ARAB EXTRAVAGANZA “5 RECIPES”- A CULINARY JOURNEY THROUGH MIDDLE EASTERN DELIGHTS: DE MODE GLOBAL
Updated: Jun 19
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN DE MODE APR-MAY-JUN 2023 (Vol III, Issue XIII)
Article Published on: 03RD JUNE 2023 | www.demodemagazine.com
Step into the world of arabian cuisine and prepare to embark on a gastronomic adventure like no other. The rich and diverse flavors of Middle Eastern cuisine have captivated food enthusiasts worldwide. From aromatic spices to sumptuous sweets, the Arabian Food Extravaganza offers a tantalizing experience that showcases the region's culinary treasures.
Arabian cuisine is a vibrant tapestry of flavors, blending centuries-old traditions with contemporary influences. One cannot talk about Arab food without mentioning iconic dishes such as hummus, falafel, and tabbouleh. These staples are enjoyed across the Arab world, with each country adding its unique touch.
From the Levant region to North Africa, the Arabian Food Extravaganza presents an array of tantalizing dishes. Indulge in the fragrant and savory flavors of Moroccan tagines, where tender meats are slow-cooked with an exquisite blend of spices. Delight in the rich and creamy textures of Egyptian koshari, a beloved street food dish featuring lentils, rice, and pasta, topped with a tangy tomato sauce.
The streets of the Arab world come alive with an enticing array of street food delights. Embrace the vibrancy of the bustling souks and savor the flavors of shawarma, a succulent meat preparation served in warm pita bread with a variety of zesty sauces and toppings. Sink your teeth into crunchy and flaky samosas filled with spiced vegetables or minced meat, and enjoy the explosion of flavors in every bite.
No culinary journey through the Arab world is complete without indulging in the delectable range of sweets and desserts. Immerse yourself in the fragrant sweetness of baklava, a delicate pastry made with layers of filo dough, nuts, and honey syrup. Savor the creamy and floral notes of rosewater-infused muhallabia, a luscious milk-based pudding topped with pistachios.
For the adventurous sweet tooth, try Umm Ali, an Egyptian bread pudding enriched with nuts, raisins, and a hint of cardamom. To complement these desserts, indulge in a cup of aromatic Arabic coffee or sip on refreshing mint tea, both cherished as symbols of hospitality and warmth in Arab culture.
Mansaf (Jordan)
Mansaf, the national dish of Jordan, is a culinary masterpiece that embodies the rich cultural heritage of the country. This savory delight features tender lamb or chicken cooked in a tangy yogurt sauce, served atop a bed of fragrant rice, and garnished with toasted almonds and aromatic herbs. A true taste of Jordan.
INGREDIENTS:
Yogurt: 2 kg ((jameed soaked a day before and whipped with a cup of curdled milk))
Rice: 1 kilo (medium grain soaked in boiling water)
Lamb meat: 2 kilos (boiled with the following spices: 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 3 bay leaves)
Almonds: ½ cup (roasted)
Pine nuts: ½ cup (roasted)
Turmeric: half a teaspoon
Bay leaf: 3 leaves
Vegetable oil: 3 tablespoons
HOW TO PREPARE:
Add 2 cups of the boiled meat stock and boil it with continuous stirring.
Then we put the boiled meat in the milk and let it boil with the milk for half an hour.
Obesity: two tablespoons
Shirak bread: 2 loaves
How to prepare the rice: Put the oil and ghee in a saucepan over low heat, then add the rice, stirring occasionally, for 7-10 minutes.
Then we put a little bit of turmeric and salt.
Add 3 cups of meat stock to the rice and leave it on high heat until the amount of water decreases, then reduce the heat and leave it until it is done.
How to serve: Place shirak bread on a serving tray.
Pour the rice and arrange it over the bread.
Put the meat on top of the rice.
Garnish with almonds and pine nuts.
Spread the face with 3 tablespoons of cooked milk.
