We know what you are thinking. “Cooking camel meat must be so difficult! Let’s leave it to experts!”
What if we tell you that cooking camel meat is as easy as cooking beef or lamb? You just need to keep a few tips in mind, like what the temperature should be set to and how much seasoning it needs.
Camel meat might look like a delicacy to you, but it is an everyday protein in the Middle East, especially in the UAE. That’s why people who try camel dishes for the first time in Dubai fall in love with this type of meat. They return to their countries and try to replicate the camel recipes at home.
If you’re also a tourist who would like to know how to cook camel meat at home, and are searching for easy camel meat recipes, we have everything you need to know, right from marinating the meat to authentic recipes.
What’s the Best Way to Cook Camel Meat?
Camel meat in Dubai and the rest of the Middle East is mostly cooked on special occasions, such as Ramadan, weddings, or for important guests. One camel is enough to feed several hundred people; that is why mostly expert chefs use all parts of the camel for different dishes, or roast a whole baby camel, which is a showstopper in itself.
So, when you are cooking camel meat at home, which part is most delicious and easy to cook?
One thing is for sure: the most delicious variety of camel meat is hashi. It is the meat that comes from a camel between 6 months and one year old. Hashi is tender, delicious, and very similar to lamb.
Some people like to cook camel meat, as tough or bony.
Others love the cuts near the hump because that is where fat increases the flavor profile and tenderness. Camel meat is mostly cooked with rice, in dishes such as kabsa or harees. These dishes are also delicious because there are lots of spices in them, such as cinnamon, dried lime, cloves, and cardamom.
Camel meat is leaner than beef and lamb. Which means that if you are not careful enough, it can turn tough. But people use different cuts to create different types of camel dishes. Here are cooking techniques for any type of camel meat cut at home:
- Slow cooking: Slow cooking is the best technique to cook tougher cuts of camel meat when you are preparing stews and curries.
- Marinating and searing: When you have small cuts of camel meat, you can make steaks and skewers out of them. Marinate these cuts first, so that the flavor is sealed in.
- Roasting: You can roast bone-in cuts of camel meat at home. It is a Bedouin way of cooking camel meat, in which roasted meat is served over rice.
- Cooking younger camel meat: Younger camel meat is tender, which means that it requires less cooking time than older camel meat.
Which Part of Camel Meat Is Best to Cook at Home?
There are different cuts of camel meat that are used in cooking.
Young camels are preferred for their soft meat, while older camels’ meat requires longer cooking.
Locals in the Emirates recommend that to cook a camel, you must give double the time it takes to cook a lamb. Whereas others say that if you add the hump fat to camel meat, it adds a distinctive flavor to your dishes.
Tongue and other parts of camel are less preferred due to their texture, and smaller cuts, such as baby camel cubes, are used in burgers, sliders, and pizza across the Gulf.
Mostly, people like to cook boneless cuts of camel meat at home.
Easy Camel Meat Recipes to try at home
Coming to the best part – camel meat recipes for your home!
It’s not daunting, it’s not difficult to cook camel at home. Here are a few easy recipes for you to try yourself.
1. Pan-Seared Camel Meat in Yogurt & Mint Marinade
This camel meat recipe is quick and healthy. All you need is a yogurt and mint marinade, and camel meat cut into cubes. You can serve them with rice or flatbread.
Recipe:
- 1 lb camel meat, cubed
- ½ cup natural yogurt (you can also use Greek yogurt)
- 3 cloves crushed garlic
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground caraway
- ½ tsp salt & 1 tsp black pepper
- A handful of fresh mint leaves
Mix everything together. Coat the cubes well, cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. When you want to cook them, sear the cubes in a hot cast-iron pan for 5 to 7 minutes until they are brown. Garnish with mint.
2. Bedouin Camel with Rice
For this recipe, you need camel chunks, some seasoning, and rice. It is a traditional Bedouin wedding feast recipe and you will love it.
Recipe:
- Camel chunks
- Turmeric
- Dried lemons (loomi)
- Black peppercorns
- Cinnamon bark
- Cardamom
- Cloves
- Bay leaves
- Salt
- Oil
Brown the camel meat in oil, and then add the spices mentioned above. Add enough water to cover the meat, and let it simmer for 1 to 2 hours until it is tender. Once the meat is cooked, lightly fry it to give a punch of flavor, and then serve it over yellow rice (mildly spiced, saffron rice).
3. Ground Camel Meat Recipes
Ground camel meat is the most versatile form of camel meat, and you can make so many dishes at home with it. You can also substitute ground beef with ground camel. Here are some ideas;
- Camel burgers: Juicy and delicious. Add olive oil or ghee to make it more flavorful.
- Stuffed vegetables: Many vegetables, like peppers, zucchini, or eggplant, can be filled with ground camel.
- Kebabs: Kebabs like Chapli Kebab or Seekh Kebab are made with spicy ground camel, which is grilled on skewers.
4. Camel Nihari
Camel Nihari is a beautiful mixture of Arabic and South Asian cuisine. Here is how to make it at home;
Recipe:
- Camel meat
- Onions
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Red chili
- Turmeric
- Allspice
- fennel seeds
- Flour
- Water
Brown onions in oil, then add camel meat, garlic, and ginger. Let it cook for 5 minutes, and then spice mix and 1 cup of water. Simmer for 10 minutes. Then, pour in 6 more cups of water, cover, and cook until the camel meat is tender (this will take approximately 1.5 to 2 hours). You can thicken the gravy with a flour slurry. When it is cooked, garnish the Nihari with lemon slices, ginger strips, and green chilies.
So, are you ready to cook delicious camel meat recipes at home? Let us know how it turns out.
