Down memory lane

I was 11 years old the first time I visited Dubai with my family. It was in the middle of summer and we were greeted by a wave of hot, humid air as we exited the plane, similar to the rolling heat that hits your face when opening an oven to check on a dish. That sensation will always be imprinted in my memory. Despite the hot weather, I immediately fell in love with it. Dubai felt like a world of opportunities. It was a conservative port city, conveniently located at the crossroads of the East and West with dreams of achieving incredible feats and plans of modernisation. These were the attributes that captured me and always made me eager to return one day.

After graduating from university, I took a leap of faith and decided to move to Dubai. Full of energy and enthusiasm, I arrived on 1 January, 2004 with a suitcase filled with hopes and dreams, ready to start a new adventure. It was impressive to see how much the city had changed in 10 years, yet it still carried that ambition to continue developing into a major city we see today.

The first six months were a bit of a bumpy ride – I made a lot of mistakes due to being too naïve and idealistic, but I found my way soon enough. I didn’t know many people and I had to depend on my street smarts to navigate in a new, unfamiliar place. With a paper map in hand, I took to the roads and drove. I got lost, discovered new places and over time became familiar with all parts of this city – I was slowly becoming a local. I loved visiting the Old Souk, Spice Souk and Gold Souk in Deira. For authentic Indian food and clothing, I would venture to Meena Bazaar and walk around and discover the shops and eateries – a visit would not be complete unless I indulged in a karak and samosas. As my circle of friends gradually grew, my weekend hangout would always be at the uber cool Peanut Butter Jam nights at Wafi Mall. It was a modern local hangout for lots of friends, who like me had arrived in the city after graduating university and were all excited to grow with Dubai.

Over the past 16 years, this city has been home and I am grateful for the beautiful life that I have built. I met my husband, had my beautiful boys and built the career of my dreams. I love looking back and reminiscing about the unique life journey I have experienced, the wonderful friends I have made and the world of experiences I’ve been afforded. Yet, despite all the growth, it is the simple things that will always resonate with me the most. Visits to the Deira fish market is one of them; it brings back memories that make me happy. The immediate whiff of fresh fish, the loud voices of fishermen luring customers to their catch of the day and visiting patrons haggling over prices; those sights and sounds take me back to nostalgic memories of my first days here.

This baked hammour recipe is one of my favourite weekend feasts, which I love to prepare for my family. I start with an early visit to the Waterfront Market to choose our fish and prepare it for lunch with sayadieh rice and salata tarator, a tahini-based salad, on the side. It is a wonderful Friday tradition that we all enjoy. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do.

With love, Zahra