taste
of
arabia
YASMIN AL-MODHWAHI
a
taste
of
arabia
a
contents
preface
breakfast
appetizer
soups
main courses
accompanimants
desserts
drinks
7
9
17
31
37
55
65
75
preface
As-Salamu Alaikum
Rapid globalization is the dominant reason that the world has become smaller in terms
of politics, economy and last but not least culture. One of the benefits of
globaliza-tion is that it has given us the opportunity to explore other cultures through food. The
cuisine and traditions related to food in individual countries have spread all over the
globe. That is to say eating pizza in Brazil, foie gras in China or sushi in Scotland has
become rather normal. The Arabic kitchen is an outstanding gastronomical experience
and just one of many exciting cuisines to explore.
Agriculture, the turbulent history and trading routes in Arabia have all played a huge
part in shaping the Arabic cuisine.
With no more than eight inches of rainfall annually it is impressive that Egypt was one
of the earliest nations in which agriculture was made possible. In ancient Egypt the
people in the Nile Valley discovered that they could exploit the annual river overflow
for their own benefit. Soon crops such as wheat and rice grew with ease. These and
other ingredients such as molokhia have been staple food in Egypt from the days of
the Pharaohs.
Nations and empire that have invaded countries in the Arab world have left footprints
in Arabic gastronomy. These empires include The Roman Empire and the Ottoman
Empire. In modern history nations such as Great Britain and France have invaded
Ara-bic land. To a certain extent these Western countries have contributed or rater refined
Between 1600 and 1800 there was active trading tradition in Oman and Yemen.
Trad-ers from both countries loaded their boats with dates, pomegranates and figs when
they sailed to Zanzibar, countries in East Africa and the Indian Ocean. They returned
with spices including cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and chilli. Till this day these spices
are fundamental in Arabic cooking.
Hospitality and generosity are two of the highest held virtues in the Arabic culture and
are strongly associated with food. As the Old Persian saying and the Arabic proverb
states: “A guest is God’s gift” and “Three things are no disgrace to man, to serve his
guest, to serve his horse, and to serve in his own house.” It does not matter whether
the guest is a neighbor, sibling or a stranger – he or she should be welcomed with
open arms. During a meal the host will encourage the guest to taste all the served
food and to eat more than his or her filling. Arabic hospitality and generosity can seem
overwhelming at first, but once you get familiar with it you feel that it is a gesture that
comes from the heart.
This book is intended for people in non-Arabic speaking countries or for those without
Arabic background, as I would like for people outside the Arab world to be familiar with
and be able to cook authentic Arabic dishes. When I tell my friends that Arabic cuisine
is one of my favorites they usually nod and eagerly talk about an amazing place to eat
shawarma. Though shawarma tastes delicious I think of more than just this dish when
I mention Arabic food. Several recipes in ‘A Taste of Arabia’ are well known including
manakish bil zaatar
makes 12
dough
150 ml milk
125 g butter
25 g fresh yeast
3 eggs, beaten
500 g plain flour
1 tsp. salt
topping
1 tbsp. olive
1 tbsp. dried zaatar
Heat milk and butter in a small pan until lukewarm. Remove from heat and pour the mixture into a big bowl. Add the yeast and blend well. Beat in the eggs and add salt. Sift the flour into the yeast liquid, knead the mixture to a soft dough and leave it to rise in a warm place for 45 minutes.
Divide the dough into 12 pieces and roll each piece out to a thin round circle. Brush each circle with olive oil and sparkle with zaatar.
Put the forn on and when burning hot, place one bread at a time on top of the oven. Leave the bread for a few sec-onds or until the bread can be taken off the forn with ease. Move the bread with a metal spatula into the oven, close the door and leave for few seconds until the topping of the bread sizzles.
If not using a forn, bake the bread in a preheated oven, 230°C, for 5 to 8 minutes or until the topping sizzles and the bread is firm.
lebnah
4 - 6 persons
1 L yoghurt natural
¾ tsp. salt
olive oil
Drain the yoghurt through a piece of cotton in a colander for 24 hours in a cold place. Mix the drained yoghurt with salt.
Serve the lebnah in a deep dish. Make a cavity in the center of the cheese and fill it with olive oil.
Eat with khubz (p. 62).
zaatar
4 - 6 persons
2 dl olive oil
1 dl zatar
Mix oil and zatir.
Eat with khubz (p. 62) by dipping the bread into the zaatar.
4 - 6 persons
4 tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 can of broad beans (450 g)
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 dl parsley, chopped
½ tsp. chili (optional)
3 tsp. cumin
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
olive oil
foul
Heat oil in a deep pan. Add onion and sauté for two minutes. Add the broad beans, inclusive the water from
In Egypt fava beans are used instead of broad beans. The dish originates form
!
