On this week’s episode of Cheap Eats on Dubai 92, we walk through the alleys of the Deira Spice Souk in search of chicken cutlets.
What’s This Week’s Cheap Eat?
This week on Dubai’s favorite radio station, Dubai 92, our Co-Founder and General Manager, Farida Ahmed shared her latest food discovery: chicken cutlets from Al Zubairi Cafeteria.
At Al Zubairi Cafeteria, the chicken cutlet is a piquant blend of mashed potatoes, shredded chicken, green chilies, onions, ginger, garlic, coriander, and a secret blend of aromatic spices that need little else to accompany it. The cutlet is lightly breaded and deep-fried and for an unbelievable price of just 6 dirhams you can grab three of these!
While the go-to accompaniment with the chicken cutlet would be a steaming hot cup of chai, we recommend trying cool laban during a hot summer day.
Find Al Zubairi Cafeteria on Google Maps here.
Tune In
Tune in to the segment using this audio recap or check out the transcript below.
Transcript
Nats:
It’s Dubai 92, we’re Jono and Nats and it’s our favorite weekly time where we get to talk to the Frying Pan Adventure sisters and they tantalize our taste buds.
Jono:
Tantalize our taste buds as well. Farida joins us this week, morning Farida.
Farida:
Morning!
Jono:
Farida, it’s good to chat to you.
Nats:
I was salivating already, I couldn’t even say buds.
Jono:
So much. you couldn’t get the words out. Where are you taking us on a culinary delight this week?
Farida:
So today we’re going back to one of our team’s favorite haunts which is the Deira Spice Souk, and if you’ve been down there you know that the Spice Souk nestled away in the alleys are these little cafeterias usually run by people from the South Indian state of Kerala and now while everyone knows that the cafeterias, the go-to is the Anda Parotha or the egg roll sandwich, there was one time that Arva, our colleague Nooreen, and I, we were down for a recce and I just felt something, I wanted to have something different and I went in for the lesser sung hero which is the chicken cutlet. So the chicken cutlet is basically potatoes, chicken spice, which makes for everything nice. And when it’s done right, it is absolutely delicious. And this one at Al Zubairi Cafeteria was just spot on!
Nats:
And what else does it come with? Like really sell it to me because right now that’s all I think about.
Farida:
So, usually with a cutlet, you would imagine you’d need a chutney or tomato ketchup. But again, this cutlet was just shining all by itself. It did not need anything at all. What it is is basically a lovely mush of potatoes, chicken, there are green chilies in there, so you have to watch out for those, I know those bowled Arva over. They’ve got onions in there, ginger, garlic, coriander, and of course, a different blend of spices. That little cutlet is then lightly breaded and deep fried.
Jono:
Delightful. Sounds like an absolute delight on a plate. What price are we talking here? How cheap are we talking?
Farida:
Okay, so I walked away with three chicken cutlets. Sorry (the phone gets knocked over). I have cats.
Jono and Nats:
We love a Zoom with cats. We love that.
Farida:
She just knocked the phone over. Sorry. So I forgot to mention the go-to accompaniment with the chicken cutlet would be a nice steaming hot cup of chai. But because it was the middle of summer, I opted to do the cooler laban. But I walked away with three chicken cutlets and a laban and my wallet was seven dirhams lighter.
Nats and Jono:
Wow! That’s it! Wow!
Nats:
For that delicious, epic meal?
Farida:
Yes. One chicken cutlet is two dirhams. And it’s just incredible. Three will definitely leave your stomach feeling absolutely ecstatic.
Nats:
Winner, winner chicken dinner.
Jono:
Amazing. What a deal. Al Zubairi cafeteria. Check it out: Dubai Gold Souk. Farida, thank you for the top tip this week for cheap eats once again.
Farida:
Thank you.
Check out where to find tantalizing Chinese food in Dubai here.
Arva Ahmed is the co-founder of Frying Pan Adventures, Dubai’s first food tour company, and a celebrated food explorer known for uncovering Dubai’s hidden culinary gems. Her expertise in the city’s diverse food scene has been featured in prominent publications such as CNN, Khaleej Times, BBC Travel, The Sun, The Independent and countless more. She also hosts Ditch the Silver on YouTube. Through her immersive tours and storytelling, Arva brings Dubai’s rich flavors and vibrant cultures to life.
