Al Qaeim Public Kitchen In Sharjah Runs Out Of 4,500 Kg Of Harees & Biryani Daily During Ramadan!

There are some traditions that haven’t changed over the years. This could be anything from taking a walk at the park or visiting a particular restaurant during Ramadan. This is certainly true in the case of Al Qaeim Public Kitchen, which is located in Al Ghafeya of Sharjah. With people arriving on motorcycles, on foot, or even in luxury cars, the demand for the food from this place is so high that they literally need police to control the crowds!

Al Qaeim Public Kitchen Serves 4500 Kg Of Harees & Biryani

Serving harees and biryani for decades, the demand from this place is so high that 4,500 kg of these items are prepared. As revealed in a report of Khaleej Times, a policeman is also stationed nearby in order to manage the crowds of people thronging to the restaurant. As soon as the gates open at 1:30 PM, people rush to secure their share of Harees, which is available in both chicken and mutton for Iftar. In fact, just in four hours, by 5:30 PM, all of it is sold out! Mutton biryani, which is another crowd-favourite, is also over by 2:30 PM. People often buy them in bulk!

Items Finish By Evening

With the customers dispersing by evening, the work then begins for cleanup. By 7 PM, preparation for the next batch begins, as ingredients and spices are measured in massive vessels. As revealed in the same report, harees is left to simmer over a low flame for over 10 hours after the Taraweeh prayers are over. Then, early next morning, the final process begins. This includes grinding the harees to perfection so that it can be packed into containers.

The 10-man team feeds thousands of people and they look over the entire process, which includes everything from cooking and procurement to even serving and distribution.

Also Read: Saudi Arabia: 2,00,000 Iftar Meals Distributed Daily At The Grand Mosque In Makkah

Food Is Cooked In Large Batches

The scale of operation is so massive that harees is cooked in eight massive vessels, each of which holds about 450 KG of dish. Biryani is also prepared in additional vessels, and the demand, especially, peaks during Ramadan. The secret recipe is attributed to the spice blend that was created by the owner. Serving people for the last 20 years, many of the customers have been with the restaurant for decades.

In case you want to know, the biggest attraction of the kitchen is the fact that it is affordably priced. Yes, premium quality, harees and biryani cost about AED10! For this nominal price, people can enjoy a fulfilling meal. Serving everybody from wealthy families to those who are less fortunate, they aim to provide good food at a price that’s affordable by everyone.

So, if you are a resident of Sharjah, have you eaten from this eatery before? How has your experience been with the eatery? Do let us know in the common section below.

Cover Image Courtesy: Canva (Images are for representative purposes only)