Egypt and is considered a naitonal dish of the nation. It is believed that the dish dates back rom the days of the Pharoahs, as fava beans have been found in pharaonic tombs.
falafel
makes 60
500 g chickpeas
2 dl parsley, finely chopped
2 dl coriander, finely chopped
1 dl dill, finely chopped
10 garlic cloves
2 onions
4 tbsp. sesame seeds
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sodium bicarbonate
1 tbsp. cumin
2 tsp. chili powder
cooking oil
garnish
chopped herbs
Soak chickpeas for 24 hours and discard water.
When chopping the herbs do so using a knife. If chopped in a food pro-cesser the juice of the herbs will be extracted.This will make the dough fall apart when frying the falafel. Quarter the onions and put them in a food processer with chickpeas and garlic. Blend until a smooth paste. Mix all the ingredients and leave the dough to rest for 4 hours.
Form the dough into 60 balls at the size of a walnut. Deep fry the falafels in sizzling oil to a brown color. Remove onto absorbent paper.
makes 25
shell
75 g bulgur
350 g minced meat
1 onion, grated
1 tbsp. olive oil
½ tsp. salt
fill
1½ tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
150 g minced meat
35 g pine nuts
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
Rinse bulgur in a sieve and squeeze out any excess moisture. Transfer the bulgur into a bowl. Add meat, onion, oil and salt to the bulgur. Knead to a thick paste.
Divide the shell mixture into 25 balls.
For the filling, heat olive oil and fry the onion till golden. Add the minced meat and cook until evenly browned. Add remaining ingredients and leave it to cook for a few min-utes. Remove the filling from the heat and divide into 25 portions.
Shape each raw meatball like an egg. Hollow the meatball from one end to the other with the index finger. However do not make a hole all the way through. It is important to hollow it so that the wall of the ball is as thin as possible without cracking. Stuff each ball with one portion of the filling. Close the kibbeh and reshape the ends to resemble an American football.
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Place the kibbeh on a tray. Leave space between each one of them. Bake them in the oven for 15 minutes or until evenly brown.
Serve with zabadi bil nana (p. 61).
kibbeh
!
The national dish of Lebanon is kibbeh. There are several versions of the dish including
kib-beh nayye, raw kibkib-beh similar to pat
é, kibbeh bil-sanieh, kibbeh on tray that is layered and
baked, and kibbeh krass, fried kibbeh that has a shell and fill consisting of minced meat and
bulgur. These kibbeh are alternative kibbeh krass, as they are baked rather than fried.
tabouleh
4 - 6 persons
½ dl bulgur
2½ dl cucumber, finely
chopped
3½ dl tomatoes, finely
chopped
1 dl spring onion, finely
chopped
2 dl parsley, finely
chopped
1 dl mint, finely chopped
dressing
1 dl olive oil
1 dl limejuice
1 garlic clove
Soak the bulgur in water for 2 to 3 hours and drain.
Chop vegetables and herbs with a knife. Mix all the ingredients for the dressing. Just before serving mix all the ingredients for the salad. Pour the entire dressing in
4 - 6 persons
3 eggplants
5 garlic cloves
2 dl tahina
1 tbsp. paprika powder
1 tbsp. cumin
2 tbsp. vinegar
Juice of 3 limes
2 tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
garnish
olives
chopped herbs
The Sultan’s harem of the Ottoman Empire in the 16th and 17th century refers to an enclosed quarter of women. The quarter included the Sultan’s mother, wives, concubines and daughters. The Valide Sul-tan, the Sultan’s mother, and the hasekiks, the Sultan’s favorite, were highest in the harem hierarchy and they had great political influence. The women of the harem competed with one another to become hasekiks by for instance impressing the Sultan with new exciting dishes. According to the legend that is
baba ganoush
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Prick eggplants with a fork and roast them on a rack for 45 minutes or until the skin wrinkles.Remove the eggplants from oven and leave to cool for a while.
Half the eggplants and scoop out the flesh. Blend the flesh and garlic till a smooth paste. Add the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly.
Garnish with chopped herbs and olives and eat the baba ganoush with khubz (p. 62)
fatoush
4 - 6 persons
1 dl mint, finely chopped
1 dl parsley, finely chopped
8 romaine leaves, chopped
2 tomatoes, diced
2 small cucumbers, diced
2 spring onions, finely
chopped
1 big loaf Arabic bread
dressing
½ dl olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
2 tsp. sumak
½ tsp. salt
Roast Arabic bread in a 200°C preheated oven until the bread is golden and crisp. Break the bread into small pieces of 1-2 cm squares
When chopping herbs and vegetables do so using a knife. Mix all the ingredients for the dressing.
