Aseeda bil Tamr — Print Recipe

A traditional Emirati sweet pudding made from wheat flour cooked into a smooth, dense porridge-like consistency, served with a well of melted ghee and date syrup in the center.

Ingredients

2 cups wheat flour
3 cups water
1/2 cup ghee
1/2 cup date syrup (dibs)
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp saffron
Pinch of salt

Instructions

1 Bring the water to a boil in a heavy-bottomed pot, then gradually whisk in the wheat flour while stirring constantly to prevent any lumps from forming.
2 Continue stirring the mixture over medium heat for about 15 minutes as it thickens into a smooth, dense, pudding-like consistency.
3 Add the saffron and cardamom, mix well, then transfer the aseeda to a serving plate and shape into a smooth mound.
4 Make a well in the center of the mound and fill it with melted ghee and generous amounts of date syrup, then serve warm with everyone scooping from the communal plate.

Did You Know?

Aseeda is one of the oldest dishes in the Arabian Peninsula, and in Emirati tradition it is the first food offered to a new mother after childbirth to restore her strength.