I’ve mentioned before that it took me a long time to get used to the different brands of food found in Bahrain’s grocery stores. For example, as a kid I was a regular milk drinker. Our trek over to the Middle East put an end to that – I’d still put it on my cereal occasionally, but could never drink it straight-up. It seemed dairy products took the most getting used to. Rather than Nordica, Dairyland, Yoplait and Liberte (just to name a few), our fridge was stocked with items such as these:
Almarai apple juice and Nada milk
Eggs – neatly stamped in pink to show that they came from Bahraini chicken farms – maybe specifically chicken #312013?
Almarai yogurt and butter
For expatriates that really missed their western brands, there was a grocery store called Alosra that carried a lot of familiar North American and British products. (Think Kraft, Kelloggs, Nabisco, Tesco, and Unilever.) The drawback was that we had to pay a hugely inflated price for them. However, one thing that the east and west do have in common is cheap fast food. Craving McDonalds, KFC, Dairy Queen? No worries – rest assured that you can still get a dose of quick greasy food for dirt cheap.
As you may have expected, I was not a frequent customer in any of these establishments, but I’ve been in plenty of them with friends to know about how they work. Many of the menu items are the same as we have here in North America, with the exception of pork dishes because Muslims aren’t supposed to eat it. All meat must be ‘halal’, which means it is prepared according to Islamic laws, as opposed to ‘haram’ which means it’s forbidden.
You’ll also find some localized menu items, like the McArabia Chicken at McDonalds, which consists of two grilled chicken patties, lettuce, tomatoes, onions and garlic sauce, “lovingly” (and that’s a direct quote from themenu) folded in Arabic bread. It looks like this:
Then there’s the Mataffee from KFC, which I’m pretty sure is just a lot of chicken and jalapenos on a sub bun, but rather than read my description, why not check the commercial out for yourself?
If grease isn’t your style and instead it’s a good jolt of caffeine you’re after, you’re never far from one of these:
Although there are a plethora of western quick-service options in Bahrain, the country also has a lot of really great restaurants of its own to offer. One of our favourite places to go for traditional Middle Eastern food was Al Abraaj, where you could get all of the items I’ve mentioned in this series already, as well as a number of grilled dishes, curries, rice mixtures, Arabic bread, and traditional sweets. One of my most common requests was shish tawook, or chicken kebabs. It’s a popular one all over the Middle East, and consists of chicken breast pieces marinated in a super flavourful spiced yogurt sauce, then grilled with onions and bell peppers.
I realize that weather here in North America is certainly not conducive to standing outside next to a barbeque (unless you’re really hardcore), so I’ve prepared this version of shish tawook over the stove. I promise that you and your chicken will stay warmer this way.
Here’s how it’s made…
Shish Tawook (Arabic/Turkish chicken)
by Angela
Prep Time: 10 mins (2+ hours to marinade)
Cook Time: 15 mins
Keywords: grill stovetop entree gluten-free high protein low-fat low-sodium soy-free chicken vegetables Arabic Middle Eastern
Ingredients (2 servings)
Instructions
In a small bowl, combine first 6 ingredients and all of the spices. Mix together until an even sauce forms, then pour it into a resealable bag with the chopped chicken breast pieces. Seal the bag and place it in the fridge for at least 2 hours. (I left it for 6 hours and the flavour was amazing.)
When ready to cook, empty the contents of the resealable bag into a non-stick frying pan and turn heat to medium-high. (Note: If you want to use a grill, skewer the chicken and vegetables, then grill until chicken is completely cooked throughout.)
Stir-fry the chicken until almost fully cooked. Add the peppers and onion, stirring them around the pan to coat them in the sauce.
Continue cooking for a few more minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink inside and veggies are tender-crisp. Stir in half of the parsley, then divide the contents of the pan between 2 bowls. Garnish with remaining parsley and serve immediately.
Shish tawook can be served on its own (either on skewers or without), or paired with something like rice or flatbread to make it a more filling meal.
Oh, and if you’re clever and make leftovers, the bits of chicken are equally as tasty eaten cold, straight out of the fridge. Not that I’ve done it or anything…
Welcome to part 4 of my Food from Home series!