Just before serving mix all the ingredients for the salad. Pour the entire dressing in the salad and toss well.
warak einab
makes 120
400 g rice
500 g minced beef
6 big tomatoes, finely chopped
3 medium-sized onions, finely chopped
4 tbs. lemon juice
1 tsp. salt
5 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. black pepper
5 tsp. bokharat
2 big bunches parsley
2 big bunches mint
5 tbs. olive oil
1 pack/glass wine leaves
stock
1 can peeled tomatoes
3 tbs. tomato paste
2 beef stock cubes
Remove parsley and mint leaves from the stalk. Rinse thoroughly and chop finely. Mix all ingredients except wine leaves in a big bowl.
Place wine leaves in a pot and cover them with water. Boil them for 5 minutes.
Place one wine leaf on a work surface at a time with the shiny sight down. Cut off the stalk. Spoon some of the mixture on the stalk end of the leaf. Do not spoon too much of the filling as the wine leaf will cut when cooking. Before placing it on the leaf, make sure to squeeze the juice of the mixture into another dish.
First fold the stalk end of the leaf over the mixture, then the sides. Finally roll the wine leaf tightly towards the tip.
Blend the peeled tomatoes in a bowl. Add tomato paste and stock cubes.
Put the rolls in a pot. They must be packed closely. The juice from the filling is poured over the wine leaves. Afterwards the stock is added until the wine leaves are completely covered with liquid. Cover with a lid and boil on low fire for 2½ hours. If there is any stock left add it to the wine leaves dur-ing the cookdur-ing time. If no stock is left add water.
Eat the wine leaves warm or cold and serve with zabadi bil nana (p. 61).
YASMIN’S WORD: If there is space for a dish, place it over the wine leaves
before the lid is put on. This is in order to prevent the wine leaves from ex-panding too much and thereby becoming too soft.
kousa mahshy
Makes 60
400 g rice
500 g minced beef
6 big tomatoes, finely
chopped
3 medium-sized onions,
finely chopped
1 tsp. salt
5 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. black pepper
5 tsp. bokharat
2 big bunches parsley
2 big bunches mint
2 big bunches diill
5 tbs. olive oil
60 small zucchinis
1 green pepper
stock
1 can peeled tomatoes
3 tbs. tomato paste
2 beef stock cubes
Remove dill, parsley and mint leaves from the stalk. Rinse thoroughly and chop finely. Mix all ingredients except zucchinis and green pepper in a big bowl.
Cut off stem end of the zucchinis and green pepper. Remove the inside of the pepper and hollow the zucchinis using a corer. The wall of the hollow zucchini should be no more than 2 to 3 millimeters and the rounded end of it should be kept intact.
Stuff the zucchinis and the green pepper with the mixture. Leave about 1 cm without filling so that the vegetables won’t crack when cooking.
Blend the peeled tomatoes in a bowl. Add tomato paste and stock cubes.
Place the green pepper in the centre of a pot and encircle it by standing zucchinis as shown in the picture to the bellow. Cover the vegetables with the stock and leave to boil on low fire for 1 hour or till tender.
hummus
4 - 6 persons
1 can chickpea purée (430 g)
½ dl tahina
1 dl yoghurt
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp. red chili
2 tbsp. vinegar
Juice of 2 limes
1 dl chopped parsley (optional)
garnish
Chopped parsley
1 can chickpeas
asabi gullash bil gibna
makes 50
125 g halloumi cheese
1 dl parsley, chopped
1 dl mint, chopped
240 g mozzarella cheese
250 g domyati
2 eggs
1 pack spring roll dough (50 sheets)
cooking oil
Grate the halloumi cheese into a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well to mix. Divide the cheese mixture into 50 balls.
shorbed ads
4 - 6 persons
1 middle-sized onion
4 tbsp. oil
1 middle-sized onion, diced
½ zucchini, diced
1 big tomato, diced
2 carrots, diced
½ kg split lentils
3 chicken stock cubes
1½ L water
2 tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper
2 tbsp. cumin
2 limes
Cut one onion into thin slices. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion until golden brown. Remove onion from oil, but keep oil aside.
Put the diced vegetables in a pot together with the remaining ingredients. This does not include the two limes. Leave to boil for 20 minutes. Before blending the soup add the oil from the fried onion.
Just before serving garnish with fried onions and add juice from lime according to taste.
4 - 6 persons
1 chicken c. 2 kg
1½ L water
20 cardamom seeds
30 g cinnamon stick
2 stock cubes
2 tsp. salt
3 onions
1 tbsp. butter
1 dl milk
5 tbsp. flour
4 mestika
1 tbsp. butter
160 g pasta (star)
shorbed el-crema
Clean chicken. Boil in water with cardamom seeds, cinnamon stick, stock cubes, salt and onions. Leave on low fire for 45 minutes. Remove chicken and sieve the stock.
