Khabeesa

When flour is toasted, the nutty aroma of the grain rises up. Khabeesa is a sweet dish popular in the Gulf region. Toasted flour is worked together with a sweet liquid and enjoyed with the aromas of ghee, cardamom and saffron.

Pouring a Sweet Liquid into Toasted Flour

In one example presented in Saudi Arabia, whole wheat flour is toasted until fragrant, and sugar is caramelized and dissolved in water, with ghee, saffron, cardamom and rose water added. A well is made in the center of the flour, the liquid is poured in and mixed thoroughly, and the mixture is returned to the heat.

Toasting changes the aroma of the grain, and the flour comes together into a single mass as it absorbs the liquid. Ghee adds the flavor of milk fat, and flower water and spices spread their aroma even in small amounts. The same Saudi source also presents a version combining dates, ghee, flour and milk.

The Abu Dhabi cultural heritage register of the United Arab Emirates also describes khabees made with toasted flour and sugar or honey. There, sweetened hot water is added little by little over the heat, and the mixture is stirred until it thickens. In some examples, coconut, raisins, pistachios or almonds are mixed in to taste at the end.

Shared on Celebratory Mornings

In Bahrain, there is a khabees made by toasting wheat flour and combining it with date syrup, ghee, cardamom and saffron. There is also “khabeesa aish,” made by toasting rice flour and simmering it until sweet. A home recipe posted as Omani-style describes semolina toasted in ghee, cooked with milk and condensed milk, and scented with flower water and spices.

According to a source documenting weddings in the Bahraini village of Nuwaidrat, khabeesa made with sugar, fat, spices, flour and date molasses was handed out to neighbors on the morning after a wedding as a sign of joy. In eastern Saudi Arabia, it is also served when breaking the fast during Ramadan. This grain-based sweet on a large platter was a celebratory dish shared even beyond the household.

In the Balqa region of Jordan, there is also a different sweet called by the same name, khabeesa. According to the Slow Food Foundation, it is made by boiling down grape juice with wheat flour, spreading it thin, drying it in the sun and cutting it into pieces. It differs in both ingredients and finish from the Gulf dish of toasted flour worked into a paste.

Glossary