Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Ramadhan started a week ago. A combination of homesickness, hunger and longing for my mothers cooking prompted me to start this blog. Here you'll find recipes that my mother taught me throughout my years in college as well as recipes I've gathered from elsewhere. A lot of the recipes are Bahraini because that's where I'm from but you'll also find recipes from Il-Sham (Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, and Jordan), Egypt, Iraq, Iran and the rest of the Middle East. I've never written recipes before and I generally cook by taste, so if the instructions are too vague or you feel that the quantities arn't right, please let me know! Also, I'd love to post any recipes you have, so email me if your willing to share!
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TABOULEH
(PARSLEY SALAD)
Serves: 6-8
3/4 cup fine burghul (cracked wheat)
cold water
5 cups finely chopped parsley
1/2 cup finely chopped spring onions
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint
3 large firm ripe tomatoes, chopped finely
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tsp. salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Crisp romaine lettuce leaves, washed
Place burgul in a bowl and cover with cold water. Leave to soak for 20 minutes.
Drain through a fine sieve. Pressing with the back of a spoon to remove as much of the excess water as possible. Place in a bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Put chopped green onions with dried burgul in a bowl. Squeeze mixture with hand so burgul absorbs onion flavor.
Add parsley and mint to the burgul. Gently stir in tomatoes.
Cover and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Just before serving, mix olive oil with lemon juice. Stir in salt and pepper. Add to salad and toss well.
Serve in a deep serving dish and garnish with lettuce leaves.
Yumm O!
Fedai
This isn't quiet for Ramadan,but you can serve it as a side dish.
Mu'jadara
(Lentil and rice)
Serves: 6
Cooking time: 1 hour
1/4 cup olive oil
2 large onions, halved, and sliced thinly
1 cup brown lentils, washed and drained thoroughly
1 1/2 cups long grain rice, washed and drained thoroughly
Water
1 teas. Ground allspice
1 teas. Ground coriander
1 teas. each Salt and pepper
Heat oil in pan, add onions and fry until golden brown. Remove half the onions to a plate covered with absorbent paper to drain and become crisp.
Wash Rice several times. Cover with cold water, set aside for 30 minutes. Drain well
Meanwhile, put lentils in a pan cover with 2 1/2 cups of water. Simmer; uncovered for 25 minutes or just until tender.
Add rice, spices, salt, pepper, and the remaining onions. Bring to a boil. Lower temperature, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
Garnish with crisp brown onions.
Serve hot or cold with yogurt or a salad.
Yumm O!
Fedai
Here is The fastest/easiest way to make Atayef batter:
Atayef
(Stuffed Pancakes)
3 cups warm milk
2 cups smead
3 tbsp. flour
1 1/4 tsp. each: baking soda, baking powder, mahleb
1 pack instant yeast
combine all ingredients in a blender, liquid first.
Blend 5 minutes.
Choose from these Filling options:
2 cups chopped walnuts
3 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
Mix all well in a bowl
Or
1lb. Ricotta Cheese
Or
ustah:
small container half/half
3-4 tbsp. corn starch (dissolved in water)
1 qt. heavy whipping cream (small milk carton)
2-3 tbsp. sugar
put half & half,sugar,whipping cream in a pot bring to boil. Add slowly dissolved cornstarch stirring well. Put in refrigerator to thicken.
Or
1 lb. unsalted lebanese white cheese, grated
Atter (syrup):
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. orange blossom water
Start by making Atter since it needs to be cold.
Dissolve sugar in water, stirring over medium high heat until dissolved. Bring to a boil. Add lemon juice and lower heat. Simmer 10-15 minutes.Just before moving from heat add orange blossom water. Let cool.
Heat a griddle or small nonstick frying pan over medium heat and lightly grease with butter. Pour 1/2 ladle of batter into the pan and tilt immediately to allow it to spread. Make sure it remains round and thick.
Cook about 1 minute or until all bubbles forming on pancake disappear and underside is golden brown. Fry one side of pancake only. The other side must remain uncooked and moist, so that its edges can be stuck together.
Lift out and pile on plate ready for stuffing.
put a heaping tablespoon of stuffing in middle of pancake, on uncooked side. Fold pancakes in half over filling to make half-moon shape, and pinch edges to secure.
Deep fry, until golden brown,turning them over once. Drain well on paper towels. While still hot dip in cold Atter syrup. Serve hot or cold.
Sahtayn!
Fedai
My Kids Love this dish:
Chicken Curry
Serves: 6
Cooking time: 1 hour
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 majji cubes
1 teas. Salt
1/4 teas. Black pepper
2 tabl. Curry
3 cups of cold water
3 large potatoes, peeled and chopped into small cubes
3 large carrots, peeled and chopped into small cubes
1 small bag of frozen green peas
golden raisins (optional)
1 medium onion, chopped finely
1 tabl. Flour
vegetable oil
olive oil
Cut chicken in bit size cubes. Over high heat, heat 1 tab. of olive oil in a frying pan, add chicken pieces. Fry till chicken is golden brown.
Add salt , pepper and 1 tabl. Curry. Fry for 2 minutes.
Add cold water and majji cubes. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Adjust seasoning.
Meanwhile:
Heat vegetable oil in a large frying pan. When oil starts smoking, add potatoes. Stir frequently so potatoes will not stick to each other. Once potatoes are golden brown remove to a paper towel covered plate and set aside.
Fry carrots in olive oil till almost tender. Remove from pan and set aside.
Do the same with the green peas and raisins.
Add fried veggies and raisins to chicken pot.
Fry onion, curry, and flour in 1 tabl. of olive oil, just until onions are transparent.
Stir into the chicken pot. Simmer chicken curry on low heat until liquid has thickened.
Serve with rice pilaf.
Yumm O!
Fedai
Waraq Inab B'Zait
(Stuffed grape leaves in olive oil)
Serves: 8 to 10
Cooking time: 2 hours
2 jars vine leaves, drained and stems removed
1 medium onion, sliced
1 medium tomato, sliced
1 large potato, sliced
1 lb steak, pounded very thinly, for bottom of pan (optional)
Salt, pepper
1 large tomato, chopped (for roll layers)
Stuffing:
2 cups rice, washed and drained
2 medium onions, chopped finely
1 cup parsley, chopped finely
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped finely or 4 tbsp. dried mint
3 medium tomatoes, chopped finely
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 teas. Salt
1 teas. Black pepper
1 teas. Cinnamon
2 teas. Allspice
To finish:
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teas. Salt
1 cup water
Put the potatoes on the bottom of the pan in which the vine leaves are to be cooked. Cover with sliced tomatoes and sliced onion. Sprinkle with salt.
Season steak, with salt and pepper; and put on top of the sliced onions.
Mix stuffing ingredients very well.
Working with one grape leaf at a time, lay it down with the rough side up and place a teaspoon of stuffing in the center of the leaf.
Roll once, fold in sides and roll tightly. Repeat with the rest of the grape leaves.
Pack rolls, folded side down, in tight rows and layers, in the pan on top of steak. Sprinkle each layer with chopped tomatoes and salt.
Take a heatproof plate and put it on top of grape leaves, pressing down.
Mix finished ingredients well, pour over grape leaves. Cover pan, bring to a boil quickly, turn down heat and simmer until rice is tender and liquid has evaporated.
Let grape leaves cool before inverting on a serving plate.
Garnish with lemon wedges and serve with a bowl of yogurt.
Yummy!
Fedai
Good job!!!! keep it up.
A food blogger next door :)
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