Living in Qatar, with all the different communities here, you can get a taste of food from all over the world. However, not many know about the Qatari cuisine. We bring to you a list of traditional Qatari dishes to try.

Once you get a hold of the Qatari taste, trust me, there is no going back. Mostly a mixture of Levantine and Arab cuisine, the Qatari dishes also take inspiration from Indian and Iranian cuisines.

Thareed – A combination of vegetables, meat, bread and a delicious sauce, Thareed can be linked with pot stew. Locals usually use either lamb or chicken for the dish and the tomato sauce with the mix of spices serve as a relish to it. Commonly known as the Qatari Lasagna, Thareed is a dish that can be considered one of the most popular ones in Qatar

Found at:Muglat Harees Al Waldah

Image from World Recipes

Khanfaroush – The most common thing we can link this to are Gulab Jamans with a Qatari twist. These delicious babies are basically sponge cakes that are deep fried in order to serve as the probably one of the most popular dishes.

Found at: Pavlova Sweets Qatar (Instagram)

Luqaimat – I actually had the pleasure of trying these out recently and I know I am going back for more. Luqaimat are sweet dumplings that are made from cardamom, saffron, butter, sugar, milk and flour. They are deep fried and dipped in sugar syrup and a new twist is seen in the market as they are served with different dips now. A favorite in Ramadan, Luqaimat are little sweet bites from heaven.

Found at: Karaki - The Pearl

Mathrooba – Made from velvety smooth porridge with chicken in it, Mathrooba is one of the delicacies everyone has to try if you are going for new Qatari food. Giving a rich and luscious flavor and making it all the more appetizing, Mathrooba is usually eaten for breakfast. People usually compare it to Harees but has more of a soup type element to it.

Found at: Souq Waqif Stall

Wareq Enab

A delicacy that almost everyone made me try on my arrival here, the ground lamb, spice and rice are wrapped in grape leaves and may as well be the best appetizer you have ever tried. Even though this is known to be usually home-made restaurants and markets do offer it as well

Found at:Saidah - Souq Waqif

Machbous – A Qatari exclusive, the Machbous consists of spices, meat, nuts and rice. You will usually be served with side serving of either hard boiled eggs or potatoes. The flavors are made rich with the help of nuts, raisons and/or chicken, fish and mutton.

Found at: Umm Fahed, Souq Waqif

Harees – Harees or harissa is the porridge-like dish which includes delicacies such as ground wheat and meat boiled together and garnished with cardamom, butter, sugar and cinnamon. It has got to be one of the most popular and well liked dish amongst expats in the country because of the delicious flavors it offers.

Found at:"HAREES" - Airport Road

Kousa Mahshi – A dish that has the most international influence, the Qatari dish of Kousa Mahshi is basically stuffed courgettes with lamb and sprinkled with mint and garlic for a different taste. The Mahshi is baked before serving which is one of the most unique traits of the dish

Found at:Harees Al Waldah

Image taken from www.sbs.com.au

Have you tried some local food that we need to look into? Drop us a comment and we’ll give you a review!

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Anushay T.Khan

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