Chbaab
Emirati saffron-and-cardamom pancakes made from a short-rested yeast batter and cooked on both sides.
Traditional method
Regag (Emirati paper-thin griddle bread)
Regag · ragag · raqaq · raqaq bread
Regag is a thin Emirati wheat bread cooked on an ungreased pan. This measured home method uses a soft dough that rests covered, then gets spread thin with a palette knife or bench scraper.
History
Regag is identified in recipe and cultural reporting as Emirati bread, including in Dubai street-food practice. The inspected sources do not establish a first attestation date.
Ingredients
Yield 10 servings · Scaling: source batch only
Cake flour
400 g
Water
450 mL
SpinneysFOOD bottled drinking water in the sourceSalt
2.5 mL½ tsp as recorded
SpinneysFOOD saltMethod
Risks and precautions · Standard risk
Raw flour in dough
Uncooked flour can carry germs; do not taste raw dough and clean hands, bowls, tools and work surfaces after handling.
Hazard sourceHot pan contact
A high-heat pan can burn skin; spreading dough with a bare hand would bring it into direct contact with the hot surface.
Hazard sourceDo not taste uncooked dough. Cook each very thin sheet on the hot pan until its edges curl and turn golden brown.
Control sourceUse a palette knife or bench scraper to spread the dough and a spatula or palette knife to lift it. Keep bare hands away from the hot pan.
Control sourceDo not spread the dough with a bare hand on the hot pan. Use a palette knife or bench scraper and keep hands clear of the cooking surface.
- Mix the cake flour, water and salt until they form a soft, sticky dough. Cover and let stand for 1 hour.
- Heat a large nonstick frying pan over high heat. The source calls for an ungreased pan.
- Break off a small piece of dough and place it in the pan. Use a palette knife or bench scraper to spread it carefully into a thin layer. Scrape away the excess dough and discard it. Keep your hands away from the hot pan; do not spread by hand.
- Cook until the edges begin to curl and turn golden brown. Lift the sheet with a spatula or palette knife and set it aside.
- Repeat with the remaining dough. Serve with tharid.
Conditions
Yield10 servings
Active time10 min
Places
United Arab Emirates
Traditional preparation · Country evidenceThe recipe and reporting identify regag with Emirati foodways; no more precise origin is established.
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Sources
SpinneysRecipe · Identity · Geography
Regag recipeIdentifies the recipe as Emirati in its UAE region listing and gives 400 g cake flour, 450 ml bottled water and ½ tsp salt for 10 servings.
Mix to a soft sticky dough, cover and rest 1 hour; cook pieces on a large high-heat nonstick pan, spreading with a palette knife or bench scraper and scraping off excess; cook until the edges curl and turn golden; serve with tharid.
WorldchefsIdentity · Recipe
Regag BreadA separate Worldchefs recipe calls for 1,000 g flour, 500 g water and 30 g salt and instructs the cook to spread a very thin crepe-like batter. Its listed formula sums to 1,530 g while its stated yield is 1,502 g; this distinct formula is not used here.
Gulf NewsIdentity · Geography
Watch: Recipe for Emirati RegagIdentifies regag as an Emirati snack associated with Dubai street-food culture. The demonstration spreads dough by hand on a hot plate; this recipe instead uses the scraper method from Spinneys to avoid direct hand contact.
Centers for Disease Control and PreventionSafety
Raw Flour and DoughRaw flour and dough can carry germs; avoid tasting or eating raw dough and clean after handling.