Melt one tablespoon butter over low fire in a pot. When melted add flour and stir. Gradu-ally stir in the stock and milk. Crush the mestika between two spoons and put it in the soup when boiling. Leave it to boil on low fire.
Meanwhile melt one tablespoon butter in a pan. Fry the pasta until golden. Remove pasta from the pan and add to boiling soup. Leave it to boil till pasta is cooked.
Before serving, skim the soup.
YASMIN’S WORDS: When I was younger I knew this soup as the ‘star-soup’, because star
shaped pasta was used. Actually any type of small pasta can be used. Keep in mind that I drank litres of this soup already in a young age. The question is who is to thank? The lovely flavours of the soup or those stars?
4 - 6 persons
2 dl chickpeas
1 dl brown lentils
1 tbsp. oil
1 large onion, diced
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1 tsp. ground ginger
10 g cinnamon stick
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
pinch saffron
2 tsp. paprika
1½ L water
3 stock cubes
5 big tomatoes, diced
3 tbsp. tomato paste
120 g vermicelli
harira
Soak chickpeas in water for 48 hours. Discard water and skin the chickpeas. Soak lentils for half an hour. Remove any impurities.
Heat the oil in a pot. Fry the onion and celery for 5 minutes or till golden brown. Add spices, water, stock cubes, tomatoes, tomato paste and chickpeas. Leave to simmer for half an hour. Stir in lentils and simmer for thirty more minutes or until lentils and chickpeas are easily chewable. Add vermicelli and leave the soup to simmer 5 more minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. If soup is too thick dilute with water.
Just before serving stir in chopped herbs.
Harira is a Moroccan soup, but it is well known throughout the Arab countries. The soup is nourishing, rich and full of flavor and is thus very popular especially during the fasting month, Ramadan.
4 - 6 persons
500 g pasta (penne rigate)
meat
25 g butter
500 g minced meat
1 can of peeled tomatoes
4 garlic cloves
2 tbsp. tomato paste
½ dl water
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
béchamel sauce
40 g butter
8 tbsp. flour
½ L milk
½ tsp. salt
tomato sauce
1½ tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 tbsp. tomato paste
2 dl water
1 stock cube
3 tbsp. breadcrumbs
25 g butter
makaroni bil forn
Boil pasta according to packet directions.
Melt butter in a pan. Fry the minced meat until brown and crunchy. Blend the peeled tomatoes and garlic cloves. Pour half the amount over the meat. Set the other half aside. Stir in tomato paste, water and add salt and pepper to the meat. Leave to simmer until all liquid is evaporated.
Heat butter over low fire. Add the flour and stir until a smooth paste. Pour the milk gradually while stirring. When the sauce has come a boil, reduce to low fire and leave to simmer for 10 minutes. Add salt.
Grease a 20x30 cm roasting tray with butter. Coat the entire tray with breadcrumbs. The dish will consist of four layers: Half of the pasta in the bottom, the meat sauce, the other half of the pasta and finally the béchamel sauce. Cover the béchamel sauce with a thin layer of bread-crumbs. Cut butter into small cubes and place them on top of the dish. Bake in preheated oven, 200°C fan, for 30 minutes or till the top layer is crusty and golden.
Meanwhile heat oil in a pot. Brown chopped vegeta-bles. Pour in the remaining tomato and garlic sauce as well as the tomato paste, water and stock cube. Simmer for 10 minutes. Blend the mixture to a smooth sauce.
4 - 6 persons
meat
1½ tbsp. butter
500 g minced meat
1 tsp. salt
3 tsp. cinnamon
rice
400 g rice
1 tbsp. olive oil
1½ tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
6½ dl water
3 carrots, diced
150 g peas
nuts
100 g almonds, shelled
roz il-basilla wa lahma mafrouma
Heat the butter in a pan. Add the meat when the butter starts to sizzle. Fry until brown and crispy. Sprinkle with salt and cinnamon and mix well.
Melt olive oil in a pot. Rinse rice through a sieve. Make sure that all excess water is removed before adding the rice in the hot oil. Stir until rice is dry. The latter takes about 4 minutes. Pour in water and add cinnamon, salt and vegetables. When the water boils, cover the rice with a lid and put the pot on low fire. The rice is cooked when all water is evaporated. Mix the rice and vegetables gently when cooked.
Heat the olive oil in a small pan. Halve the almonds and fry. Stir continuously other-wise the almonds will burn. Add the pine nuts as soon as the almonds change color. Stir until almonds and pine nuts are golden. Transfer to an absorbent paper.