Palestinian Musakhan
Palestinian Musakhan is a beloved dish that showcases the flavors of Palestine. Tender roasted chicken is layered on a bed of sumac-infused caramelized onions, all resting on a traditional taboon bread. The aromatic blend of spices, along with the crunchy pine nuts and fresh herbs, creates a truly memorable culinary experience.
INGREDIENTS:
Chicken: chicken (chopped)
Onions: 1 kilo
Sumac: 3 tablespoons
Almonds: 500 grams (fried) -
Taboon bread: 5 loaves
Olive oil: a cup
Water: half a liter
HOW TO PREPARE:
Boil the chicken for 10-15 minutes.
Cut the onion into small squares and fry in olive oil.
Add the water to the onions to simmer for 15 minutes.
Add the chicken and sumac over the onions and leave for 10-15 minutes to soften.
Taboon bread is prepared and laid out in a tray (the number of bread as desired).
Add the onions and chicken to the bread and sprinkle the almonds.
Brush the outside of the bread with a little olive oil and place it in the oven for 7-10 minutes.
Quzi - Traditional and Authentic Iraqi Recipe
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 leg of lamb.
One large slice of onion.
4 garlic cloves, sliced.
1 and a half tablespoons of meat spices.
2 liters of water.
3 cups of rice.
M r saffron.
10 cloves.
10 grains of cardamom.
4 cinnamon sticks.
2 bay leaves.
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns.
2 tsp salt.
4 mk of ghee.
4 boiled eggs.
Orange food colouring.
FILLING COMPONENTS:
4 grains of chopped onion.
M r cinnamon.
M.S. Lomi powder “You can use a true open Lomi.”
1/4 m p. hill.
1/4 tsp white pepper.
m r salt.
1 cup of nuts
1/2 cup raisins.
A cup of boiled chickpeas
HOW TO PREPARE:
In a cooking pot, sauté the onions, garlic, and meat a little in the ghee.
Add the correct spices, sauté all the ingredients, and stir for about 5 minutes, add boiling water and leave the meat on the stove until it is tender.
In a frying pan on the stove, put a quarter of a cup of water and chopped onions, and leave until the onions wither, then add the chickpeas and raisins and stir all the ingredients.
Add the nuts and finally add a tablespoon of oil and remove immediately from the heat.
We filter the meat from the broth and filter the broth from the correct spices as well. In the rice cooking pot, put a little ghee and sauté the rice, then add the broth and leave to boil, then cover and leave on low heat until cooked.
In a bowl, put 1/2 cup of rose water with saffron and orange color, brush the meat with it, and put the peeled eggs in the rose water, until it turns yellow on all sides.
Heat a little ghee in a frying pan on the stove and fry the meat and eggs on both sides until we get a beautiful golden color.
Put the rest of the dyed rose water in one or half of the rice until you get half white and half yellow.
Put the stuffing on top of the rice, cover, and leave for an additional 10 minutes on low heat until done
In the serving bowl: put the white rice as the first layer, then the yellow rice layer, then the stuffing, then the meat, decorate with scrambled eggs, and serve with daqoos sauce.
Kuwaiti Zubaidi Mutabbaq
Kuwaiti Zubaidi Mutabbaq is a mouthwatering delicacy that showcases the culinary heritage of Kuwait. This dish features a whole grilled Zubaidi fish, stuffed with a flavorful mixture of fragrant rice, spices, and herbs. The fish is then carefully wrapped in banana leaves and grilled to perfection, resulting in a delightful combination of textures and flavors.
