As far back as 2500 B.C rice has been documented not only as a source of food, but a marker of tradition & heritage. From Nasi Goreng, to Maqluba & Biryani, the Muslim World is beautifully diverse & home to a variety of rice dishes
A thread on rice dishes across the Muslim World
1/ Nasi Goreng
Nasi Goreng, a beloved Indonesian fried rice, comes with a fried egg on top and bursts with flavor from sweet soy sauce (Kecap Manis) and shrimp paste. A highly sought-after dish in Southeast Asian cuisine.
2/ Bariis iskukaris, Somalia
A national dish of Somalia, made from basmati rice, often topped with raisins, peas, fried potatoes, onions, and peppers, and served with roasted lamb, beef, goat, camel, or chicken. Popular at weddings and a staple dish.
3/ Kabuli Pulao (Spiced Lamb Pilaf), Afghanistan
Kabuli Pulao, an Afghan rice dish, features tender lamb cooked with a delightful spice blend, piled high on rice, and served with carrots, raisins, and toasted almonds.
4/ Mansaf, Jordan
A classic Jordanian meal with plain yogurt sauce, mixed with lamb broth simmered for hours with spices. Served on a large dish with rice, forming three delicious layers.
5/ Mandi, Yemen
Mandi, a traditional dish from Hadhramaut, Yemen, is a delightful combination of meat and rice cooked with special spices in an underground pit. A delicious dish, widely loved and popular in the Arabian Peninsula.
6/ Skudahkharis, Djibouti
Skudahkharis, the undisputed national dish of Djibouti, is commonly served during Eid al-Adha. Prepared with rice, lamb, and aromatic ayurvedic spices like cardamom, it complements chicken, beef, or fish dishes perfectly.
7/ Zarda
Zarda, a classic Mughal dessert, features rice, sugar, nuts, and cardamom seeds. Its name derives from the Urdu word 'Zard', meaning yellow, reflecting its vibrant hue of yellow or orange!
8/ Maqluba
Maqluba is a traditional dish served in Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, and Syria throughout the Levant. It combines meat, rice, and fried vegetables in a pot, which is flipped upside down when served, giving it the name "maqluba," meaning "upside-down."
9/ Biryani
A mixed rice dish originating among the Muslims of the Indian subcontinent. It is made with spices, rice, and usually some type of meat or in some cases without any meat, and sometimes, in addition, eggs and potatoes.
10/ Nasi Lemak, Malaysia
Malaysia's national dish, Nasi means rice & Lemak means rich or tasty." Rice is boiled in coconut milk with pandan leaves and spices, and served with sambal (chilli sauce with shrimp paste), fried dried anchovies, and roasted peanuts.
11/ Albaloo polo, Iran
An Iranian side dish of rice & sour cherries usually served with chicken, koobideh, as well as some form of stews/(Khoresht). In Persian, Albaloo means cherry, or more specifically morello cherry. Polo is a style of cooked rice, known in English as pilaf.
12/ Majboos
Also known as Kabsa and Makboos, Majboos is a traditional mixed rice dish originating from Saudi Arabia. It is popular across the Arab World, particularly in the Gulf countries, including Oman. The dish combines basmati rice, vegetables, meat or chicken, and… https://t.co/71g5L0XocJtwitter.com/i/web/status/1…
13/ Bambukeyolee Baiy, Maldives
A classic dish where rice is cooked with breadfruit and coconut milk. Served with Rihaakuru Dhiya (Maldivian fish broth), smoked tuna or Fihunu Mas, Lonumirus fresh limes, chillies, and onions for an exceptional meal.
14/ Koshri, Egypt
Similar to the Middle Eastern Mujadara, this dish is a comforting bowl of pantry staples: spiced lentils and rice mixed with chickpeas and small pasta. All coated in a tomato sauce with vinegar, topped with crispy, thin fried onion rings.
15/ Riz bi Haleeb, Lebanon
Riz bi Haleeb, translating to "rice pudding" in Arabic, puts a delightful twist on the traditional recipe. Infused with the scents of orange blossom water and rose water, this pudding offers aromatic hints of floral flavor.
16/Pilaf
Pilaf gets its name from its cooking technique. In this recipe, rice is sautéed with oil or ghee butter, onion, and an array of spices like cardamom, cumin, and star anise. The addition of vegetable broth adds an aromatic touch to the rice.
17/ Plov, Uzbekistan
Plov, a cherished and historic Uzbek dish, is also known as "pilaf" or "palov." It combines long-grain rice, tender lamb chunks, onions, and carrots.
18/ Jollof rice, West Africa
A popular dish in West Africa with numerous regional variations. Typically cooked in a single pot, it includes long-grain rice, tomatoes, onions, spices, vegetables, and meat, though the ingredients and preparation methods may differ.
19/ Sehriyeli Pilav, Turkey
In this specific pilaf, butter, oil, and orzo (a small rice-shaped pasta) are used for cooking. It serves as a delightful side to accompany grilled meats, stewed dishes, or any meal where plain rice would be served.
20/ Kheer
Kheer, also called payasam, is a beloved sweet dish and pudding widely popular in the Indian subcontinent. It involves boiling milk, sugar or jaggery, and rice, often garnished with cardamom and nuts.
21/ Kabsa
Kabsa, an Arab mixed rice dish, hails from Saudi Arabia and is traditionally served on a communal platter. It holds the status of a national dish across all countries in the Arabian Peninsula.