4 - 6 persons
1¼ kg lamb shoulder
35 g butter
1 garlic, sliced
3 onions, sliced
900 g haricot beans
2 cans peeled tomatoes
2 tbsp. cinnamon
½ tbsp. salt
½ tbsp. pepper
2 stock cubes
2 tbsp. tomato paste
cinnamon
salt
pepper
fasoulia
Ask the butcher to cut the lamb shoulder into 5x5 cm cubes.
In a big pot melt the butter. Add the meat, garlic, onions and haricot beans. Cover with a lid and leave on medium-high fire until all the liquid from the ingredients evapo-rates. Stir in the cinnamon. Blend the peeled tomatoes and add them and the remaining ingredients to the pot. Leaver to simmer for about an hour or until meat is tender. Add cinnamon, salt and pepper to taste.
4 - 6 persons
marinade
Juice from 2 lemons
½ dl olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp. cumin
2 tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
fish
1200 g halibut
wheat flour
samak
makli
fatta
4 - 6 persons
meat
1.2 kg lamb neck
700 ml water
2 onions
20 cardamon grains
30 cloves
1 tsp salt
rice
350 g rice
1½ tbsp. butter
6 dl water
1 tsp. salt
sauce
15 g butter
1 garlic, peeled
3 tbsp tomato purée
6 tbsp water
2 tbsp vinegar
bread
1.5 arabic bread
25 g butter
1 tsp. cloves, grounded
Ask the butcher to cut the lamb neck into 1½ cm slices. Boil 700 ml water in a pot. Add meat, onions, spices and salt. Simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until meat is tender. Remove meat from broth and grill in oven until brown. Sieve out remaining ingredients and keep the broth for later use.
While the meat is boiling, cook the rice. Melt butter in a pot. Rinse rice through a colander. Make sure that all excess water is removed before adding the rice in the hot butter. Stir until rice is dry. The latter takes about 4 minutes. Pour in water and add salt. When the water is boiling, cover the rice with a lid and put the pot on low fire. The rice is cooked when all water is evaporated.
Melt butter in a pan. When the butter is warm crush the garlic into it. Fry for a couple of minutes or till golden, stir once in a while. Stir in tomato purée, water and vinegar. Bring to a boil and keep aside till later use.
Cut bread into small pieces approximately 2x2 cm squares. Spread evenly in an ovenproof dish and place knobs of butter on top of the bread. Sprinkle with cloves. Toast the bread in a hot oven. Keep an eye on it as the bread can burn all of a sudden.
Immediately after the bread has been taken out of the oven, pour 1½ dl of the broth over the brad. Spoon the rice on top of the bread and pour the tomato vinaigrette so that the rice is completely covered. Top the dish with the grilled lamp neck.
couscous
4 - 6 persons
meat and vegetables
800 g chicken dru m sticks
6 carrots
500 g pumpkin
350 g rutabaga
35 g butter
2 onions, chopped
3 tbsp. ras-el hanout
2 tsp. paprika
½ tsp. saffron threads
water
1 tbsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
1 bunch parsley
2 bunches coriander
couscous
7 dl water
2 tsp. salt
½ kg couscous
6 tbsp. olive oil
sugar sauce
35 g butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 dl black raisins
2 tbsp. sugar
2 dl water
1 can chickpeas, drained
Remove the skin of the chicken.
Cut the carrots, pumpkin and rutabaga in 5 cm long stalks.
Melt the butter on high fire in a big pot. Fry onion until it is soft. Blend in ras-el hanout, paprika and saffron threads. Leave for a minute. Add chicken legs, salt, pepper and pour water until the legs are covered. When boiling, reduce to low fire and leave to simmer for 20 minutes. Move pot back to high fire and add the vegetables. If necessary add water until everything is covered. Bring to a boil. Reduce to low fire and simmer for 15 minutes. Add chopped herbs.
For the couscous boil water and salt. Add cous-cous and simmer until water is absorbed. Toss the olive oil evenly.
In a small pot melt butter with onion. Stir in rai-sins, sugar and water, when onion is soft. Leave to simmer for 10 minutes.
Place the couscous on a serving dish and form it into a mountain. Well the center and spoon sugar sauce in here. Remove chicken and vegetables from broth. Surround the couscous with the chicken and vegetables. Garnish the dish with chickpeas and
lahma bil
forn
4 - 6 persons
meat
1 tsp. salt
1½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. pepper
4 lamb shanks
vegetables
30 g butter
2 big onions
6 big tomatoes
3 green peppers
Mix salt, cinnamon and pepper. Rub lamp shanks with the mixture. Place the lamp shanks in a roasting tray and put the dish in a 230° preheated oven for 30 minutes or till golden brown.
