Moughrabiyeh / Spiced Lebanese Couscous with Chicken, Lamb and Baby Onions Recipe

Serves 4-6

Lebanese couscous is quite different from the North African couscous. The grains are bigger, more like small beads, and you can buy them fresh, as with fresh pasta. However only the dried variety is available outside Lebanon. It is just as good as the fresh moughrabiyeh that is available in Lebanon.

Ingredients

1 medium chicken, (about 1.5 kg)
300g lamb meat from the shanks, cut into medium-sized pieces
4 Adonis Cinnamon Sticks
1½ tbsp coarse sea salt
½ tsp Adonis Cinnamon Ground
500g dried moughrabiyeh
60g unsalted butter
16 baby onions, peeled
400g net weight ready-cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 tsp Adonis Moughrabiyeh Spices

Cooking instructions

Put the chicken in a large saucepan. Add 1.2 liters water. Put the lamb meat in another pan. Add 600 ml water to the lamb. Place each pan over medium-high heat and bring to boil. Just as the water is about to boil, skim the surface clean in both pans. Then add 3 Adonis cinnamon sticks and 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt to the chicken. Add 1 Adonis cinnamon sticks, ½ tablespoon salt and ½ teaspoon Adonis ground cinnamon to the lamb. Reduce the heat to medium under both pans. Boil gently for 1 to 1 ¼ hours.

Put the dried moughrabiyeh in a bowl, cover with boiling water and let it sit for 15 minutes. Stir as soon as you add the water so that grains do not stick together.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Drain the moughrabiyeh and saute in the butter until the grains are well coated. Set aside.

Fifteen minutes before the chicken is ready, add the baby onions to the chicken. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, or until the onions are tender and the chicken is done. Add the chickpeas to the lamb.

Transfer the chicken onto a carving board. Cut into 4 or 8 pieces. Discard the skin and keep warm. With a slotted spoon, transfer the onions from the pan and add to the moughrabiyeh. Strain the chicken stock. With a slotted spoon, remove both lamb and chickpeas and add to the moughrabiyeh. Add 150 ml chicken stock to the moughrabiyeh and season with Adonis moughrabiyeh spices and salt to taste. Mix well. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring regularly. If the moughrabiyeh is too al dente, add more stock and cook until it is done to your liking. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Transfer to a preheated serving dish. Arrange the chicken pieces over the moughrabiyeh. Serve immediately.

Fried chicken biryani recipe

"Biryani " is a mixed rice dish with spices, rice, meat or vegetables. Though biryani is originated in Persia, it is more popular in malabar areas in Kerala.Here am sharing a special chicken fried Dum biryani. For this you can either deep fry or shallow fry the chicken, then mixed with the gravy / masala and finally the dum process which makes the biryani heavenly taste.

INGREDIENTS

Marinade
1000 grams Chicken
1 tablespoon turmeric
2 tablespoon Chicken masala
1/2 tablespoon red chilli powder
1 tablespoon garam masala
1 tablespoon Paprika Powder or Kashmiri Red Chilli
1/2 tablespoon pepper powder
3 tablespoon Yoghurt / Lime Juice
Salt to taste
8 tablespoon Oil

Gravy
2 bulbs(approx 80 grams) garlic
100 grams Ginger
4 (approx 580 rams) ripe tomatoes
3 (approx 400 grams) red onion
3 tablepoon Oil
Salt to taste

Garnish
2 (approx 250 grams)  onion
1 bunch coriander leaves
25 numbers Cashew nuts
3 tablespoon ghee
2 tablespoon Oil
salt to taste

Rice
5 cups Water
3 cups(approx 600 grams1)  Tilda Basmati Rice
1 inch Dried Ginger
5 numbers Pepper Corns
5 numbers green cardamoms
1 Star Anise
3 inch cinnamon stick
2 numbers Cloves
1 Bay Leaf
1/2 tablespoon ghee
salt to taste
15×15 inch Cheese Cloth
5 inch Cotton String