22/ Iraqi Timman Jizar
This popular dish is widely enjoyed in Iraq & known throughout the Arab world, also referred to as carrot rice. Combining carrots, onions & beef with aromatic Arab spices, it pairs perfectly with long-grain Basmati rice. For a vegetarian version, omit the… https://t.co/ciYljx3dOttwitter.com/i/web/status/1…
23/ Rouz Jerbi, Tunisia
Rouz Jerbi, also known as Djerbian rice, is a Tunisian dish originating from Djerba. This flavorful creation consists of rice, assorted vegetables, aromatic herbs, and spices. It is commonly prepared with beef, liver, lamb, chicken, or seafood.
24/ Shah Pilaf, Azerbaijan
Fit for royalty or a centerpiece of wedding feasts, shah pilaf, also known as crown pilaf, captivates with a delightful blend of local flavors. Its preparation involves several stages, resulting in its unique and distinct final form.
Want to know more about food heritage across the Muslim World?
Join us TOMORROW online and immerse yourself in the tantalizing world of culinary traditions at "The Art of Food across the Muslim World: Preserving Tradition & Reimagining the Future."
In Islam, Hajj is the annual pilgrimage made to the Kaaba, the ‘House of God’ in the city of Mecca. The Kaaba is covered in a Kiswah — a black silk cloth, exquisitely embroidered in gold
Every year, artisans work on creating a new Kiswah
A thread on the art of making the Kiswah
1/ The Kiswah is the cloth that covers the Kaaba. The term Kiswah means ‘robe’ & is also known as the ‘Ghilaf’. Hanging the Kiswah, a huge piece of black silk embroidered with gold patterns & verses from the Quran, over the Kaaba symbolises the start of the Hajj pilgrimage season
2/ Meaning cube in Arabic, the Kaaba is a square building unlike almost any other religious structure. It is fifteen meters tall and ten and a half meters on each side; its corners roughly align with the cardinal directions.
‘Traveling leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller’
- Ibn Battuta
The most famous explorer in the Muslim World, Ibn Battuta, travelled more than any other explorer in pre-modern history - around 117,000 km!
A thread on the 14th century explorer Ibn Battuta…
1/ Ibn Battuta was born in 1304 CE in Tangier, Morocco. His travelogue the Rihla is his most important work. His journeys in the Rihla lasted for a period of almost thirty years, covering nearly the whole of the known Islamic world & beyond.
2/ Ibn Battuta travelled more than any other explorer in pre-modern history, surpassing Zheng He with 50,000 km (31,000 mi) and Marco Polo with 24,000 km. His total distance travelled was approximately 117,000 km (73,000 mi) (15,000 mi).
The Qur’an was first revealed during the month of Ramadan. This blessed month is also known by Muslims as the month of Fasting
To celebrate the arrival of #Ramadan here are 24 beautiful Qur’anic manuscripts found in museum collections across the world #RamadanMubarak
A thread…
1/ Folio from a Manuscript of the Qur'an
Iran, Shiraz, 1550-1575
Ink, colors and gold on paper
@LACMA #Ramadan
@LACMA 2/ Double Folio from a Qur'an
c. 1330-1350, Central Asian or Turkish
Early Muslim settlers from central and western Asia carried Islamic book traditions into India, especially in the form of Qur'ans, such as the one from which these pages come
Shah-i-Zinda is one Samarkand’s most beloved sites, which contains some of the richest tile work in the world. The magnificent architecture draws inspiration from multiple periods & styles, taking you back through time & across cultures
A thread on the beauty of Shah-i-Zinda…
1/ The Shah-i-Zinda ensemble includes mausoleums, mosques & other ritual buildings of 11-15th & 19th centuries. The name Shah-i-Zinda (meaning The living king) is connected with the legend that Qutham ibn Abbas, a cousin of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH is buried here
📷 Ash Diler
2/ Shah-i-Zinda is a world-famous example of a continuously constructed historical site. Over 1,000 years ago, it was founded with a single religious monument. Between the 11th & 19th centuries, mosques & mausoleums were continuously added
From Spain to Azerbaijan, to Germany to Bosnia, Europe has some of the finest mosques.
The presence of Islam in Europe is not a new phenomenon, with Muslims residing in the continent as early as the 8th century.
Here are 24 mosques across Europe #JummahMubarak
A thread…
1/ Koski Mehmed-Pasha Mosque, Mostar, Bosnia
Dates back to 1617 & features numerous multicolored windows, a minaret with a lookout spot & a courtyard with several tombs. Although the original Ottoman mosque was heavily damaged during the attacks of the 1990s it has been restored
2/ The Shah Jahan Mosque, Woking, England
This is the first purpose built mosque that was built in the UK.
It was built in 1889 by Dr Gottlieb Wilhelm Leitner, an orientalist of Jewish descent from Hungary. Money was donated by Begum Shah Jahan, the Nawab Begum of Bhopal.
Welcome to Al-Mutanabbi Street the ‘Book Market of Baghdad’, where books remain in the street at night because Iraqis say:
“The reader does not steal and the thief does not read.”
A thread on the rich heritage of the historic book market on Al-Mutanabbi Street…
1/ Al-Mutanabbi Street is the historic center of Baghdad bookselling, that dates back to the time of the Abbasids. Located near the old quarter of Baghdad, Al-Mutanabbi Street was Baghdad’s first book traders’ market.
2/ Al-Mutanabbi Street has been, since time immemorial, the historic heart and soul of the Baghdad literary and intellectual community.