Dubai-based model and humanitarian Jessica Kahawaty and her mother, Rita, have launched a brand new food delivery concept. Called Mama Rita, the food venture is all about being able to order healthy and delicious home-cooked meals, made with love.
"I am so happy to be launching Mama Rita with my mother,” the Lebanese-Australian former beauty queen and TV host says. “For as long as I can remember, her cookbook was a treasured item she always wrote in – discovered recipes, inspiration and new flavours. Every meal was cooked from the heart. Our family has always been about sharing and finally, the world gets to taste the food that we grew up with.”
Growing up, Rita, a former model, was taught to cook by her own mother, Nahil, using delicious fresh vegetables grown in the Lebanese mountains by her father. She became a passionate chef and has been feeding her family and friends with her own simple take on wholesome and traditional Middle Eastern and international dishes for many years.
“Mama Rita is a true expression of my love of home cooking that has been passed down through the generations of my family. My mother taught me everything I know,” Rita says. “Mama Rita is the same food we serve to our friends and family around our own dinner table. The meals delievered to your home is a true taste of my own kitchen.”
The Mama Rita menu has been carefully curated by Jessica, who studied law, and Rita to bring us three generations of heartwarming home cooking. The selection of simple, but mouthwatering dishes on offer can satisfy every culinary craving, including the starters like Beetroot Hummus and the vegan Quinoa Salad with pomegranate seeds, avocado, green apple, dried cranberries and roasted hazelnuts. Other delicious salads include Mama’s Fattoush and The Superfood Kale Salad.
Main course options rope in several pasta dishes like Basil Pesto Pasta and The Original Lasagna. Plus, there are several notable rice-based meals, including the Peanut Butter Chicken, an African-inspired dish made with tender grilled chicken, peanut butter sauce and steamed rice, and Beef Stroganoff. Rita’s Homemade Shawarma, with tender beef marinated overnight, is another must-try, just like the Oven-Baked Chicken And Potato dish.
When it comes to the sweet side of things, there’s the warm on the inside and crunchy on the outside Knéfe, a typical Middle Eastern syrup-soaked cheese dessert. And for carrot cake lovers, Mama’s Special Carrot Cake is a soft and fluffy creation with hints of pineapple and coconut.
Mama Rita is available to order now at www.mamarita.com
