants to try and is interested in cooking a new cuisine. Arabic Cuisine is usually defined as food eaten in the Arabian Peninsula. It is home to several countries and many cultures which have their own characteristics in their food.

This event was organised in a food laboratory inside the School of Food Science and Nutrition. It is a great place, not only for conducting food science research but also for the cooking. There are outstanding facilities and equipment inside the laboratory and all the participants were excited about starting the Arabic cooking. With the guidance of the staff and volunteers, all participants were fully prepared for cooking food and were divided into three small groups with 3 or 4 people in each group.

We cooked 2 meals in this workshop: Bukhari Rice and Basbousa. Bukhari Rice was an aromatic rice dish combined with vegetables and sultanas, often consumed in the Middle East. Traditionally, Bukhari rice is served with meat such as chicken. Usually, the chicken is cooked in the pan with the vegetables and sauce before being placed in the oven to brown. First, we soaked the rice in water for 10 minutes and prepared the vegetables. Second, we heated the vegetable oil in a frying pan then added the grated carrot, green chillies, black pepper and stirred for five minutes. Furthermore, we added 300ml boiling water then added the rice to the pan. Finally, once the rice began to boil, we turned down the heat and covered with a lid and cooked for 20 minutes.

The second dish, Basbousa, is a traditional Middle Eastern cake that is made from semolina flour and coconut and then covered in a sweet syrup. First, we preheated the oven to 200 degrees and placed the butter in a pan and melted it over a moderate heat. Second, we mixed the semolina, coconut, sugar, flour, yoghurt, melted butter and vanilla extract in a bowl. Using our hands, we spread the mixture into a bakery tray and flattened it with the palm of our hands then used a knife to cut the mixture unto squares. We prepared the sugar syrup by adding water and sugar to a pan and bringing it to the boil. Once the mixture was boiling and began to thicken, we added the lemon juice. Finally, we reduced the stove to a moderate heat and continued to stir for nearly 5 minutes.

When done, all participants combined their cooking together and shared with each other. It was really amazing to taste our food and share with new friends from different cultures. It is not only great because of the food but also because I gained this unique experience to cook and taste different cultures that are reflected on the university.