Khabees: Golden, Woody-Scented Flour Turned into a Thick, Fragrant Paste
Toast the flour by color and scent, add the syrup gradually while stirring, and stop when the paste has had its final minute or pulls cleanly from the pan.
Plain flour goes into a large dry pan over medium heat. As you stir it, the flour slowly turns golden and takes on a woody scent. Melted butter follows, then a syrup fragrant with cardamom, saffron and rosewater, and the pan comes together into a thick golden paste.
This is khabees, and the version here comes from Chef Alo's four-serving recipe, published in Alo Magazine as "Arabian Crumble and Rose Water." Sekai Gohan lists it in its United Arab Emirates collection as one regional Gulf recipe. It is not presented as the only Emirati form of the dish or as an exclusively national one.
Plan ahead for the saffron, which steeps in the rosewater for about an hour before you need it. After that, the work is mostly watching the flour and keeping the spoon moving.
Sekai Gohan has not kitchen-tested this recipe. The amounts, order and doneness cues follow Chef Alo's written recipe, and how long each stage takes will depend on your pan and stove.
Ingredients: Serves 4
Equipment
- Small clear dish for steeping the saffron
- Small saucepan for the syrup
- Small clean pan for melting the butter
- Large pan for toasting the flour and finishing the paste
- Wooden spoon
- Wooden spatula for turning out the finished paste
- Plain serving bowl
- Kitchen scale, measuring cups and measuring spoons
Choosing What Goes in the Pan
- Rosewater: Choose rosewater meant for food use.
- Cardamom: Use ground cardamom rather than whole pods.
- Flour: Use all-purpose flour. Whole-wheat flour is not part of this recipe.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter and melt it before it goes into the flour.
Method: From Saffron Steep to Thick Golden Paste
The syrup can splatter when it meets the flour mixture. Pour gradually and keep your face away from the pan.
The images illustrate each stage, but they don't establish exact times, temperatures, amounts or food safety. Steps 14 and 15 are one continuous action, shown separately only so that the pour and the stirring are both visible.
Troubleshooting: What to Look For in the Pan
| What you notice | What to do |
|---|---|
| The flour is golden and woody before 15 minutes | Move on. Fifteen minutes is an upper guide, not a target. |
| The flour isn't golden and woody at 15 minutes | Judge by color and scent. The time is only an indication and isn't guaranteed for every pan or stove. |
| The butter and flour look clumpy | This is normal at this stage. Keep mixing and continue with the syrup. |
| The syrup is splattering | Add it more gradually, keep stirring and keep your face away from the pan. |
| The paste hasn't pulled cleanly from the pan after the extra minute | You can finish at either point: after the additional minute, or when the paste pulls away cleanly. |
| You have whole cardamom pods but no ground cardamom | Get ground cardamom for this recipe. Whole pods won't give you the same fine spice through the syrup. |
How Khabees Varies: Other Forms Beyond This Recipe
Chef Alo's recipe is only one form of khabees. Abu Dhabi Culture's description differs in several ways, and those differences are useful as context. They aren't options built into this recipe, since that page gives no quantities to work from.
| Element | Abu Dhabi Culture's description | This recipe |
|---|---|---|
| Sweetener | Honey or sugar | Sugar |
| Fat | Ghee | Melted unsalted butter |
| Syrup | Part of the liquid is set aside | All of the prepared syrup goes in gradually |
| Additional flavors | Coconut, raisins, pistachios and almonds are listed as optional | None |
Background: What the Sources Do and Don't Establish
Abu Dhabi Culture includes khabees in its heritage register, describing a sweet of toasted flour, honey or sugar, and spices. Its outline of the dish brings together toasted flour and a sweet liquid with ghee, cardamom, saffron and rosewater.
A 2021 tour-guide training booklet from the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding spells the name Khabeesah and lists it as roasted flour, water, sugar and saffron. The same food listing has a separate entry for Asseada, described as semolina and saffron. That distinction belongs to this booklet and isn't offered here as a current classification for every household.
The Abu Dhabi Culture page uses "oldest" language that has not been independently verified, and this article takes no position on where khabees began. Serving it in a plain bowl with no garnish is the presentation chosen for this article.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is khabees unique to the United Arab Emirates?
This article doesn't make that claim. The recipe here is a regional Gulf version listed in Sekai Gohan's UAE collection, while Abu Dhabi Culture and the 2021 booklet document the dish in an Emirati setting.
Can I use ghee or oil instead of butter?
Abu Dhabi Culture mentions ghee, and Chef Alo's page offers an oil alternative, but this version uses only melted unsalted butter. Its directions don't cover either swap.
Can I use whole-wheat flour?
This recipe uses all-purpose flour, and its cues are written for that flour. Whole-wheat flour isn't covered here.
Can I add nuts, raisins or extra saffron on top?
Abu Dhabi Culture lists coconut, raisins, pistachios and almonds as optional flavors, but this recipe has no garnish or topping and gives no amounts for one.
Is the hour-long saffron soak a kind of fermentation?
No. The soak is there to draw flavor from the saffron into the rosewater.
Why aren't there grams or milliliters?
The amounts stay in the units of Chef Alo's recipe, so the numbers aren't altered by conversion.
How should I store leftovers?
Chef Alo's recipe gives no storage guidance, so this article doesn't suggest a method or a time.
Sources
- Chef Alo, "Arabian Crumble and Rose Water," Alo Magazine. The basis for the four-serving recipe, including its ingredients, amounts, method and finishing cues. https://alomagazine.com/arabian-crumble-and-rose-water/
- Abu Dhabi Culture, "Khabees." Used for cultural context only: khabees as a sweet of toasted flour, honey or sugar, and spices, with its listed ingredients and optional flavors. https://abudhabiculture.ae/en/cultural-heritage/intangible/heritage-register/social-practices/khabees
- Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding, "Traditional Food of the Emirates (SMCCU Training Booklet)," 2021 tour-guide training material. Used only for the separate food entries for Khabeesah and Asseada. https://www.tourguidetraining.ae/pluginfile.php/1/block_exalib/item_file/3/SMCCU%20TRAINING%20BOOKLET.pdf
