MIDDLE EASTERN DISHES


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Middle Eastern cuisine has an exceptionally wide range of vegetarian dishes. Most of these are vegan quality because it is custom for most of the Christian denominations in the region to abstain from all animal products for the whole of Lent, not just the meat free Fridays as has become the custom in the West. These same dishes are generally also vegetarian within Jewish and Arab traditions.






1. MELLAWAH


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This dish originates in the Yemen. It is a shallow-fried pastry with mushroom topping surrounded by a pool of tomato or chilli sauce. Once the main components are made and stored, preparing mellawah is very quick and simple. There are many variations to its final presentation but all revolve around the pastry preparation, its cooking and the sauce.



Tomato Sauce #44

or Chilli Sauce #45

Pastry:

1.5 cups plain flour

1/2 t/s salt

1/2 t/s sugar

1 d/s margarine

1/2 cup cold water

Margarine for pastry

Topping:

1/2 t/s cumin seeds

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 medium capsicum chopped

2 - 3 garlic cloves chopped (optional)

250 gm mushrooms finely chopped

2 - 3 d/s margarine or oil for frying

3 - 4 d/s soy sauce (or to taste)


Fry the cumin seeds in the margarine or oil until they begin to brown then add the chopped onion to cool the oil. Fry until beginning to soften then add the capsicum and garlic. Fry all these on medium heat until the onion begins to brown. Add the mushrooms and continue to cook until the mushrooms begin to soften. Add the soy sauce, stir well and fry gently until the mushrooms begin to form a sauce. Mix well, adjust to simmer, cover and continue to cook slowly. When all the ingredients of the mixture are soft, remove from heat and transfer to a storage container.

Mix the flour, salt, sugar and margarine by rubbing it between your hands until the flour has an even consistency and the margarine has disappeared. Add the water and knead for a few minutes until you have formed an even dough.

Sprinkle some flour onto a table or rolling board and roll the dough into a flat roughly square sheet about 1 cm thick. Spread a thin layer of margarine over the entire top surface then pick up one edge of the pastry and fold it over so that it evenly meets the opposite edge. This will form a rectangle. Spread margarine over this also. Lift up one short edge and fold it over to meet its opposite edge. Now carefully roll this into another square sheet and repeat the process just described at least 3 times so that you have spread the margarine at least 8 or 9 times. When you make the final fold, cut the pastry into two equal halves, place in a moisture proof container and refrigerate until required for cooking. The pastry will keep indefinitely if it is pre-cut into practical sizes and then frozen.

Remove one piece of pastry and roll it into a round sheet about 1 cm thick. Melt about 2 or 3 d/s of margarine in a frying pan and when sizzling, place the pastry in to fry, preferably with a lid. Adjust the heat to prevent charring and fry one side for a few minutes then turn it over and fry the other side until it has a brown crust over it. Repeat for the other side.

Heat some of the mushroom mixture in a microwave or saucepan until hot. Place the fried pastry on a large plate, top with the mushroom mixture and pour some tomato and/or chilli sauce around the edge - pre-heated is best. Serve as a main dish or as a shared side-dish by cutting wedges from the pastry. Garnish with chopped spring onion, fresh coriander or fresh mushrooms. A sprinkling of nutritional yeast is also excellent



2. CROISSANTS


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This recipe can be used to make croissants. Add 1 t/s of dried yeast when making this pastry recipe. Allow to sit covered and rise to double size after making pastry. Roll and paste as directed for mellawah (#1). Make the final rolling thin. Cut into 10 cm triangles, then lightly roll up each of these from one apex . Curve into a horseshoe and place on a floured oven plate. When risen , bake for about 30 minutes at 180 degrees in a preheated oven .For a glaze brush on some egg replacer or a mix of 1 X potato flour, 1 X tapioca, 1 X gluten flour, pinch bi-carb, water or soy milk.


FREEDOM IS WON
AT THE PRICE OF
PERPETUAL VIGILANCE

3. HOMUS


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This is one of the most widely prepared dishes of the Middle East. There are many variations to the recipe and often these variations are characteristic of their particular region. Homus is such a staple dish that a restaurant exists in Jerusalem serving only it with a wide variety of toppings and garnishes. It can even be served in pasta dishes.


