Gulf Meat Tashreeb
Tashreeb is among the most famous Ramadan dishes in the Gulf, its name coming from soaking (tashreeb) the bread in the red Loomi-spiced meat broth.
It is cooked in the homes of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE in similar ways, and is known among Iraqis as tashreeb.
In a wide pot, heat the oil and stir the chopped onion until golden, then add the meat pieces and brown them on all sides until they take on color and stop sticking to the bottom. Good browning gives the broth a deeper color and flavor.
Add the crushed garlic, Baharat, and turmeric and stir for half a minute until fragrant, then add the grated tomato, tomato paste, the pierced Loomi, and the hot pepper for those who want it, and cover with one and a half liters of hot water. After it comes to a boil, lower the heat and cover for a full hour until the meat softens and the broth takes on the tartness of the Loomi.
Cut the potatoes into large cubes and the zucchini into medium pieces, add them with the salt, and leave them for twenty minutes until the vegetables are tender and the broth concentrates. Keep plenty of broth, because the bread will soak up a lot of it.
Cut up the Raqaq bread and spread it in a deep serving dish, then ladle the hot broth generously over it until it soaks through and softens, the very soaking that gave the dish its name. Then arrange the meat and vegetables on top.
Scatter the fresh coriander and serve the dish at once, with the bread at its best right after soaking, for if the bread sits in the broth too long it falls apart.
The glycemic index (GI) measures how quickly a food raises blood sugar, while the glycemic load (GL) measures how much a full serving raises it. Together they give the complete picture.
A low value (≤55) means a gradual rise in blood sugar — the most suitable range for diabetes and insulin resistance.
Glycemic load reflects the impact of the full serving. To lower it: take half a serving, or pair the recipe with a source of protein and fiber.
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet per FDA food-label reference values — your daily needs may be higher or lower. Values are derived from the recipe's ingredients via the USDA database.
The most common problems when preparing Gulf Meat Tashreeb, and how to fix them:
This is normal because Raqaq bread soaks up a lot. Keep plenty of broth and ladle it over the bread right before serving, not a quarter hour ahead.
The pieces are large or the boil was too vigorous. Leave it on low heat, covered, for an extra half hour, for bone-in meat needs more time but its broth is tastier.
The number of Loomi pieces or the amount of paste was too high. Two pieces are enough for the pot, and a teaspoon of sugar balances out the excess sourness.
The bread is too thin or sat in the broth too long. Lightly toasted Raqaq holds together better, and the dish is assembled at the moment of serving.
The bread is assembled with the broth and eaten right away, for soaked bread does not keep for waiting.
The broth with the meat and vegetables keeps for three days, kept separate from the bread, with fresh bread soaked at each meal.
The broth and meat keep for two months, with the vegetables and bread added fresh after thawing.
| Original Ingredient | Tested Substitute | Ratio | Flavor Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lamb | Bone-in chicken | 1:1 | Chicken Tashreeb cooks half an hour faster |
| Raqaq bread | Toasted Arabic flatbread | 1:1 | Holds together in the broth for longer |
| Loomi | Lemon juice added at the end | 30 ml | Fresh tartness without the smoky flavor |
| Potato and zucchini | Carrot and eggplant | 1:1 | The vegetable mix is free to suit the household's taste |
| Ingredient | 6 servings | 3 servings | 12 servings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meat | 800 g | 400 g | 1.6 kg |
| Bread | 200 g | 100 g | 400 g |
| Tomatoes | 300 g | 150 g | 600 g |
Pierce the Loomi pieces with a knife before adding them to the pot. A whole, sealed Loomi floats without releasing its flavor, while a pierced one lets the broth seep inside it so it gives off the smoky, tart taste that distinguishes Tashreeb.
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