Arabian Courtyard Hotel & Spa holds successful Sheer Khurma competition

Press release

Published August 26th, 2012 - 07:19 GMT

Arabian Courtyard Hotel & Spa

Arabian Courtyard Hotel & Spa, located in the heart of the ancient cultural district of Dubai, held a successful Sheer Khurma competition where Mrs. Syeda Yasmee Fatima was declared top winner followed by Mrs. Naina Shakeb, first runner up and Mrs. Ritu Chatuverdi, second runner-up.

The participants, mostly housewives and aspiring chefs, demonstrated their skills in a two-hour cooking competition held at the hotel’s award-winning Indian restaurant, Mumtaz Mahal. The panel of judges, namely Ms. Zareeen Khan, Founder, Woman2Woman, Chef Abdul Khader and Sachin Dhingra, Director Food & Beverage; selected the top three winners from the 10 finalists who were selected out of the more than 100 entries. The dish was selected based on taste, presentation, timing and hygiene to name a few.

Ms. Fatima who was the top winner joined the cooking competition for the first time and was very happy to receive her award. She used dried dates as her special ingredients for her version of sheer khurma. Her recipe will become a part of Mumtaz Mahal’s menu.

Habib Khan, General Manager, Arabian Courtyard Hotel & Spa, said: “We would like to congratulate the participants to our Sheer Khurma competition. The time you have demonstrated and the courage that you have shown in getting your recipe out to the public already made all of you winners.”

Sheer Khurma is a special dish prepared by the celebrating Muslim community on occasion of Eid-el-Fitr in South Asian countries such as India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Sheer means sweetened milk and Khorma means dried dates. In short, Sheer Khurma is milk with dates and traditionally served on the morning of Eid in the family after the Eid prayer as breakfast and throughout the day to all the visiting guests.

Background Information

Arabian Courtyard Hotel & Spa

Set in the historic heart of Dubai, Arabian Courtyard Hotel & Spa is inspired by old Dubai’s heritage it offers a unique experience which is a combination of warm Arabic hospitality and state-of-the-art amenities designed to cater to both tourists and business travelers. It is opposite Dubai Museum and is a stone’s throw-away from the famous Dubai Creek and the timeless Souk Al Kabir, more commonly known as Meena Bazaar. At a walking distance to Historic Bastakiya, Bank Street, Diplomatic Area, Computer Street and Port Rashid, this hotel is just 6 kilometers away from Dubai International Airport. It offers a splendid accommodation of 173 tastefully furnished rooms, including 41 executive rooms and 23 suites with non-smoking and interconnecting rooms also available. The hotel offers all business services and conference / meeting rooms as well as a variety of dining options. A fully equipped health club, temperature controlled swimming pool, sauna, Jacuzzi and a Wellness Spa complete the picture.