Dubai: To Omar Ebrahim and Fatima Lin, their “big family” of around 100 to 150 people in Dubai gathering for iftar is not it yet. There is definitely room for more.
The Chinese couple has been holding iftars in their home once a week every Ramadan since they became Muslims in 2005. Guests come from different parts of the UAE, including Sharjah and Ajman.
“We [the guests] are not all related by blood,” Omar, 38, a businessman, told Gulf News during one of their iftars, “But our faith ties us all.”
Half an hour before sunset on Monday, guests continued to pour into the three-bedroom villa with kids in tow. Ladies with children stayed in Omar’s house while the men had their iftar at Omar’s next-door neighbour’s, also the family’s good friend.
As Fatima carried a bowl of the main dish of the night — Chinese red-cooked beef — to serve guests, the mild aroma of spices wafted to the living room. Oriental food complete with appetisers such as black fungus salad and fried nori (seaweed) to other dishes such as squid with broccoli and sliced fruits and cucumbers and lettuce lined the dining area.
“Chinese red-cooked beef is very popular in Fujian, our province in China,” Fatima, 35, said as she is joined by her mother-in-law in readying the meals.
Red cooking is a commonly used technique in Chinese cuisine. The base is usually made up of garlic, soy sauce and sugar, and this is added to any meat, depending on the region. Sometimes, ginger and star anise and other spices such as Sichuan peppercorn, cassia bark, fennel seeds, dried tangerine peel and dried chili are added.
Along with her mother-in-law, Fatima had started preparing the 30kg of beef for three dishes, besides 8kg of chicken, and fruits, two hours earlier.
Minutes before the end of the fast, children with gleaming smiles ran outside, each carrying a bowl of food, to make room for ladies in colourful printed abayas and shaylas who had just arrived.
“We didn’t know a lot of people before. My husband first came to Dubai in 2002. I came three years later. We are oil painters, so we started working here as teachers. Then we opened our own business,” the mother of four children, including an 11-month old and three others aged 14, 11, 10, said.
But Fatima was a different person when she first arrived in Dubai.
“Back then I didn’t believe in God. I didn’t know how to deal with other people, how to treat them, that I should treat them well.
“But the longer we stayed here, the more we fell in love with the place and with its people, We realised their hearts are good. There is peace and people are safe. In 2005, we embraced Islam,” Fatima recounted.
As the sun set, the family prayed with their guests and partook of the meal. Fatima sat with some of the guests catching up on the conversation.
Asked why they are particular about the iftar gatherings every year, Fatima said: “Many people come here to work so they’re often alone. They can be sad and lonely. They don’t have family. We want to help them,” Fatima said.
“We do it because we can. We have a business and we have been blessed with the means to help.”
RED-COOKED BEEF (slow-cooked for more than two hours)
• beef tendon (meat from beef short ribs or stewing beef) cut into 1-inch cubes
• water to boil the beef
• Braising ingredients (amount of spices depends on how much beef is used)
• whole star anise
• Sichuan peppercorn
• 2-inch length of cassia bark (or 1 cinnamon stick)
• 2-inch square piece of dried tangerine peel
• fennel seeds
• dried red chili (for heat, but this is optional)
• ginger root
• dark soy sauce
• sugar
• water (or beef stock)
• Cooking Istructions:
• Pour the water into the casserole and boil. Put the beef and boil for about 10 minutes. Drain the meat. This method called par-boiling partially cooks the meat and ensures that no more scum will form on top of the braising liquid later on.
• After this, add the rest of the braising ingredients, or spices. Cover it and let it simmer for two hours. The key to red cooking, especially for beef, is the long period of braising. But make sure that the dish doesn’t dry out before the meat becomes tender. Add more water if needed to prevent the meat from scorching before it gets tender.
• Once tender, it’s ready to serve.
• Serve hot garnished with your desired greens. Chopped scallion and cilantro are a popular combination.
