Seven Sands Emirati restaurant on The Beach in Dubai is hosting a month-long legemat festival in celebration of the much-loved Emirati sweet treats.
For the uninitiated, legemat, which loosely translates as “bite-sized” in English, are small, sticky dumplings that have been fried and rolled in date syrup.
“The interior is soft and the dough melts in your mouth, similar to a doughnut,” says Seven Sands executive chef Rabah Samra.
“The exterior is crispy and syrupy. The combination of the soft texture, crispy coating and sticky sweetness is what makes them so irresistible.”
The treats are loved by kids and adults alike, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find an Emirati grandmother who doesn’t have her own special recipe for them.
“Legemat are a big part of the UAE’s culture,” says Samra, who is from Syria. “Historically, women would sit in front of huge skillets and make endless amounts of these bite-sized delicacies. Legemat are greatly loved in the UAE because they represent the nation’s culture and traditions.”
Samra and his team will serve up traditional legemat during the festival at Seven Sands, but you’ll also get to try some unique takes on the dumplings.
There are eight varieties on offer: traditional; saffron orange; Nutella; nutmeg honey; cardamom and honey sugar; pistachio; balaleet cinnamon and one called charcoal. This last variety does not, despite the name, contain any charcoal – but it is a rich, black colour, achieved with the addition of squid ink. There are no artificial colours or flavours used in any of the varieties.
Traditional legemat will always take centre stage, but Samra says: “I think reinventing the original recipe by adding unique ingredients such as saffron orange or pistachios can definitely elevate the experience.”
He hopes introducing people to new flavours will inspire them to get creative in their own kitchens.
“The best advice I can give in regard to legemat is to go where your imagination takes you,” he says. “Experiment and explore different and unexpected flavours and variations.”
Sweet treats
Traditional legemat
Serves 10 people
Ingredients:
500g flour
500ml milk
pinch of saffron
pinch of salt
200g sugar
cardamom powder, to taste
Water, according to texture, to balance
10g dry yeast
corn oil for frying (enough to fill the fry pan halfway)
500g date syrup
100g white sesame seeds, for garnish
Method:
Mix the first eight ingredients in a mixer. Set aside in a warm place to rise for 1 hour.
Heat the corn oil in a deep frying pan.
Shape the mix into small balls by hand and fry in hot oil until golden and crispy.
Strain, then roll the fried balls in date syrup.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve immediately.
• At Seven Sands until October 31. Two small bowls of two varieties cost Dh30. Seven Sands is at JBR on The Beach, opposite the Amwaj Rotana Hotel. For more information, call 04 551 6652 or visit sevensandsrestaurant.com
sjohnson@thenational.ae