Cut onions and tomatoes into thin boats, while the green pepper is cut into thin slices from the top to the bottom. On the stove melt the butter in another roasting tray. Brown onion and green pepper. Add tomatoes and cook for five minutes. Place lamp shanks on top of vegetables and cover tray with silver paper. Leave on stove to simmer for approximately 2½ hours or until meat is tender. Add salt and pepper to taste. Keep in mind that all of the liquid might evaporate. If so, add water during the cooking time.
bamia
4 - 6 persons
okra
1 tsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, coarsely
chopped
400 g okra
1 chili, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
meat sauce
25 g butter
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 onion, chopped
500 g minced meat
4 tomatoes, grinded
2 tbsp. tomato paste
¼ tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. bokharat
1 dl water
1 tomato, sliced
Heat olive oil in a frying pan. Fry onion and garlic until golden. Add okra and chili and leave to fry until the okra turns into a brighter green. Pour limejuice and add salt and pepper to the pan. Put off the fire.
In another frying pan melt butter and fry onion and garlic till golden. Add meat and fry until brown and crispy. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 5 minutes.
koushari
4 - 6 persons
koushari
2 dl brown lentils
4 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. salt
6 dl water
3 dl rice
fried onion
3 onions
10 tbsp. oil
tomato sauce
1½ tbsp. olive oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 onion, diced
1 can peeled tomatoes (400 g)
2 tbsp. tomato paste
¼ tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
2 dl water
1 stock cube
250 g pasta (1 cm penna rigata)
Rinse the lentils in water the night before and spread them on a tea towel to dry. Remove any impurities.
Cut the onions into thin slices. Fry them to a rich brown color. Be aware that the color change from brown to black can occur rapidly. Remove to an absorbent paper. Keep the oil for later use.
Boil water with salt, cumin and oil from the onion. Add lentils and leave to boil for half an hour. Add rinsed rice. Do not stir the ingredients. Simmer until all water is absorbed.
Heat the olive oil in a pot and fry garlic and onion till golden. Blend peeled tomatoes and add it and the remaining ingredients to the pot. Simmer for 10 minutes.
Cook pasta according to direction on pack.
To serve stir the rice and lentils gently. Place on dish and spoon pasta on top. Spread tomato sauce and sprinkle with fried onion. Serve with dakos (p. 60)
molokhia
4 - 6 persons
chicken
1 chicken (1.2 kg)
1 onion
2 stock cubes
½ tbsp. salt
25 cardamom seeds
25 g stick of cinnamon
1 L cold water
taqliya
20 g butter
15 garlic cloves, crushed
4 tbsp. ground coriander
molokia
Clean chicken. Boil in water with cardamom seeds, cinnamon stick, stock cubes, salt and onions. Leave on low fire for 45 minutes. Remove chicken and sieve the broth. Keep the broth for the molokia. Roast chicken in a 200°C preheated oven until the skin is crunchy and golden.
Melt butter in a pan. Sauté garlic and add ground coriander. Fry the taqliya for a cou-ple of minutes.
Boil broth. Add frozen molokia and leave to simmer until the molokia is defrosted. Toss in the taqliya and leave to simmer for 3-5 minutes. Pour the molokia into a bowl.
Chop the red onion finely and mix with vinegar. The vinegar sauce can be used as topping over the molokia.
Serve the molokia as a sauce to roz bil mikassarat (p. 56).
roz bil mikassarat
4 - 6 persons
nuts
1 tbsp. oil
75 g almonds, peeled
50 g pine nuts
rice
1½ tbsp. oil
400 g rice (basmati)
6 dl water
1 tsp. salt
Heat the olive oil in a small pan. Halve the almonds and fry. Stir continuously other-wise the almonds will burn. Add the pine nuts as soon as the almonds change color. Stir until almonds and pine nuts are golden. Transfer to an absorbent paper.
Heat oil in a pot and add vermicelli. Stir till golden brown. Rinse and sieve the rice before adding to vermicelli. Stir for 4 minutes or till the rice is dry. Pour in water and add salt. Let the rice boil.
Move to low fire, cover with a lid and leave to simmer until water is absorbed. Serve with molokhia (p. 53).
roz ahmar
4 - 6 persons
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp. oil
400 g rice
6 dl water
15 cardamom seeds
½ tbsp. salt
Rinse and sieve the rice in a colander.
Heat oil in a pot. Sauté onion. Add rice to onion and stir for 4 minutes or till the rice is dry. Pour in water and add remaining ingredients. Let the rice boil.
