Ramadan is that time of the year when most people go back to their roots in terms of their traditions, clothing, culture and food.
You find long queues in front of small, local restaurants that sell ful (mashed fava beans) and tameez (Afghani flatbread) before iftar as well as suhoor.
AlAyoubi Restaurant, which opened recently, celebrates authentic Hijazi cuisine with recipes that go back to the older generations. The restaurant provides a traditional iftar experience and an extensive range of Arabic delicacies, including Arabic coffee, dates, ful, balilah, and international offerings along with Ramadan beverages and Hijazi culinary masterpieces.
The restaurant is located in north Jeddah, right by Jeddah’s famous private beach resorts.
Traditional Saudi designs adorn its decor. The seating area is simple and relaxed with basic wooden chairs and round wooden tables covered with local Hijazi red and blue printed table clothes.
The menu lists all sorts of Hijazi delights that are usually served for breakfast or dinner but in Ramadan, you will never find a Hijazi table without these dishes.
Mutabbaq, Arabic for folded, is a stuffed pancake or pan-fried bread. AlAyoubi offers several versions of mutabbaq; some are sweet while others are savory following modern and traditional recipes. Some of these variations include mutabbaq stuffed with vegetables, minced beef, tuna, hotdog, cheese, cheese and beef, cheddar cheese and vegetables, cheddar and beef, cheddar and tuna, cheddar and hotdog, spicy mutabbaq, special Ayoubi mutabbaq, banana, sweet cheese and my personal favorite whipped cream cheese.
Usually four types of mutabbaq — two sweet and two savory — are served at once on a Hijazi table. They are cut into square portions and eaten by hand.
Then come the famous dishes made with eggs starting with shakshouka, which comprises eggs poached in a sauce of tomatoes, chili peppers, and onions, often spiced with cumin. It is believed to have a Tunisian origin. Another dish that reminds me of my childhood is scrambled eggs with pastirma, even though this meat is too salty, it tastes amazing.
Scrambled eggs with cheese is a dish loved by everyone, especially by the young ones.
Ful is known as the king of the iftar table and you will never find a Hijazi Ramadan meal without the king’s presence. It is not only famous in the Hijazi region but is also popular in Egypt where it is consumed on a large scale for breakfast and dinner.
Egyptians prefer their ful in whole pieces while some prefer it partially mashed. But in Hijaz, we like it completely mashed with very few pieces of whole beans.
Making Hijazi ful is an art, there are little secrets that not many know about — a delicious mix essential to any dish includes spices and condiments such as garlic, cumin and olive oil or ghee. Sides are also added, such as pickles, onions, tomatoes, parsley, duggus (tomato, chili and parsley sauce) and tahini.
Smoked fava beans are known as ful mubakhar. The basic technique is to create a tiny pond of oil or ghee in the middle of the ful or in a tinfoil, then to dunk a little piece of heated charcoal in it and seal the dish tightly for ten minutes. The smoky flavor gives the dish a grilled effect and the feeling is sensational to your taste buds.
Ful is never the same without its partner, the bread. We usually eat it with the Afgani tameez, Madini Suhaira or the traditional Ottoman shuraik.
Areekah is considered a Yemeni dish made with brown and white flour, ghee and honey. The restaurant offers different flavors such as whipped cream and cheese, cheese, cream and honey, and whipped cream.
My all time favorite traditional dessert — the Masoob — is made of mashed ripe bananas, sliced flat bread, whipped cream and honey. This dish also comes in different flavors, such as honey, whipped cream and dates, with cheese and topped with cereal for a crunchy texture.
Khalid Kurdi, owner of AlAyoubi restaurants, said the customers’ demands for their favorite traditional dishes are met throughout the year. The restaurant is one of the very few local spots with a family section.
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