Dough
1 cup plain flour
Water as required

Instructions

1. Chicken – I choose drumsticks and thighs, (thigh has the best meat of chicken). Skin removed, and shave off most fat.
2. Mix all ingredients (except oil) under ‘marinade’ and rub into the chicken, marinate overnight for best results, if not atleast for 4 hours in a fridge, covered.
3. Chop ginger / garlic / tomatoes / onion finely and store separately.
4. Clean and cut the coriander leaves.
5. Wash rice once and soak in cold water for 30 minutes. Drain, keep aside till required.
6. Step 1 – Frying Chicken
7. In a non-stick pan, heat half the oil under ‘marinade‘ section, fry half at a time, the chicken pieces, about 6 minutes on each side. Maximum for about 15 minutes, as we want only about 70% done chicken.
8. Using a slotted spoon, spoon the fried pieces onto a plate spread with kitchen towel, to absorb excess oil.
9. Step 2 – Preparing the Garnish
10. While the chicken is getting fried, heat oil under the ‘Garnish‘ section, sauté the cashew nuts for about 2 minutes on low flame, till lightly golden brown on all sides equally.
11. In the same oil, fry the onions till they are crispy. Add salt while doing this, this helps the onion sweat fast and get crispy.
12. Keep aside till needed.
13. Step 3 – Preparing the Gravy
14. Heat the oil under the ‘Gravy Section‘, sauté the onions along with salt, on medium flame till soft and caramelised (about 15 minutes), while stirring occasionally.
15. Add ginger and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes.
16. Add the tomatoes and sauté till soft and melted, about 15 minutes on medium flame.
17. Step 4 – Rice
18. In the cheese cloth, gather all spices under the ‘Rice‘ section and tie it up, this is known as `Potli` in Northern India.
19. Bring to boil the water along with salt, ghee and polti, lower the flame. Remove the potli.
20. Tip over the rice, bring it to boil, lower flame and simmer for 10 minutes till about 50% done.
21. Leave it open, or better still spread on a large serving tray and allow the steam to escape and the rice to cool down, this prevents the rice from further cooking.
22. Step – 5 Layering and Baking
23. Make a dough of the flour and water under the ‘dough‘ section, roll into a long strip and apply on the edges of the deep bottomed pan.
24. Apply 1 tbsp ghee on all sides of the vessel, (use the ghee mentioned in the ‘Garnish‘ section).
25. Spread a layer of gravy and some chicken pieces. Top it with a layer of rice and spread little ghee, cashew nuts and coriander leaves.
26. Repeat the above step till you have a last layer of rice, decorate with the remaining, coriander leaves, cashew nuts, fried onions and ghee, evenly across the top.
27. Secure the lid on the dough. In a pre-heated oven, cook for 30 mins on medium.
28. Serve hot with a cooling cucumber raita, lime pickle, masala poppadum and sweetened Indian butter milk (aka Lassi).
29. You could also hard-boil eggs, quarter them and decorate on the rice.

Meat Crescents / Sanbusak bil-lahmeh Recipe

Makes 25-30

You can vary on the taste here by replacing the lemon juice with either vinegar, verjuice or pomegranate syrup. Each

Ingredients

150 g plain white flour
¼ tsp salt
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to brush dough
50g unsalted butter
25g pine nuts
125g lean minced lamb
¼ tsp Adonis ground cinnamon
½ tsp Adonis Seven Spices
1/8 tsp Adonis ground black pepper
2 tsp lemon juice (or your choice of variation mentioned above)
Salt to taste
Vegetable oil for frying

Cooking instructions

Mix the flour and salt in a mixing bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the oil to the well and, with the tip of your fingers, mix the oil with the flour until well incorporated. Gradually add 90-100 ml water (it is difficult to measure the exact amount of water as it depends on the brand of flour you are using) knead until you have rough dough.

Remove the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 3 minutes. Invert the bowl over the dough and let it rest for 15 minutes. Knead for another 3 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic. Form into a ball, cover with a damp cloth and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes.

Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and saute, stirring constantly until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon onto a double layer of kitchen paper to drain of the excess fat. Cook the minced meat in the same butter, stirring and mashing it with the pack of a wooden spoon or fork so that it separates well and does not form lumps until it loses all traces of pink. Season with Adonis cinnamon, Adonis Seven Spices, Adonis ground black pepper, and salt to taste. Add the lemon juice (or vinegar, very juice or pomegranate syrup) and sauteed pine nuts. Cook for another minutes or so. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Set aside.

Divide the dough into two balls. Place one on a lightly floured surface. Flatten it slightly and sprinkle with a little flour. Roll out into a large circle, about 2 mm thick, turning over the dough regularly and sprinkling with a little flour every now and then so that it does not stick. Use a 7 cm round pastry cutter to cut the flattened pastry into as many circles as you can. Pick up the excess pastry, knead together and let it rest under the damp cloth.

