An Arab favourite, this dish is from the UAE and is served regularly with gah-wa (Arabian coffee).

4 cups wheat flour
2 3/4 cups seh - ripe sticky dates
1 teaspoon cardamom
1 1/4 cups toasted sesame seeds
3/4 cup samen

Brown the flour in a skillet, stirring to avoid burning. Stone the dates and pull them apart with your hand. Place in a large mixing bowl and sprinkle the cardamom and sesame seeds over. Gradually add the samen (oil) and browned flour, a little at a time, working the ingredients in with the fingertips.
When all is well blended, the mixture should resemble large biscuit crumbs. Store in an airtight container and serve on a fou-alla. The mixture will keep for a week.

From the book "The Complete United Arab Emirates Cookbook"
by Celia Ann Brock- Al Ansari
Copyright © 1994 by Celia Ann Brock-Al Ansari