Arabic coffee (gahwa)

Name: Arabic coffee (gahwa)
Prep time: 2 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 23 min
Ingredients: 700 ml water; 4 tbsp finely ground coffee; 1 tbsp cardamom, freshly ground; 1 pinch saffron; 2 cloves (optional); 1 tsp rose water (optional); 8 dates (optional)

Vegetarian

قهوة عربية · qahwa arabiya

Lightly roasted coffee boiled with plenty of cardamom and a few threads of saffron, poured in small sips from a dallah. A pale, aromatic coffee that is central to Gulf hospitality.

Arabic coffee (gahwa) is a Saudi Arabian hot drink, ready in about 23 minutes and made with finely ground coffee and cardamom. It serves 8 and is rated beginner to cook.

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Prep: 2 min
Cook: 18 min
Rest: 3 min
Total: 23 min
Serves: 8
Level: Beginner
Calories: 12

Ingredients

8 small cups

700 ml Water (opens in a new tab)
4 tbsp (21 g) Finely ground coffee (opens in a new tab)Lightly roasted Arabic coffee, coarsely ground.
1 tbsp (6 g) Cardamom (opens in a new tab), freshly ground
1 pinch (0 g) Saffron (opens in a new tab)
2 (0 g) Cloves (opens in a new tab) (optional)
1 tsp (5 g) Rose water (opens in a new tab) (optional)
8 (190 g) Dates (opens in a new tab) (optional)Served alongside.

Equipment

Method

1
Step 1
Bring the water to the boil, add the coffee and simmer gently, uncovered, watching that it doesn't boil over.
- 12 min
- medium-low heat
- Saucepan (opens in a new tab)
2
Step 2
Take off the heat, add the cardamom (opens in a new tab), saffron (opens in a new tab) and cloves (opens in a new tab), and return to a low simmer for 3–5 minutes.
- 5 min
- low heat
3
Step 3
Rest for 3 minutes so the grounds settle, add the rose water (opens in a new tab), then pour through a fine sieve into a thermos or dallah. Serve in small cups with dates (opens in a new tab).
- 3 min
- Sieve / strainer (opens in a new tab)
How it looks · Photo: Katerina Holmes on Pexels

About this dish

Origin: Not attributed to one place · Origin disputedArabic coffee is shared heritage of the Arabian Peninsula (inscribed by UNESCO for Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman and Qatar).Also popular in Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain
Dish: Breakfast · Snack · Hot drinks
Cooking method: Boiled, Simmered
Taste: aromatic / warmly spiced, bitter
Diet: Vegan · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb
All labels
Vegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Whole-food focused · Paleo-style · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · Low-fat · Low-sodium · DASH-style
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for: Festive & celebration · Everyday
Cook more with: Finely ground coffee · Cardamom · Saffron
Techniques: Boiling · Simmering

Allergens

None of the 14 major allergens appear in the listed ingredients.

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

12 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 91 g · recipe makes 8

Where the energy comes from

Protein 13%
Carbohydrate 80%
Fat 7%

Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
Nutrient	Per serving	Per 100 g*
Energy	12 kcal	13 kcal
Protein	0.4 g	0.4 g
Carbohydrate	2.5 g	2.7 g
Net carbohydrate	2.3 g	2.5 g
Sugars	0 g	0 g
Added sugars	0 g	0 g
Fibre	0.2 g	0.2 g
Fat	0.1 g	0.1 g
Saturated fat	0 g	0 g
Trans fat	0 g	0 g
Cholesterol	0 mg	0 mg
Sodium	3 mg	3 mg
Salt equivalent	0 g	0 g

Vitamins & minerals per serving

Potassium: 100 mg
Calcium: 15 mg
Iron: 0.2 mg
Magnesium: 12 mg
Vitamin A (RAE): 0 µg
Vitamin C: 0 mg
Vitamin D: 0 µg
Vitamin B12: 0 µg
Folate (DFE): 0 µg

How these numbers were made

Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
*Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
Optional ingredients are not included: cloves, rose water, dates.
Finely ground coffee: Instant coffee powder used as a stand-in for the soluble part of roasted ground coffee; list the grams actually consumed with consumedGrams.
“—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

Pour only a few sips into each cup; guests shake the cup gently when they have had enough.

Storage

Keeps hot in a thermos for several hours.

Variations

Omani kahwa (Oman): Often darker-roasted, with rose water more prominent.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added 27 Oct 2026 · Updated 8 Nov 2026

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

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Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Dates (optional)8 piece · 192 g

Used in step 3

Less sweet, dairy-free, caffeine-free or for more people — the original stays as it is.

Customise in Sip & Blend

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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