Turn the circles over. Then take one and lay it on the fingers of one hand. Put a tea spoon (or less if you are making smaller crescents) of the meat filling in the middle and fold the dough over the meat, aligning the edges to form a half circles. With your free thumb and index finger, pinch the edges together into a thin flat edge, starting at one end of the half circle. Slide the filled pastry onto the tips of your fingers so that the flat edge is on the outside. Pinch the end that is furthest from you to flatten it even more and fold it towards you into a little diagonal pleat. Continue pinching and pleating the edge until you form a fluted edge (or until you form a border resembling a twisted cord)- this is done to decorate as well as to seal the pastry tightly together so that it does not open during frying. Place the finished crescents until you finish the first lot of circles.

Fill a large frying pan with enough vegetable oil to deep fry the pastries and place the pan over a medium-high heat. When the oil is hot - test with the corner of one pastry; if the oil bubbles around it, it is ready - slide in as many crescents as will fit comfortably in the pan and fry until golden brown on both sides. Remove with a slotted spoon onto several layers of kitchen paper to drain of the excess oil.

Take the oil of the heat and roll out the remaining dough. Knead the cut outs together. Cover and let rest while you make and fry more crescents. Roll out the left over dough and finish making the crescents - you should end up with 25-30 pieces. It is important you make and fry the crescents in batches so that the dough does not dry up or rise too much. As with fatayer, sambusak freeze well, but here it is best to freeze them raw and fry them frozen. Serve hot or warm.

Baba Ghannouj / Grilled Eggplant Dip Recipe

Some tips to help you produce a superior Baba Ghannouj. Grilling the eggplants over an open fire will produce the smoky flavor that is so typical of this dish, though the smoky flavor will come through to a certain extent if you cook them under the grill in your oven. It is important to let the grilled flesh drain for a while to get rid of the excess liquid; and finally, once this done, you need to mash the flesh with the back of a fork to retain texture. The dip will be too smooth if you use a food a processor.

Ingredients

6 large eggplants (about 250g each)
4 tbsp Tahini
1 garlic clove, crushed (or ¼ tsp Adonis garlic powder)
Juice of 1 lemon, or to taste
Sea salt
Fresh pomegranate seeds (Ideally the sour type)
Extra virgin olive oil

Cooking instructions

Prick the eggplants in several places with a small knife to stop them from bursting during cooking. Place them on a non-stick baking sheet and cook under a hot grill for 25 minutes on each side. The eggplants are ready when they have become very soft to the touch. By then, the skin should have become slightly charred for a smoky taste.

Remove the grilled eggplants onto a large chopping board. Cut each in half lengthways, and with a spoon, scoop out the flesh. Place the flesh in a colander to drain the excess liquid. Let it drain for a least half an hour.

Put the eggplants in a wide mixing bowl and mash with a masher or the back of a fork. Be sure not to crush them too much, as you want the dip to have texture. Add the tahini and salt to taste. Mix well. Then add the lemon juice and crushed garlic. Mix well. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Transfer the dip to a shallow serving bowl and with the back of a spoon; spread it the same way as with hummus. The garnish can be the same as that of hummus, using mint instead of parsley; or you can use pomegranate seeds, arranged in a star shape in the middle and at regular intervals along the edge. Olive oil is of course used with both garnishes.

Lebanese Nights Dessert Recipe – Layali Lubnan

Lebanese Nights, aka “Layali Lubnan” is an amazingly aromatic dessert that is quite refreshing in summer time.  It has a rich complex taste stemming from subtle hints of  Mastic (aka Mistika, or Mastika in Greek, or “Arabic Gum” (not to be mistaken with “Gum Arabic”) , orange blossom water and rose water.  The bottom layer is made of the actual pudding, topped with a layer of whipped cream and a layer of coarsely ground fresh pistachios and sugar syrup.

You can serve Layali Lubnan in small cups/shots or you can lay the pudding in a tray as shown in the photos and then cut it into pieces. The pudding can last 3-5 days in the fridge but if you’re planning on keeping it that long you may want to keep the whipped cream in a separate container and add it only for serving. Whipped cream is known to lose volume after a few hours.

Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Lebanese, Middle Eastern
Prep time:  30 mins
Cook time:  20 mins
Total time:  50 mins

Lebanese Nights aka "Layali Lubnan" is an easy-to-make, amazingly aromatic semolina pudding that is quite refreshing in summer time.