Catching up?
I’ve mentioned before that it took me a long time to get used to the different brands of food found in Bahrain’s grocery stores. For example, as a kid I was a regular milk drinker. Our trek over to the Middle East put an end to that – I’d still put it on my cereal occasionally, but could never drink it straight-up. It seemed dairy products took the most getting used to. Rather than Nordica, Dairyland, Yoplait and Liberte (just to name a few), our fridge was stocked with items such as these:
For expatriates that really missed their western brands, there was a grocery store called Alosra that carried a lot of familiar North American and British products. (Think Kraft, Kelloggs, Nabisco, Tesco, and Unilever.) The drawback was that we had to pay a hugely inflated price for them. However, one thing that the east and west do have in common is cheap fast food. Craving McDonalds, KFC, Dairy Queen? No worries – rest assured that you can still get a dose of quick greasy food for dirt cheap.
As you may have expected, I was not a frequent customer in any of these establishments, but I’ve been in plenty of them with friends to know about how they work. Many of the menu items are the same as we have here in North America, with the exception of pork dishes because Muslims aren’t supposed to eat it. All meat must be ‘halal’, which means it is prepared according to Islamic laws, as opposed to ‘haram’ which means it’s forbidden.
You’ll also find some localized menu items, like the McArabia Chicken at McDonalds, which consists of two grilled chicken patties, lettuce, tomatoes, onions and garlic sauce, “lovingly” (and that’s a direct quote from the menu ) folded in Arabic bread. It looks like this:
Then there’s the Mataffee from KFC, which I’m pretty sure is just a lot of chicken and jalapenos on a sub bun, but rather than read my description, why not check the commercial out for yourself?
If grease isn’t your style and instead it’s a good jolt of caffeine you’re after, you’re never far from one of these:
Although there are a plethora of western quick-service options in Bahrain, the country also has a lot of really great restaurants of its own to offer. One of our favourite places to go for traditional Middle Eastern food was Al Abraaj, where you could get all of the items I’ve mentioned in this series already, as well as a number of grilled dishes, curries, rice mixtures, Arabic bread, and traditional sweets. One of my most common requests was shish tawook, or chicken kebabs. It’s a popular one all over the Middle East, and consists of chicken breast pieces marinated in a super flavourful spiced yogurt sauce, then grilled with onions and bell peppers.
I realize that weather here in North America is certainly not conducive to standing outside next to a barbeque (unless you’re really hardcore), so I’ve prepared this version of shish tawook over the stove. I promise that you and your chicken will stay warmer this way.
Here’s how it’s made…
by Angela Prep Time: 10 mins (2+ hours to marinade) Cook Time: 15 mins Keywords: grill stovetop entree gluten-free high protein low-fat low-sodium soy-free chicken vegetables Arabic Middle EasternIn a small bowl, combine first 6 ingredients and all of the spices. Mix together until an even sauce forms, then pour it into a resealable bag with the chopped chicken breast pieces. Seal the bag and place it in the fridge for at least 2 hours. (I left it for 6 hours and the flavour was amazing.)
When ready to cook, empty the contents of the resealable bag into a non-stick frying pan and turn heat to medium-high. (Note: If you want to use a grill, skewer the chicken and vegetables, then grill until chicken is completely cooked throughout.)
Stir-fry the chicken until almost fully cooked. Add the peppers and onion, stirring them around the pan to coat them in the sauce.
Continue cooking for a few more minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink inside and veggies are tender-crisp. Stir in half of the parsley, then divide the contents of the pan between 2 bowls. Garnish with remaining parsley and serve immediately.
Nutrition per serving: 238 calories, 9g fat (1g saturated), 65mg cholesterol, 107mg sodium, 10g carbs, 2g fiber, 4g sugar, 30g protein.
Shish tawook can be served on its own (either on skewers or without), or paired with something like rice or flatbread to make it a more filling meal.
Oh, and if you’re clever and make leftovers, the bits of chicken are equally as tasty eaten cold, straight out of the fridge. Not that I’ve done it or anything…
Stay tuned for part 5!