INGREDIENTS:
1 teaspoon coriander for fish filling
1 teaspoon dill for fish filling
0.50 teaspoon ground lime for fish filling
0.50 teaspoon ground mixed spices for the fish filling
0.50 teaspoon turmeric for fish filling A small piece of cardamom for stuffing fish
2 minced onions for stuffing fish
2 black lumi fish seasoning
0.25 tsp black pepper fish seasoning
0.50 tsp turmeric fish seasoning
0.50 tsp curry fish seasoning
0.25 tsp ground mixed spices fish seasoning
0.50 bunch coriander
0.50 bunches of minced dill for fish seasoning
1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 small onion finely chopped
2 fish butternut squash cleaned
4 cups of washed and soaked basmati rice
0.25 teaspoon salt for the fish filling
0.50 teaspoon garlic for fish filling
3 onions Minced rice stuffing
0.75 cup raisins for rice stuffing
0.25 teaspoon/cinnamon for rice stuffing
0.25 teaspoon ground lime for rice stuffing
0.25 teaspoon ground mixed spices for rice stuffing Pinch of black pepper for rice stuffing Pinch of salt for rice stuffing Vegetable oil
HOW TO PREPARE:
Prepare the fish filling by placing the onions in the pan without the oil and stir-frying until golden, then add about a tablespoon of water and continue to stir. - Put the oil and the rest of the spices and salt, then turn off the heat and put a little dill and coriander, heart it, and leave it aside. Mix the fish spices, then season the zubaidi fish from the outside and the inside. - Put the fish filling, then sew the hole so that it does not come out during frying. Fry the fish in the oil until browned on both sides, then set aside. Pour the fish frying oil into the pot, then put the cardamom, finely chopped onions, and lime seeds, and stir for a few seconds, then put the garlic and the remaining fish spices, dill, and chopped coriander. Pour hot water and let it boil for five minutes, then put the rice and salt and cover the pot until about three-quarters of the water dries up, then put the fish and cover the pot, and leave it until the water dries completely. – To prepare the rice filling, put the onions in the pan without the oil and stir-fry until golden brown, then put 1-2 tablespoons of water and keep stirring, then put the raisins, a little oil, and the rest of the spices and salt. Put the rice filling aside, then cover the pot and put it on low heat. - Put the rice on the serving plate and place the zubaidi fish on top of it and decorate it with the filling
Saudi Kabsa
Saudi Kabsa or Al Kabsa, a traditional Saudi Arabian dish, is a tantalizing combination of fragrant rice and succulent chicken. The rice is cooked with aromatic spices, such as cardamom and saffron, while the chicken is marinated in a blend of spices before being grilled or roasted to perfection. This flavorful dish is a true representation of Saudi Arabian cuisine.
INGREDIENTS:
A quarter cup of butter.
1 kilo and 360 grams of chicken, cut into 8-10 pieces.
A large onion, finely chopped.
6 minced garlic cloves.
A quarter cup of mashed tomatoes.
397 grams of fresh or canned chopped tomatoes.
3 grains of grated carrots.
Two cloves.
A quarter teaspoon of grated nutmeg.
½ teaspoon ground cumin.
Half a teaspoon of ground coriander.
Salt and black pepper to taste.
4 cups of hot water.
Chicken bouillon cube.
Two and a quarter cups of basmati rice.
A quarter cup of raisins.
A quarter cup of roasted almond slices.
Kabsa seasoning mixture
Half a teaspoon of saffron.
Half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
Half a teaspoon of ground spices.
Half a teaspoon of ground-dried lemon.
A quarter teaspoon of ground green cardamom.
HOW TO PREPARE:
Melt the butter in a large saucepan.
Add the chicken pieces, garlic, and onions, and sauté until the onions soften and the chicken turns brown.
Add the tomato puree, and let it simmer for a few minutes.
Add the tomatoes, carrots, cloves, salt, pepper, and the Kabsa spice mixture.
Cook the mixture for a few minutes.
Add the water and the chicken stock cube.
Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and cover the pot.
Cook the mixture on low heat for 30 minutes.
Add the rice to the pot and stir well. Cover the pot again.
Leave the mixture to cook over low heat for 35 to 40 minutes.
Add the raisins to the pot to cook for the last 10 minutes.
Cook the mixture until the rice is done.
Place the rice on a large serving plate, and garnish with the chicken and almonds.
Serve the Saudi Kabsa with hot sauce.