Ingredients

Pudding Ingredients (10 servings)
8 cups of whole milk
¾ cup of semolina
1 teaspoon of ground Mastika 
6 to 8 tablespoons of sugar
3 tablespoons of rose water
3 tablespoons of orange blossom water
1 cup of coarsely ground fresh pistachio
Sugar Syrup Ingredients
1 cup of brown or white sugar
¾ cup of water
¼ teaspoon of lemon juice
1 tablespoon of orange blossom water
Whipped Cream Ingredients
2 cups of Heavy Cream (preferably pasteurized, but ultra-pasteurized is also ok)
1 tablespoon of granulated sugar
Vanilla extract (optional)

Instructions

1. Mix milk, semolina and sugar well in a cooking pot then bring to a boil on medium to high heat while continuously stirring and scalping the bottom (this is important so the semolina doesn't clump or stick).
2. As soon as it boils, lower heat to minimum, add ground Mastika all while stirring.
3. When the pudding starts to thicken, remove from heat, add the rose water and orange blossom water, stir a bit so they are well dissipated and then immediately pour the hot pudding into your serving containers.
4. The serving container could be a 2 inch-deep pyrex tray or small serving cups/bowls. Make sure to leave some room on the top for the whipped cream.
5. Let rest and cool down at room temperature for about 40 minutes and meanwhile you can prepare the sugar syrup and the Whipped Cream.
6. Mix water and sugar well then bring to a boil in a saucepan on medium heat.
7. When boiling occurs, lower heat, add ¼ teaspoon of lemon juice and let it simmer for 10 minutes after which you remove from heat, add orange blossom water and let rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
8. Place Heavy Cream in a chilled stainless steal bowl (or place bowl on ice) and with a whisk whip your way through it for a few minutes vigorously.
9. If you are using an electric whipper, start on low speed then increase the speed gradually.
10. After a few minutes of whipping the Heavy Cream will increase in volume and turn into whipped cream as soft peaks start to form. At which point add the sugar and optional vanilla and whip a bit more to mix it in. Don't over-whip the cream so it doesn't turn into butter. Keep whipped cream chilled.
11. Once the pudding has rested and cooled down place it in the fridge for a few minutes to chill, then top it with a ½ to ¾ inch layer of whipped cream, add a sprinkle of coarsely ground Pistachio and serve with sugar syrup (optional).

KIBBEH (BEEF AND BULGUR WHEAT MEATBALLS) RECIPE

Middle Eastern kibbeh is a finely ground paste of bulgur, onions, and lamb or beef, which is formed into patties or balls, filled with coarsely ground, sweetly spiced meat, onions, and pine nuts, and deep-fried.

MAKES 16

Ingredients

For the Filling

1 tbsp. olive oil, plus more to garnish
1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
8 oz. ground beef sirloin
1 tsp. kosher salt
1⁄4 tsp. ground allspice
1⁄4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1⁄4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 tbsp. ground sumac, plus more to garnish

For the Shell

1 1⁄2 cups fine bulgur
1 tbsp. kosher salt
1⁄2 tsp. ground allspice
1⁄2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1⁄4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1 1⁄2 lb. lamb shoulder, trimmed of all fat and sinew
Canola oil, for frying
Plain yogurt, for serving
Mint leaves, to garnish

Instructions

For the filling: Heat oil in a 12" skillet over medium heat. Add onion, and cook, stirring, until soft, about 10 minutes. Add beef, and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 7 minutes. Add salt, allspice, and cinnamon, and cook, stirring, until meat begins to brown, about 4 minutes more. Transfer to a bowl, stir in nuts and sumac, and let cool.

For the shell: Rinse bulgur, squeeze out excess water, and place in a large bowl. Add salt, allspice, cinnamon, pepper, and onion, and set aside. Grind lamb twice in a meat grinder, and add to bulgur mixture; knead mixture in bowl into a pliable paste, about 5 minutes. Cover bowl with a clean dish towel.

Shape about 1⁄4 cup of the bulgur-meat paste into a ball, moistening your hands with water as you work. Hold ball in one hand and insert index finger of other hand into center to form a hole. Shape ball into a thin-walled (about 1⁄4"-thick) oval with an opening at one end by molding ball around finger, gradually tapering closed end. Mend any cracks in shell with a moistened finger. Fill hole with 1 1⁄2 tbsp. of the filling. Moisten edges of opening, then gather edges together to seal. Gently form kibbeh into the shape of an egg, and keep moist under a clean dish towel. Repeat shaping with remaining filling and bulgur-meat paste to make 16 egg-shaped balls in all.

