Even before the forces of globalization made “hummus,” “falafel,” and “shawarma” recognizable in many households around the world, Middle Eastern cuisine had already made its mark across the Silk Route and the Arabian Sea, as medieval cultures melded into one another. India is a myriad of these clashing cultures, with its western coasts and north-western corridor open to the influences of Arabic traders and immigrants. The diffusion of Indo-Persian cultures, from the Achaemenid Empire down to the Mughals, kept reinforcing Middle Eastern cuisine in India from that side, especially within West and North Indian cuisines.

These two broader cuisines were introduced to a variety of food ingredients by the many Arabic tribes: dates, bulgur, sumac, olive oil, raisins, garlic, eggplants, apricots, citrus fruits, pistachios, cashews, and almonds. That was the past. What about the present times?

There continues to be a significant Indian contingent of expatriates and overseas workers in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, close to 8.5 million Indians resided there as of a December 2018 report by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs. Conversely, many workers from GCC nations have migrated to India. The crisscrossing of cuisines has built an appreciation in each counterpart for the other’s delicacies.

Middle Eastern cuisine includes Arab, Armenian, Assyrian, Azerbaijani, Cypriot, Egyptian, Georgian, Iranian, Iraqi, Israeli, Kurdish, Lebanese, Palestinian and Turkish cuisines. Common ingredients include olives and olive oil, pitas, honey, sesame seeds, dates, sumac, chickpeas, mint, rice and parsley.

Best fit for the Indian palate

Indian cuisine fits better with Middle Eastern cuisine due to the common presence of spices and stronger flavours. For example, the Mughlai cuisine melds culinary aspects of the Middle East and India, and you can see this in the copious use of spices and herbs like cumin, coriander, saffron, and garlic. Middle Eastern cuisine continues to make an impact in India so much so that there has been a splurge in new Middle Eastern restaurants in India. 

From shawarmas to falafels to grills, Middle Eastern cuisine caters to a wide audience in this city. Blends of varied spices such as Za’atar are sought out by those looking to savour their Middle Eastern palate. Apart from the food, many customers love to experience the ambience of dining in a Middle-Eastern restaurant.

People living in metros create demand

Being a commercial hub where people from all walks of life converge, Mumbai is the perfect fit for Middle Eastern cuisine and saw the early takers for such restaurants. A large part of the population is young with a growing disposable income. For them, dining out is seen as less of a luxury and more of a casual, social outing. Most of them have travelled to Dubai and other parts of the Middle East, and are well-versed in the varied and authentic flavours and dishes that they have experienced there.

This presents a great opportunity for restaurateurs based in Dubai, looking to enter the hospitality sector in Mumbai. With a higher growth potential and a customer base willing to try something new, the timing couldn’t be any better. But, the capital is no less than ‘Bombay’. Places like Ophelia, and Diablo has made some serious business in terms of Middle Eastern cuisine as well as set-ups like the use of cabanas and tall grillers. 

Shikha Ashish Begwani, owner of Cosybox, Ophelia and Toyroom shared that Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine's popularity has been witnessed rising in the past few recent years. The culinary legacy of India and the Middle East is splendid. 

Patrons get attracted to the Middle-Eastern Ambience

“This cuisine appeals to the Indian palate very well as they share similar flavours and intensity. We are of course noticing a boom in terms of the addition of cuisine to the menus by hotels and restaurants along with a few standalone ones in the country. Mediterranean & Middle Eastern are distinct however, the Mediterranean is used as an umbrella term,” she added stating that one of the reasons for this cuisine's popularity is the grandiosity of presentation.  

In India, people know about the cuisine but these hotels and restaurants are now bridging the gap of serving the consumer with the authenticity of the cuisine. These heads are now hiring chefs from the region to assure authenticity. The audiences have become well-informed and are well-travelled nowadays, always scouting for authentic, wholesome food choices. 

They are aware that there are far various options than hummus, shawarma, and kebabs and then there come opportunities to bank on with less number of outposts available at present. The restaurants are also now focusing on exuding old-world glamour with their art deco interiors to give that exact experience of the region. “A few trends that we can witness are our chefs introducing vegan dips, whole wheat pasta, more plant-based dishes, and a few experiments with pizzas,” Begwani further commented.

Making its entry into hotel food fests

Star hotels too have started adding dishes like falafel, baklava, doner kebab etc to their menu and are witnessing a good number of takers. Surprisingly, many hotels have also started introducing Middle Eastern food fest to attract good numbers. 

Sharing his experience and insights, Aneesh Joseph, executive chef at Sayaji Raipur commented, “The presence of Mediterranean cuisine in India started several years back. But the same is getting a prominent place in Indian food lovers' choices in the recent past. One of the reasons could be both cuisines have plenty of vegetarian options. Even for vegan food lovers, there are plenty of options. Nowadays people are influenced by vegetarianism. Indian cuisine and cooking methods have influenced Middle Eastern cuisines largely because of the trade relationship between India and Middle Eastern countries.”

The best example is Majboos (The national dish of Saudi Arabia). The dish is largely influenced by Indian Biryani. Sayaji Raipur has been a proud promoter of different cuisines over the years and tries to serve and educate the population about the same. 

High bets for QSR chains

Not just in fine-dine restaurants but QSR chains serving that cuisine are trying out their chance too. Dubai-based quick service restaurant chain Doner & Gyros made its debut in India a few years back and there is no looking back. The master owner of Döner and Gyros' Indian Chapter, Prateek Sachdev aims to penetrate further by setting up 200 stores across the country in the next couple of years. Boasting their Lebanese delicacies the newest addition is in Lucknow.  

 Above all, one of the major reasons and catalysts for this rise is an upsurge among Indian travelling to the Middle East. Turkey, for instance, hosted a record high number of travellers from India in June 2022 at over 27,300. India has been one of the top source markets for visitor arrivals into Turkey and the current peak travelling season has also favoured the numbers immensely. The same is with other destinations like Oman, Jeddah, Lebanon, Uzbekistan etc. The craze and demand for their cuisines are poised to grow in India.