Move to low fire, cover with a lid and leave to simmer until water is absorbed. Remove cardamom seeds before serving.
roz bil
shariya
4 - 6 persons
2 tbsp. olive oil
100 g pasta (vermicelli)
400 g rice
7½ dl water
1½ tsp. salt
Heat oil in a pot and add vermicelli. Stir till pasta is golden brown.
Rinse and sieve the rice before adding to vermicelli. Stir for 4 minutes or till the rice is dry. Pour in water and add salt. Let the rice boil.
dakos
4 - 6 persons
3 medium-sized tomatoes
1 red chili
1 tsp. vinegar
½ tsp. salt
Quarter the tomatoes and cut the chili into 4 pieces. Blend the vegetables, vinegar and salt to a sauce.
Serve with koushari (p. 50) or add to harira (p. 35) for a more hot flavour.
4 - 6 persons
zabadi bil nana
zabadi bil khiyar
4 - 6 persons
½ cucumber
½ L yoghurt
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp. cumin
Half the cucumber and cut it into cubes. Mix all in-gredients gently in a bowl.
khubz
makes 14
24 g yeast
7 dl water, lukewarm
2 tsp. sugar
3 tsp. salt
18½ dl wheat flour
Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water and mix in sugar. Leave for 10 minutes. Add salt. Blend in flour gradually and knead the dough for 10 minutes. Let the dough rise 3 hours or overnight.
Knead the dough. Divide into 7 rolls and leave to rise for 15 minutes.
Roll out the rolls to ½ cm thick circles on a lightly floured surface. Cover the breads with a dry tea towel and leave to rise for a further 10 minutes.
Preheat pizza stone on the lowest rack in a 230°C oven. Place one of the breads on the pizza stone and bake till bread can be removed from the stone with ease. The latter takes about 4 minutes. Cool on a rack. Repeat until all breads are baked.
If not using a pizza stone cover a baking tray with baking paper. Place the breads on top of the paper and bake on the lowest rack in a 230°C preheated oven.
roz bi laban
4 - 6 persons
½ dl water
1 dl pudding rice
6 dl milk
1 dl sugar
2 tsp. mestika
1 tsp. blossom water
1 dl pistachio nuts, chopped
Boil water in a pot. Stir in rice until water is absorbed. Pour in milk. Cover the pot with a lid and boil rice on the lowest fire for 35 minutes.
Crush the mestika between two spoons and blend in to rice with sugar and blossom water.
Spoon the rice pudding into four serving dishes or glass and eave to cool.
Sprinkle with chopped pistachio nuts. Serve cold.
6 - 8 persons
3 sheets buff pastry
9 dl milk
2 dl cream
75 g pistachio nuts, shelled
75 g almonds, coarsely
chopped
6 - 8 persons
75 g hazelnuts, coarsely
chopped
75 g raisins
150 g sugar
2 cans puck crème (340 g)
om ali
Separate the middle layer from the top and bottom. Keep the golden top and bottom layer aside and bake the mid-dle layer until it has the same color as the top and bottom.
Mix the milk, cream nuts, almonds, raisins and sugar in a bowl. Cover a baking tray with baking paper. Place the buff pas-try on the tray and bake in a preheated oven, 200°C. When pastry is golden remove from oven.
baklawa
makes 20 - 25
160 g shelled pistachio nuts
240 g filllo dough
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. rose water
2 dl oil
2 portions cold syrup (p. 70)
Chop pistachio nuts. Do not grind them. Mix with sugar and rosewater. Use a 15x15 cm ovenproof dish. Brush base and sides with oil.
Cut the dough into sheets that have the same size as the dish. Place one sheet in the dish and brush with oil. Cover with another sheet and brush with oil. Continue to do so until half of the fillo dough is used. Spread the pistachio and sugar mixture on top of the dough. Place a fillo sheet on top of the mixture, brush with oil and cover with another sheet, which surface is brushed as well. Continue the procedure with the rest of the fillo dough. Use a sharp knife to cut about 20 diamonds shaped baklawas. The baklawas must be cut all the way through to the bottom of the dish. The easiest way to make perfect diamond shaped pastry is to cut the baklawa into 5 verticle lines and 4 or 5 diagonal lines.
Bake in 180°C preheated oven for 20 minutes or until the baklawa’s are crispy and golden brown. Take the sweets out of the oven and pour syrup over them.
sharbat
1 portion syrup
2 dl sugar
1 dl water
2 tsp. lemon juice
Mix water and sugar in a pot. Bring to a boil and then leave to simmer for 3-5 minutes. Blend in lemon juice and simmer for another 5 minutes.
Let the syrup cool.
YASMIN’S WORD: For a sweeter taste, add 1 teaspoon of blossom
koushaf
4 - 6 persons
½ pack amar el-din
4 dried dates
4 dried apricots
4 dried prunes
8 small dried figs
½ dl raisins
1 dl blanched half almonds
½ dl pine nuts
Cut amar el-deen into small pieces and place in a pot. Pour water in to pot and leave to simmer.