Pour oil to a depth of 2" into a 6-qt. Dutch oven, and heat over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer reads 375°. Working in batches, fry kibbeh until browned all over, about 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Transfer to a serving platter, and spoon some yogurt on the platter alongside the kibbeh. Drizzle oil over yogurt, and sprinkle with more sumac. Serve with mint leaves on the side.

Source: Saveur

Chicken Shawarma Kibbeh Recipe

A chicken version (with a twist) from the beef kibbeh we all know. We added our Knorr Shawarma Marinade to make the flavour well balanced. Chef’s tip: 10% of minced lamb fat can be added for an extra moist chicken stuffing mix. View recipe below!

Ingredients

For the Dough

Bourghul, fine 350 g
Chicken Breast Mince 500 g
Onions, chopped 350 g
Mint leaves chopped 20 g
Salt 10 g
Ground black pepper 5 g
Cumin powder 5 g
Cinnamon powder 5 g

For the Filling

Knorr Corn Oil (4x5L) 520 ml
Chicken Breast Mince 500 g
Knorr Chicken Shawarma Marinade (6x750g) 20 g
Pine seeds 30 g
Knorr Mise en Place Pesto (2x340g) 5 g
Pomegranate Sauce 10 ml

Preparation

For the Dough

Wash bourghul and drain then cover and set it aside for 1 hour.

Combine in a mixing bowl the prepared bourghul, minced chicken breast meat, onion, mint, salt and spices. Mince the ingredients 3 times using the meat electric mincer (add some cold water to have soft dough if needed). Cover and set in the fridge.
For the Filling
Heat Knorr Corn Oil in a pan, add onion and cook until tender. Add the minced chicken meat and stir until cooked and brown in colour. Add the Knorr Chicken Shawarma Base, pine seeds, Knorr Mise an Place Pesto and pomegranate molasses and stir to combine well.

With wet hands, take medium sized pieces of the kibbeh dough mixture, form each portion into an oval shape, making a space in the centre by pushing your finger through from one end.

Stuff with some cooked chicken mixture, close by pressing firmly. Fry the kibbeh in hot deep oil until golden brown.

Garnish
With fresh tomato and lemon wedges, fresh parsley

Serve
Serve hot as an appetizers with green salad and fresh yogurt.

Source: Unilever Food Solutions

Grilled Kibbeh Recipe

Serves 4 Persons
Preparation Time 30 Minutes
Cook Time 20 Minutes
  
A great revisited Middle Eastern recipe prepared with a little hot sauce. It’s worth trying, check it now!

INGREDIENTS

 500 g ground meat
 250 g fine bulgur soaked in water for 30 minutes
 1tsp black pepper
 1tsp cumin
 1 halved onion
 1 tsp salt
 1 tsp cinnamon
 1 tsp dried mint
 1 tsp allspice
 Vegetable oil to grease the grill, as needed
 2 tbsp American Garden hot sauce Louisiana Style

PREPARATION

1- In a food processor, process the meat with the bulgur and onion.
2- Season with salt, black pepper, cinnamon, dried mint, all spice and cumin. Mix well until combined.
3- Knead the ingredients using hot sauce until the meat dough is homogenous.
4- Divide into medium-sized ball and shape into fingers.
5- Preheat the grill and oil it evenly.
6- Grill the kibbeh until done.

Note: Allspice is a mixture of spices and herbs widely used in the Middle Eastern cuisine. It can be prepared easily at home from different spices such as: cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, dried lime and curcuma. Use it to enrich your savory dishes!

Fatteh Tahini Chickpeas with Yoghurt Recipe

Course Lent Dish, Main Dish | Cuisine Lebanese | Servings 4 full portions |  Prep Time  10 minutes | Cook Time 15-20 minutes

Ingredients

2 cans Chick peas Drained and washed with fresh water
1 cup Tahini Sauce
1/2 cup Water
500 gr Plain Yogurt Lebanese or Mediterranean
1 loaf Lebanese Pita Bread Toasted and broken in small pieces
1/2 tsp Lebanese 7-Spices
Salt to taste

For Toppings

3 tbsp pine kernels Fried. Add the quantity if you are a fan of nuts in the food like me.
1 tbsp garlic mashed
1 1/2 tbsp butter unsalted
1 tbsp Vegetable oil

Preparation

1. Prepare the Tahini Sauce as per my recipe "How to Make Tahini Sauce". Meanwhile toast the bread, and mash the garlic.
2. Over medium heat, mix the Tahini Sauce with the Chick Peas while adding water gradually. Season with the 7-Spices and salt, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, while you fry the Pine Kernels.
3. Heat the oil and the butter, add the spoon of garlic, and fry softly over medium heat until it gets a yellowish golden look and a crispy texture. It should take few seconds. Set aside in the frying pan.

