Welcome to my first post of my Back to Basics series! I’m going to walk you through all the things you need to successfully get started with Syrian cooking. Whether it’s kitchen must-haves, pantry necessities, basic knife skills, foundational recipes or how to package food, I got you covered.
The good news is that you probably have most of the kitchen equipment already. Whether you’re building your kitchen from scratch or it’s already fully equipped, this is a great checklist to make sure you have everything you need.
Different Sized Pots/Pans
Heavy-Bottomed Pot/Dutch Oven/Casserole Dish
My 5.5 quart and 7.25 quart dutch ovens are work horses. I use them almost daily. They retain heat really well, so they’re great for browning meat, making stews, braising and deep frying. They also go seamlessly from the stovetop to the oven. The 5.5 quart is great for smaller portions, but anytime I need to double a soup recipe or fry large quantities of items, the 7.25 quart comes out. My favorite brand is Le Creuset because of its durability and lifetime guarantee, which I’ve linked below.
US — 5.5 q, $319.95
UAE — 24 cm, 1149.01 AED
US — 7.25 q, $383.99
UAE — 28 cm, 1349.01 AED
Lightweight Pots
You will definitely need some smaller pots with lids for cooking grains, like rice and bulgur. These can be either stainless or nonstick and also work great for reheating leftovers. If you plan to make items that require flipping, like stuffed grape leaves or makloubeh, you will need a large, nonstick but lightweight pot. I mean, can you imagine flipping a pot that’s as heavy as a Dutch Oven? I know I can’t.
US — Cuisinart 3 Qt Saucepan, $35.97
UAE — Tefal Pan with Lid, 145 AED
US — Farberware 10.5 Qt Pot, $29.99
UAE — Tefal 28 cm Casserole with Lid, 205 AED
Stainless Steel Stockpot
If you plan on making any yogurt dishes or milk-based sweets, you can only do it in a stainless steel stockpot. This ensures the solids don’t separate from the liquids. This pot also works great for boiling meat and meat broth.
US — Calphalon 8-Qt. Stockpot, $99.88
UAE — LUCUKU Large Stock Pot, 235 AED
Large Skillet
There’s no way around it. You’re going to be doing a lot of sautéing of onions and other veggies. Almost every recipe of mine requires a large skillet. I use nonstick, but stainless and cast iron also work really well, depending on your personal preference. If you go with cast iron, just make sure you season it for proper use.
US — Lodge 12-inch Cast Iron Skillet, $25.99
UAE — Tefal Essential Chef de France Frying Pan, 24 cm, 59 AED
Smaller Nonstick Skillet
Regardless of your position on nonstick, it’s great to have a small, inexpensive nonstick pan for eggs or frying nuts.
US — Cuisinart Chef’s Classic 10-inch Open Skillet, $28.57
UAE — MasterClass 26 cm (10 inch) Nonstick Frying Pan, 54.60 AED
Round Pan
Middle Easterners love baking things in round pans. They’re used to make baked kibbeh, vegetarian moussaka, a summer dish named kawaj and the popular sweet h’risseh. A light interior is preferred, so the food doesn’t absorb heat and take on color too quickly. You also want to make sure it has straight edges.
US — Jamie Oliver Bakeware Round Sandwich Tin, $13.18
UAE — Sunnex Stainless Steel Round Food Pan, 102.38 AED
Baking Sheets
Absolutely necessary for roasting veggies and toasting nuts in the oven. I also use them to lay out items before/after frying and contain dough or kibbeh while I’m stuffing them.
US — Nordwic Ware Aluminum Commercial Baker’s Half Sheet, Set of 2, $21.99
UAE — Circulon Nonstick Bakeware, 3-Piece Set, 234 AED
Knives
Chef’s Knife
A good quality chef’s knife is one of the most important things in your kitchen. You’ll need it for almost everything: mincing parsley, chopping onions and slicing through raw meat. You’ll want a solid handle that’s made with neither wood nor plastic, a full tang (meaning the metal goes all the way through the handle) and solid rivets (mine has 3). You don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on it (although you can). A mid-priced knife should do the trick. I always stand by Cutco, not only because I sold them in college, but because they’re great quality, and if anything goes wrong with the knife or it needs sharpening, I can send it back to the factory. I can’t link the site from the UAE, so I’ll link some others.
US — Mercer Culinary Genesis, $31.00
US — Misono 440 Molybdenum Gyutou, $126.71
UAE — Dalstrong Chef’s Knife - 8”, 475 AED
Serrated Knife
A serrated knife is absolutely necessary for cutting through bread and ripe tomatoes. A serrated knife cannot be sharpened, but it does hold its edge a bit longer. Yet another reason why I love Cutco, because if the edge ever starts to feel dull, I can send it back to the factory for maintenance. I linked some others below.