250 gm chic peas soaked over night in water

100 gm tahini

100 ml lemon juice

1 t/s citric acid (optional)

60 - 100 ml olive oil

1/2 knob of garlic

1.5 d/s salt

1/2 t/s bi-carb of soda

500 ml fresh water for pressure-cooking.


Drain the soaked chic peas. Keep enough of the soaking water to use in cooking the peas. If you do not have a pressure cooker to use the water quantity above, simmer the peas, salt and bi-carb in just enough water to prevent drying out. If you use too much water you will lose a lot of flavor and food value by having to discard some of the stock after cooking.

Pressure cook the peas, salt and bi-carb in the fresh water for about 30 minutes. If you are simmering them, continue to cook until they easily squash between your fingers leaving no hard pieces. While they are cooking prepare the remainder of the ingredients strictly in the following order. You will achieve another flavour if you do not follow the order suggested.

Blend the garlic in the olive oil until fine. Add the tahini and continue to blend until smooth. If possible do this so that it can stand for about 1/2 an hour before adding to the peas and lemon juice. This allows the oil to "fix" certain flavours from the garlic.

When peas are cooked allow the pressure to drop and while still hot add the garlic-oil-tahini mixture and begin to blend with the peas using an insertion blender (e.g. a Bamix). Depending on the strength and quality of your blender, it may be better to blend the peas before adding the garlic-oil-tahini mixture and blending again. A smoother Homus will result. When this is of even consistency add the lemon juice and citric acid and continue blending until the entire mixture is very smooth. It should turn a creamy white colour during this stage. It will easily pour into a clean dry jar while still hot. Allow to cool and refrigerate. It should last 2 weeks and more if you use clean dry implements to process and serve it.

Serving suggestions: Spread the homus about 1 cm thick over a shallow plate leaving a few furrows and an outer ridge. Sprinkle with paprika or chilli powder, a little parsley and then a few streaks of olive oil. Tear open some pita bread and use this to scoop up portions of humos on the inner spongy surface of the bread.

In the Middle East there are restaurants which serve only homus but with a wide range of garnishes and toppings. A sprinkling of chopped hot chilli or pickles is a popular serving. Roasted pine nuts is another. A delicious presentation is to top the homus with some spoonfuls of the garlic-mushroom dish (# 53). The ong-choy spinach preparation (# 20) is another excellent combination. There are numerous serving combinations which you can discover.

Traditionally humus is eaten with your hands only. Although it is satisfying on its own with bread, it is often accompanied with salad falafel and other dishes some of which are in the following recipes.


DO NOT BE DECEIVED
INTO ACCEPTING REINCARNATION
OR INEVITABLE DEATH
AT LEAST UNTIL
DEATH HAS BEEN RENDERED OPTIONAL.
UNTIL THEN
REGARD DEATH PATHOLOGICAL.

4. FALAFEL


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Like with homus, falafel can be found everywhere in the Middle East and there are as many recipe variations. The quantity in this recipe makes a very large amount of mixture but it will keep for a long time if frozen - especially if deep frozen. If you feel that the quantity is too much, scale it down in proportions such as 1/2.


1 kg chic, tick or broad beans or a mixture of these.

Soak at least 12 hours or if broad beans soak longer.

2 medium onions or bunch of shallots

2 knobs of garlic

1 small bunch of coriander, including roots (optional)

500 ml fresh water.

Spices:

1/2 cup sesame seeds

3 d\s cumin powder

2 d\s coriander powder (optional)

1 d/s cinnamon " (optional)

1/2 d/s black pepper

6 medium d/s salt

1 medium d/s bi-carb

150 gm yellow pea or chic pea (besan) flour. This will prevent disintegration of falafel in the cooking oil if chic peas only are used in the mixture. An alternative to the flour is to blend a portion or all of the peas very finely. This acts as a binding agent. Use some of the water volume listed in the ingredients for blending.


Drain the beans after soaking. The peas and beans should be soft enough to chew raw easily. Mince them through the fine grate of your mincer or food processor. Mince in the other top list of ingredients. Add the water and mix well.

If you only have a blender, process about half the raw peas or beans until they are a paste and the other 1/2 until they are a little granular; finely chop the onion and garlic with a knife then stir into the pea mixture.

Pre-mix the spices before adding to the beans. Mix all ingredients into an an even consistency. If you use the recommended amount of salt, the mixture will taste more salty than it will when cooked. This is because the salt and flavours are only coating the minced beans. It will later infuse the tiny bits of vegetable matter and be more evenly spread.

