Gabout — Print Recipe — The Culinary Codex

Dense wheat flour dumplings simmered in a spiced tomato and onion stew with a hint of dried lime tang. This humble Bahraini comfort food is cherished for its rustic simplicity and warming depth.

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup water
1 tsp salt
3 large onions, diced
4 tomatoes, chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 dried limes, pierced
1 tbsp baharat
1 tsp turmeric
3 tbsp vegetable oil
4 cups water or broth
Fresh cilantro for garnish

Instructions

1 Mix wheat flour, salt, and water to form a firm dough. Knead for 5 minutes until smooth. Rest for 15 minutes.
2 Roll dough into small balls about 2cm in diameter or shape into small discs. Set aside on a floured surface.
3 Heat oil and saute onions until deeply golden. Add baharat, turmeric, and tomato paste, cooking for 2 minutes.
4 Add chopped tomatoes, dried limes, and water. Bring to a boil and season with salt.
5 Drop the dumplings into the simmering stew one at a time. Cook covered for 20 minutes until dumplings are cooked through.
6 Serve in deep bowls garnished with fresh cilantro, with the rich tomato broth ladled generously over the dumplings.

Did You Know?

Bahraini grandmothers say the secret to good gabout is shaping each dumpling with a prayer for the family, which gives the dish its soul.