History

The mashawi platter is how Dubai's Lebanese and Syrian dining rooms feed a table. Three skewers define it: kafta of minced lamb with parsley and onion, shish tawook of yoghurt and garlic marinated chicken, and lahm meshwi of cubed lamb. It arrives after a spread of cold and hot mezze, which is the real reason the meal runs to three hours. The format came with restaurateurs who left Beirut through the 1970s and 1980s and rebuilt on Sheikh Zayed Road and in Deira, and the biggest rooms still turn tables past 01:00 seven nights a week.

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Common allergens: Gluten, Milk, Sesame

Make it at home

Yield Serves 4Hands-on 45 minTotal 5 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • For the kafta: 500g minced lamb, 1 onion grated and squeezed dry, a large handful of parsley chopped, 1 teaspoon seven spice, salt and pepper
  • For the tawook: 600g chicken thigh in 3cm cubes, 150g yoghurt, 4 garlic cloves crushed, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, juice of 1 lemon, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon seven spice, 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • For the lahm meshwi: 500g lamb leg in 3cm cubes, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon cumin, salt and pepper, plus lamb fat cubes to alternate
  • Flatbread, pickles, toum and grilled tomato and onion, to serve

Method

  1. Marinate the chicken in the yoghurt, garlic, tomato paste, lemon, spices and oil for at least 4 hours. Toss the lamb cubes in oil, cumin and seasoning and leave 1 hour.
  2. Knead the kafta mixture 5 minutes until sticky, then press it onto flat skewers in ribbons about 15cm long and chill until the coals are ready.
  3. Build a charcoal fire and let it burn down to grey ash with no flame. Set the grate 10cm above the coals.
  4. Thread the chicken tightly onto skewers and the lamb alternating with fat cubes. Grill the lamb and chicken 3 to 4 minutes a side, the kafta 2 to 3 minutes a side, turning once only.
  5. Grill the tomatoes and onions alongside until blistered.
  6. Slide everything onto warm flatbread so the bread takes the juices, and serve with toum, pickles and the vegetables.

Tip from the editors. Turn each skewer once, not repeatedly. Every extra turn drops fat into the coals and dries the meat out before the centre is done.

Where to eat mashawi mixed grill

Mashawi mixed grill in Dubai

Aroos Damascus ★ 4.2

$ SyrianDeira

Aroos Damascus plates Syrian kebbeh, grills and manakish on Al Jaziera Street in Deira, serving all day and late into the evening, inside or on the patio.

OrderMixed grill platter with kebbeh, shish tawook and a bowl of fattoush to share.

TipService runs from breakfast until well past midnight, and the patio tables are the pick once evenings cool.

Directions

Al Safadi Restaurant ★ 4.2

$$ LebaneseSheikh Zayed Road

Al Safadi Restaurant grills Lebanese mezze and steaks a short walk from DIFC in Dubai, open from 09:30 for breakfast through to a late dinner at 00:30.

OrderMixed grill platter with hummus and a plate of warm knafeh to close.

TipBreakfast runs from 09:30 and uses the same grill list as dinner.

Directions

Automatic Restaurants & Grill ★ 3.9

$$ LebaneseMirdif

Automatic Restaurants & Grill serves Lebanese mezze, arayes, mixed grills and broasted chicken at the Uptown Mirdiff complex in Mirdif, Dubai, daily.

OrderMixed grill platter with garlic sauce, hummus and a side of fresh juice.

TipThe mixed grill with garlic sauce and hummus is the order for a table.

Directions

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