Each kg of the prepared mixture will make about 20 - 30 falafel so estimate what you need and freeze the remainder. Unfrozen mixture will keep about 2 weeks under good refrigeration. It might be worth testing one falafel in hot oil to make sure it clings together before packaging the rest of the mixture. Add more flour if the croquette begins to disintegrate.

Cooking: Heat vegetable oil (at least 4 cm deep) until it sizzles tiny drops of water splashed onto it. If you have an oil thermometer, set the temperature for about 160 degrees Centigrade. It will take a few experiments to determine how many falafel you can cook at once without over-cooling the oil or without charring the croquettes. Just be aware this can happen. Take walnut sized portions of the mixture, form slightly flattened round croquettes in your palm and drop them into the hot oil in as quick a succession as you can manage. This will allow each batch to cook fairly evenly. It should take each batch no more than 3 to 4 minutes to cook. They should still be green inside, evenly cooked and with a thin crust shell. If properly cooked they will absorb very little oil.

An alternative method of cooking falafel is by shallow frying flat portions of the mixture in a normal fry pan. They should be turned and evenly fried on both sides.

If you cannot be bothered making the mixture, it is often available in frozen form or the dried form at supermarkets and health shops.

Serving: Pita bread, lettuce, tomato, pickled turnip (# 24), and tahini sauce (# 10)and chili sauce (#88) are common accompaniments to falafel. Falafel rolls are also another popular serving style.

5. FALAFEL ROLL


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This is a popular way of eating falafel in a balanced meal. Open a large pita bread. You will notice that one sheet will be firmer than the other. Use the spongy side of the firm sheet and spread some humos, shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, sliced cucumber, sliced pickled turnip and some onion. Break open 3 falafel and distribute them along the top of the salad. Now pour on a spread of tahini sauce and then roll the bread tightly. Wrap this in grease-proof paper and use that to support the roll when eating. The bread need not be separated if a more filling meal is desired. Toasting or grilling the roll evenly on all sides and then cutting diagonal slices, presenting them arranged upright to display the colors of the filling is an excellent falafel snack at parties. Allow the roll to cool a little before cutting with a serrated knife. Try adding hot chilli sauce to the roll.

6. FALAFEL PASTA


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Crumble one or two falafel over a bowl of pasta and add a topping of tomato and/or chilli sauce. Heat to desired temperature then garnish with a spoon of homos or nut-cheese (page 54) or both, olives and shallots. Roasted pine nuts are excellent on any of these dishes. Excellent for rednecks.

7. FALAFEL SALAD


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Crumble a few falafel into a bowl of salad. Especially one with lots of tomato.

8. BULK FALAFEL


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The following is a large batch recipe for falafel


2 kg chic peas soaked over night

200 gm sesame seeds (optional)

120 gm salt

60 gm cumin powder

20 gm black pepper

60 gm coriander powder (optional)

50 gm cinnamon powder (optional)

80 gm bi-carb

200 gm besan flour

800 ml water


9. BABAGANOUGH


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This is a more exotic dish than homos and although it can take more work and time to prepare, the eating makes it worth the effort.

Some varieties of eggplant contain a bitter juice and require a slightly different processing to make babaganoush. Most of the eggplant available in markets today do not have this undesirable property and make an excellent dip without removing either the skin or the juice. During the summer months of the year eggplant are prone to fruitfly. To select them, inspect the entire surface of the skin. If there is a small hole evident (usually near the stem), there is almost certainly a worm inside.


1 Large eggplant

2 Medium lemons = approx. 50 ml juice

100 ml (approx.) boiling water

50 gm tahini

50 ml olive oil

5-6 garlic cloves

1/2 t/s cumin powder (optional)

1 t/s salt or to taste


Slice the eggplant in half lengthwise if you want to check for fruit-fly worms. Place the eggplant under a griller with the cut surfaces upward. When the surface is beginning to brown, turn the halves over and grill the skin surfaces until they are beginning to char from the heat. If you are grilling the eggplant whole, rotate it from time to time to cook evenly. When its pulp is soft and the skin is charred, remove from griller. Save any seepage juice if you can.