US — Tojiro Bread Slicer, $21.80
UAE — Tojiro Bread Slicer, 141.30 AED
Other Tools
Cutting Board
Wooden cutting boards are expensive and require some maintenance. They are, however, beautiful and really easy on your knives, so if you’d like to shell out for them, by all means, please do. I really love my Oxo Utility Cutting Board. It’s large enough to chop large quantities, and the rubber grips on the side prevent it from slipping. It might not fit in your dishwasher, but I find the size totally worth it.
US — Oxo Good Grips Cutting and Carving Board, $27.95
UAE — Oxo Good Grips Cutting and Carving Board, 191 AED
Metal Mixing Bowls
Having a variety of sized mixing bowls allows you to prep multiple things without going crazy. When I first started cooking, I chopped and diced while cooking, and I always felt like I was scrambling. When I finally purchased some bowls to place all my chopped veggies and other items before cooking, the task finally started to feel more organized. Metal is more lightweight and durable than ceramic or glass.
US — Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls, $24.99
UAE — Stainless Steel Mixing Bowls, 262.43 AED
Fine Mesh Strainer
When straining broth, you want something that’s lightweight, inexpensive, rust-free and fits easily in a mixing bowl. A strainer also works well for draining veggies after frying and draining grains and pasta.
US — Culina Fine Mesh Stainless Steel Strainers, Set of 3, $9.99
UAE — HTH Stainless Steel Colander, Set of 6, 75,87 AED
Salad Spinner
A salad spinner makes drying greens, parsley and other herbs so much faster. It might feel like a single-use tool, but you can also also use the insert as a colander for cold items.
US — Zyliss Swift Dry Salad Spinner, $46.09
UAE — Prestige Salad Spinner, 44 AED
Wooden Spoons
Durable wooden spoons are a must-have in the kitchen. They’re easy on nonstick pans, and they’re better for the environment than plastic spoons. It’s even better if you get one with a flat edge, so you can break up ground meat really easily and scrape bottoms of pans.
US — Le Creuset Wood Scraping Spoon, $25.95
UAE — Totally Bamboo 14” Spoon, 78 AED
Skimmer
A skimmer is necessary for cleaning off the foam when boiling meat or chickpeas. I also use it when fishing out items from hot oil while frying.
US — Stainless Steel Spider Strainer, $8.99
UAE — Stainless Steel Skimmer, 9.56 AED
Appliances
Food Processor
A food processor is necessary for chopping up nuts finely, making kibbeh dough, whipping up hummus, and a whole other assortment of tasks. Most come with a slicing attachment, which also saves time with slicing large quantities of onions for mujaddara and other dishes.
US — Cuisinart 14-Cup Food Processor, $156.25
UAE — Kenwood Multipro Food Processor, 313.40 AED
Citrus Juicer
Syrian cooking honestly uses lemon juice by the cupful, and fresh squeezed is always best. I’m buying lemons by the 10’s weekly. Having an electric citrus juicer cuts down on so much time. If you’re in the UAE, your food processor probably comes with a citrus juicer attachment.
US — Cuisinart Pulp Control Citrus Juicer, $25.99
UAE — Kenwood Citrus Juicer, 73.25 AED
Not Absolute Musts But Do Make Life Easier
Stand Mixer
I cooked many meals in my kitchen without a stand mixer. I do have to admit, once I got one, my confidence with dough work increased exponentially. Dough comes together so much more quickly, and it’s honestly fool proof. I also found myself whipping up cakes, creams and butter creams more often, just because it’s easier. Kitchenaid is by far the most durable. Since it’s significantly more expensive in the UAE, I purchased one from Bosch, which works okay. After a year of moderate use, the parts have gotten a bit loose, and the mixer no longer reaches the bottom of the bowl as easily. I will probably be upgrading to the Kitchenaid soon.
US — Kitchenaid Artisan Tilt-Head Stand Mixer, $279.99
UAE — Bosch Multifunction Food Mixer and Citrus Press, 526 AED
UAE — Kitchenaid Artisan Stand Mixer, 2699 AED
Mortar and Pestle
Because of the unpolished interior, granite makes the best surface for smashing up garlic into paste. It also works really well for making guacamole, making curry paste or pesto. Of course, you can always use the edge of a knife and a cutting board, but what’s the fun in that?
US — Mortar and Pestle Set, $41.99
UAE — Granite Molcajete Mortar and Pestle, 278 AED
Pressure Cooker
Instant Pot/Nutricook
I don’t actually own one of these, but I’m seriously considering buying one. It saves a lot of time with food items that cook in the oven or stove top for long periods of time, which is just about everything in Syrian cooking. First step? Moving to a place with a bigger kitchen.
US — Instant Pot, $69.99
UAE — Nutricook Smart Pot Pro+, 399 AED
*This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission on purchases, and this does not affect the price of the items, which may be subject to change after publishing of this post.