Quarter the dried fruits and add them to the water, when the amar el-deen is dis-solved. Halve the almonds and stir in the remaining ingredients. Let the sweet simmer for 20 minutes.
Pour into serving glasses and place them in the refrigerator to cool. Serve cold.
ataif
makes 10
batter
12 g yeast
3 dl water, lukewarm
1 tsp. sugar
4 dl water
cooking oil
filling
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. icing sugar
120 g walnuts, chopped
garnish
pistachio nuts, finely chopped
Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water and set aside for 5 minutes. Stir in sugar and floor until there are no more lumps. Cover with a damp tea towel and let the batter rise for 2 hours.
Meanwhile prepare the filling. Mix all ingredients for the fill. The walnuts should not be grinded.
Lightly oil a thick-bottomed pan. When burning hot reduce to low fire. Pour ½ or ¾ dl of batter into the pan and spread to a circle 10 cm in diameter. Fry pancake until surface is relative dry. Remove the pancake to a rack and repeat the process with the rest of the batter.
Place filling in the center of the uncooked side of the pancake. Take care not to stuff the pancake so much that it will break when being fried. Usually 2 teaspoons of filling should do. A rule of thumb is if the pancake is not sealed with ease there is too much filling. Fold the pancake so it looks like a half moon. Pinch the edges tightly to prevent ataif from opening.
Deep fry ataif and turn occasionally. When they are golden in color they are done. Dip them in cold syrup (p. 70) and arrange on a plate. Pour remaining syrup on top of all the ataifs. Sprinkle with finely chopped pistachio.
Serve warm or cold. However the ataifs are best when they are crispy. Thus eat them within a few hours after being cooked and dipped in syrup.
YASMIN’S WORD: A more calorie friendly method of cooking the ataifs is to bake them in the oven. Brush ataifs with oil and place them next to each other in a greased baking tray. Bake in a preheated oven, 200ºC, till they are golden and crispy, about 20 minutes. After filling the ataifs they can also be frozen.
karkadé
makes 2 liters
160 g hibiscus petals
1 L water
400 g sugar
35 g dried tamarind
Rinse hibiscus petals through a colander.
Pour water in a big pot and add petals as well as tamarinds. Bring to a boil and leave to simmer for 20 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve and dissolve sugar in juice while still hot. Dilute until the juice makes two litters. Serve ice cold.
On warm days this bright-red drink is served cold and fresh on open cafés and vendors all over Egypt. Actually the entire plant, except the roots, is eatable and used in cooking. In addition to cold drinks the hibiscus petals are used in food coloring, jellies and tea. Hibiscus tea is said to be one of the best types of tea, as it lowers blood pressure, is caffeine free and is rich in C vitamin.
asiir lamoon
makes 1¼ L
8 limes
2 dl sugar
11½ dl water, ice cold
1 bunch mint (optional)
Cut the unpeeled limes into cubes.
Blend sugar and water till sugar is dissolved. Add lemon. If using mint, add mint leaves to the blender with the limes. Let the blender run on highest setting for 4 minutes or until water is green.
makes 1 L
1 L water, boiled
black tea
10 branches mint, fresh
sugar (optional)
shai bil nana
Place mint in a pot and pour boiling water over. When the water turns green, remove leaves from pot. Add tea ac-cording to taste. Let the tea draw acac-cording to taste.
Pour into teacups. If using loose tea sieve the tea before serving. Add sugar for a sweeter taste.
ahwe
makes 2 cups
2 brown sugar cubes
2 cardamom seeds
1½ tbsp. Arabic coffee
1½ dl water
Add all ingredients to a kanaka (coffee pot). Bring to a boil.
As soon as the coffee rises, remove from heat. Let the coffee settle. Return kanaka to heat, bring to a boil, remove when coffee rises and let it settle. Repeat one more time.
Serve in Arabic coffee cups or in Espresso cups.
There are several legends suggesting the invention of coffee as a beverage. According to one legend it was the Abyssinian goatherd Kaldi who discovered coffee in 850 AD. As the sun went down Kalid was exhausted from looking after his flock of goats. In contrast the goats were full of energy. Kalid noticed that they had been eating some red berries. Kaldi collected the berries and reported his findings to the local monastery. The beans were put in water and the beverage drunk by the monks. The drink was regarded as a miracle as it kept the monks awake for their evening prayers. A similar myth describes how a Yemeni man, Sheikh ash-Shadhili, discovered the coffee beans on a journey to Ethiopia. It is said that he exported the beans from Ethiopia to Yemen.