When cool enough to handle or by using tongs and a spoon, peel off the charred skin - the more you leave the stronger the flavour of the Babaganoush and the darker its corolla. For a more delicate flavour discard all the charred skin but scrape off the cooked flesh on the inside of the skin with a spoon. This adds a smoky flavour to the babaganoush. If you have grilled the eggplant properly the pulp will easily mash into a smooth consistency, but the skin may need mincing or blending. Mash or mince the eggplant if it is not the bitter variety. If it is one which needs the juice removed, place the pulp into a clean strong dish cloth after removing charred skin. Squeeze away all the juice and discard it. Alternatively place the skinned pulp into as fine sieve and suspend this over a bowl. Stir the pulp gently. This will allow the juice to drain away.

Prepare the tahini sauce by blending the garlic with the olive oil, water and salt, then add the tahini and continue to blend. Blend this until it is an even consistency and then add the lemon juice. Blend until this is an even white creamy paste. Mix this tahini sauce with the eggplant pulp. Mash or blend until an even consistency. Allow to cool.

Serving: Spread a thin layer over a shallow (preferably oval) dish leaving a raised ridge around the edge. Garnish with a little paprika and a sprinkle of olive oil. Decorate with a few black olives. Eat by scooping it up with pita bread as with humos.

If stored in a clean dry jar and good refrigeration, the babaganoush should keep for at least 2 or 3 weeks.


10 TAHINI SAUCE


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This sauce can be used everywhere but it is most commonly served as a dressing over falafel or simply in a bowl as a bread dip on its own. If it is made with boiling hot water and reasonable care taken to keep the jar and implements clean, it will last without souring for 2 to 4 weeks under refrigeration.


200 ml boiling water

2-3 garlic cloves

100 gm tahini

1 t/s salt

50 ml lemon juice or cider vinegar for a sweeter taste

25 ml olive oil, sunflower or other (optional).


Blend all the above in the order listed (salt can be added earlier). Blend until the mixture has turned into an even white creamy sauce. You may have to add more water or more tahini to achieve the right consistency of a thick but just liquid sauce. It will set to a firmer texture after refrigeration.

Blending in olive oil will make the sauce much richer and more to the liking of mayonnaise. Another variation in this direction is to use a portion of vinegar in place of some or all of the lemon juice. This will make the tahini sauce sweeter and tangier. For another variation add chopped parsley.

Serving: With falafel, bread, salad etc. Try it over shredded lettuce and tomato in a pita sandwich.

11. TABOULI


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Tabouli is possibly the most widely known Middle Eastern dish in the West. It appears to be of Lebanese origin. It is found in many variations but it is not the easiest of salads to be consistently successful with. Once you hit upon a good technique it is worth the effort of preparation, not only to eat but also to decorate the dinner table.

1/2 cup burghul (steamed cracked wheat)

1/2 white onion finely chopped

1/2 t/s salt

1/4 t/s black pepper

1 bunch of fresh parsley, 2 bunches if small

1 medium tomato

1/4 bunch spring onion or shallots

2 d/s finely chopped mint leaves

4-6 d/s lemon juice

4-6 d/s olive oil

4-6 d/s water


Soak the burghul in 1 cup of boiled and cooled water for about 1/2 an hour. All the water should absorb and the burghul swell in this time. Mix in the chopped onion, salt and pepper. This can be used as a stock for about 1-2 weeks to make more tabouli if it is carefully stored and refrigerated and if boiled water is used to soak the burghul.


Remove the heavy twigs from the parsley and chop the leaves fairly finely. Another method is to hold the parsley bunch by its stems while finely chopping the leaves. Chop the spring onion and the cucumber into very fine pieces. The tomato can be diced or cut into small wedges. Some people recommend to discard all the seed pulp of the tomato and to use only the outer flesh. Mix all these together.

Add about 2 heaped dessert spoons of the prepared burghul mixture to the salad. Mix well. The burghul should only appear as speckles and not conceal the salad greenery.

Add the salt and the lemon juice, and coat the salad by mixing well, then add the oil and mix again. At this stage taste the salad. It should be slightly, but not prominently tangy from the lemon. Serve heaped shredded lettuce.

12. BEIRUT SALAD


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The origin of this salad is more likely Morocco where it is served in a number of variations but it is excellent with humos, babaganoush and falafel if you like a hot spicy salad.


1 bunch of finely chopped parsley

200 ml chilli sauce (see page 59)

50 gm olive oil

50 gm lemon juice

salt to taste

Mix all the above ingredients and serve as a side dish in a shallow bowl.

CONTINUE