5 ways to become a top chef at home: The most creative cooking kits available for delivery in the UAE

Here are some fuss-free cooking solutions for those wanting to make restaurant-quality meals without leaving the house

Gia Dubai's Amalfi Coast kit contains all the ingredients needed to make pizza at home. Courtesy Gia Dubai

No matter how much we’ve loved getting our hands messy in the kitchen these past few months, all the weighing out can get tiring. But instead of just wishing ingredients would magically appear on the doorstep, prepped and packaged, the dream is now a reality.

Over the past few months, a number of UAE restaurants have released cooking kits that do all the heavy lifting for you. Here’s a look at some ingenious boxes that will help you whip up a gourmet meal … without needing to step foot out the door.

1. Roberto’s at Home

Home-grown Italian restaurant Roberto’s is giving Dubai residents a taste of la dolce vita with its At Home experience, with 22 dishes available for delivery.

To ensure the food is as fresh as can be, it is pre-cooked and vacuum packed, with customers required to execute the final touches at home – a process that should take approximately 10 minutes. Once the order is placed, customers will received a QR code with a tutorial video from the chef talking them through those last steps.

The At Home box will also contain a recipe card detailing the final touches, and instructions on how to recreate the meal from scratch should they wish to ever make it again.

Some dishes available as part of the experience include Bomba Roberto's pizza and fettuccine Roberto's with Canadian lobster.

The meal, which comes within a marble-patterned box, includes focaccia bread, artisanal oil and balsamic vinegar. Customers will also receive a QR code so they can access Roberto’s Spotify playlist, compiled by one of the restaurant's resident DJs, and turn dinner at home into a fine-dining experience.

Delivery is available throughout Dubai, within one hour of placing the order. Prices start at Dh255 for a three-course meal, including a starter, pizza or pasta and dessert. For details, call 050 514 355.

2. Gia Dubai's Summer in Italy experience

Gia launched its Summer in Italy experience to help customers "bring Italy home". It has two packages, including the Amalfi Coast pizza kit, which allows diners to choose between two flavours – the meaty diavola and veggie pizza primavera. The second is the Roman Holiday pasta kit, which gives customers the chance to make either the penne al ragu di pollo e funghi, with chicken and mushroom, or the casarecce pesto.

In both cases, all the ingredients – from the pizza dough to the toppings and garnishes – are included within the kit, measured out and accompanied by recipe cards.

Both kits serve two. The Amalfi Coast Pizza Kit is Dh79 and the Roman Holiday Pasta Kit is Dh139. Delivery is made across the UAE and orders can be placed by calling 056 699 6544.

3. Folly by Nick and Scott’s recipe boxes

Those missing the taste of Nick Alvis and Scott Price’s dishes can simply order their recipe boxes and recreate the magic at home. The chefs behind Folly by Nick and Scott have created weekly recipe boxes with a new dish available for delivery every Thursday.

Each box comes with pre-weighed ingredients, a step-by-step recipe card and a QR code which links through to ‘how-to’ videos, with novice chefs advised to watch this before cooking the meal. Recipes coming up soon include roasted ribeye of beef with red cabbage and wholegrain mustard slaw, and paprika-marinated salmon with summer salad and sour cream.

Customers can post pictures of their efforts on Instagram, tagging @follydubai and @nickandscott for a chance to win the following week's recipe box for free.

The box is Dh100, serves two, and can be delivered to Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Orders need to be placed by 12pm on Tuesday for Thursday delivery. For more information, WhatsApp [phone].

4. Go! Cook

Chances are you’ve heard about Cloud Restaurants, the home-grown concept that only does deliveries through Deliveroo, with branches including Go! Pasta, Go! Greek and Go! Healthy.

Now, the platform has added Go! Cook to the roster. Available exclusively through Deliveroo, customers can have measured ingredients delivered to their doorsteps so they can make restaurant-quality dishes in under 15 minutes. On the menu are pastas, sauces, marinated chicken and frozen starters. Ingredients are accompanied by nutritional labels and instructions so you know exactly what you’re putting into your body.

Delivery can be made throughout Dubai. A meal for two costs roughly Dh50.

5. Rise and Dawn's sourdough starter

Baking bread has been a popular pastime for many who've been staying at home – but anyone who has given it a go knows that creating that perfect sourdough is no mean feat. Rise and Dawn, the bakery created by the team behind Tom & Serg, know this, which is why they have launched a Sourdough Kit, with every box containing what you need to make two 720-gram loaves.

Rise and Dawn’s sourdough starter is available for next day delivery for orders placed before 5pm, with a pick-up option available from The Sum of Us (orders must be placed before 5pm for the pick-up the following day).

The sourdough kit is Dh85. For details, call 056 445 7526.