Tharid: The Hearty Emirati Stew You Ought to Try

The Middle East has a long tradition of aromatic cuisine. Tharid (also Tareed or Fareed) is one of the most symbolic traditional Emirati dishes. 

This tasty and ancient dish, as rich as a stew, is not only comfort food but also hospitality, family, and Ramadan celebrations.

Here, you will learn everything about Tharid, its origin, how it is traditionally prepared, variations today, and how it relates to other favorite foods such as Chebab food, Chebab ingredients, and Emirati bread.

What Is Tharid?

Tharid is a lamb or chicken meat stew served over bread that adds to the rich broth.

The bread soaks up the whole broth, and each spoon is a delicious mixture of taste and texture.

Traditionally equated with fare such as chabab bread or Emirati pancakes in terms of cultural significance, Tharid is the beaming recipient of the honor of being one of the oldest food items documented in Arab history. 

It is even stated to be one of the favorite dishes of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), and no wonder it bears such religious and cultural significance.

Where Did Tharid Come From?

Tharid came from the Arabian Peninsula, with rich historical origins in Bedouin culture. 

If a meal had to be heavy but uncomplicated, Tharid was a masterful solution to a meal stretch, using Emirati bread to soak up nutritious broth and draw every bit of nourishment.

Even though it’s popular across the Gulf, the UAE has declared Tharid a national dish. You’d serve it on the Ramadan iftar dinner plates, at the wedding reception, and at the family dinner table on Eid night.

Ingredients of a Traditional Tharid

Authentic Tharid preparation requires simple yet luxurious ingredients. Here’s one traditional recipe:

Primary Ingredients

• Meat: Lamb or chicken (with bones for flavor)
• date vegetables: Carrots, potatoes, zucchini, pumpkin, and tomatoes
• aromatics: Green chili, onions, garlic
• spices: Black pepper, cinnamon, bay leaf, cumin, turmeric, and cardamom
• tomato paste or fresh tomatoes
• stock or water
• salt and olive oil or ghee

Bread Base

Date bread Raqaq bread, Khubz, or thin chabab bread—used as a base to soak up the stew

Although chebab ingredients are primarily used in pancakes during breakfast, they’re not dissimilar to flatbreads consumed in Tharid—flour, water, and yeast. Indeed, if true Emirati bread isn’t available, people even use leftover chabab food.

How to Prepare Traditional Tharid: Step-by-Step Instructions

Here is a step-by-step process how you can make the famous Tharid at home as well.

1. Prepare the Meat and Broth

• Fill with ghee or olive oil in a big pot.
• Sauté chopped golden brown onions, and then mix garlic and green chili.
• Firstly, add the meat and brown it to seal the juices.
• Secondly, add spices (turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon, pepper) and fry for a few minutes.
• Thirdly, add chopped tomatoes or tomato paste and fry well.
• Finally, add water or stock and boil.
• Boil for about 45 minutes until the meat is tender.

2. Add the Vegetables

• Add sliced carrots, potatoes, and zucchini.
• Simmer for another 15–20 minutes until the vegetables are soft.

3. Prepare the Bread Base

• Cut the Emirati bread into bite-sized pieces and layer it at the base of a shallow, wide dish.
• Use old-fashioned raqaq, khameer, or chebab bread if you prefer the absorptive pancake-like texture.

4. Put the Dish Together

• Pile the stew high over the bread after it has been cooked.
• Allow it to sit for a few minutes so that the bread can soak up the broth.
• Serve hot, garnished with fried onions or coriander.

How to Cook Tharid to Perfection

If you wanna cook Tharid to perfection, then here are a few ways you can do that.

• Meat with bones to make a stronger broth.
• Slow cooking is important—don’t hurry.
• Add bread layers to the serving so that it will not be soggy.
• Roll pancakes thin and lightly toast them for texture when mixing chebab ingredients into bread.
• Squeeze in lemon juice or date syrup towards the end of cooking to add a splash of acidity or sweetness, similar to the flavor trick in pizza chebab.

Gulf Regional Variations of Tharid

1. Chicken Tharid

A light version is prepared with chicken legs or breasts. Traditionally, during Ramadan, it has a milder taste.

2. Vegetarian Tharid

Substitute meat with legumes such as lentils or chickpeas. Add other vegetables, such as pumpkin or spinach.

3. Seafood Tharid

Seafood substitute food with whitefish or shrimp is more common in Oman or Bahrain.

4. Dessert-Inspired Tharid

Uncommonness has motivated some of the newer chefs to experiment with sweet versions, using chebab ingredients, milk, saffron, and dates—nearly a bread pudding.

While Tharid is certainly a meat stew, it is also strongly connected to Chebab food. Both recipes:

• Start with Emirati bread as a foundation.
• Use cardamom and saffron (the same spice combination as chebab)
• They are cooked with tradition and hospitality in mind.
• Provoke creative reinterpretations—like pizza chebab, Tharid has spurred chefs to create special variations. They complement each other nicely too—begin your day with Emirati pancakes (chebab) and end it with a rich bowl of Tharid.

How to Store and Reheat Tharid

While preparing Tharid is a task in itself, it is equally important that you know how to store and reheat the Tharid.

Storage:

• Keep the meat and broth in individual dishes from the bread so they do not become soggy.
• Store in air-tight containers for 3 days.

Reheating:

• Stovetop: Heat the stew until hot and foamy.

Offer fresh bread or toasted chabab bread as a new dish.

Tasting a Bit of History!

Tharid is a history lesson between the spoon and the taste buds, served over spices and rich flavor passed down. As deeply embedded in Emirati heritage, this stew is the ideal mix of flavor, sustenance, and nostalgia.

Whether you have it with genuine Emirati bread or puffed chabab bread or lose control with chebab ingredients, there is no way of falling short of indulging in Tharid’s comfort food.

And if trying out experimental fusion foods such as pizza chebab is your forte, Tharid’s versatility leaves much space for imagination. Go ahead, then—cook up your own rendition, paying due respect to the tradition, and indulging in this golden mound of Emirati heritage.

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