Serving

1. You have the option to pour the Chickpeas with its Tahini sauce into 4 soup plates or into one deep serving plate.
2. In any case, cover with a layer of small pieces of toasted bread. Follow with a generous layer of plain yogurt.
3. Top it with the fried pine kernels, and pour on the fried garlic with its warm oil-butter liquid.
4. To be consumed at once. The particularity if this dish is in the duality of warm and cold, and of the crispiness and softness.

Recipe Notes

You may prepare this dish ahead of time. At the time of serving, fry the garlic while warming the chickpeas, and then layer up all.

Saniora's palace bread (Aish el saraya) recipe

6:00 Prep | 0:15 Cook | 12 Servings | Capable cooks

Super Food Ideas

A traditional Egyptian Palace Bread. It may be simple to prepare, but it's full of love

Ingredients

10 slices white bread, crusts removed, toasted
2 1/2 cups milk
1/3 cup caster sugar
600ml thickened cream
1/3 cup cornflour
2 teaspoons rosewater (see notes)
1 cup chopped pistachio kernels (see notes)

Rosewater Syrup

2/3 cup caster sugar
3 teaspoons lemon juice
3 teaspoons rosewater

Method

Make Rosewater Syrup: Place sugar, juice and 2/3 cup water in a medium saucepan. Stir over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high. Bring to a simmer. Remove from heat. Stir in rosewater. Cool for 10 minutes.

Place 1/2 the bread in a 5cm-deep, 17cm x 26cm (6-cup-capacity) baking dish, cutting to fit. Pour 1/2 of the syrup over the bread in the dish. Top with remaining bread, cutting to fit. Drizzle with remaining syrup.

Place milk, sugar, cream and cornflour in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for 6 to 8 minutes or until mixture boils and thickens. Stir in rosewater. Pour over the bread in the dish. Sprinkle with pistachio. Set aside to cool for 20 minutes. Refrigerate overnight or until set. Serve.

Notes

You'll need to start this recipe 1 day ahead.

You could use rosewater essence instead. Use 1 teaspoon of essence in the cream mixture and 2 teaspoons in the syrup.

Toasted almonds or hazelnuts would also work well in this recipe.

Author: Saniora Malak Image credit: Andrew Young Publication: Super Food Ideas

Barbecue chicken with Persian rice salad recipe

0:15 Prep | 0:10 Cook | 4 Servings | Capable cooks

Coles

Turn on the BBQ for these easy spiced chicken thighs served with sweet and nutty Persian rice.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups (300g) basmati rice
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
8 small Coles RSPCA Approved Chicken Thigh Fillets
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/3 cup (55g) currants
8 dried apricots, thinly sliced
1/4 cup (35g) pistachio kernels, chopped
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
1/2 cup (140g) Greek-style yoghurt
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
1/2 small garlic clove, crushed

Method

Place the rice, half the turmeric and 2 1/4 cups (560ml) water in a medium saucepan. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to very low. Cover and simmer for 10 mins or until liquid is absorbed. Set aside, covered, for 2 mins. Transfer to a large bowl.

Meanwhile, place chicken in a glass or ceramic dish. Combine oil, cumin and remaining turmeric in a bowl. Drizzle over chicken. Season. Toss to coat.

Heat a barbecue grill or chargrill on medium. Cook chicken for 4-5 mins each side or until cooked through.

Add currants, apricot, pistachio and pine nuts to the rice. Season. Stir until well combined. Combine yoghurt, mint, garlic and 1 tbs water in a bowl. Season.

Divide the rice salad and chicken among serving plates. Serve with the yoghurt mixture.

Lebanese Lemon Chicken Recipe

Fast and flavorful Lebanese lemon chicken with shallots, fresh herbs,and a touch of turmeric--a comforting paleo dinner for fall or winter.

Prep time 5 mins | Cook time 25 mins | Total time 30 mins

Author: Becky Winkler
Recipe type: Gluten free, Grain free, Paleo, Whole30, Dinner, Chicken
Cuisine: Lebanese
Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

3 organic lemons
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for cooking

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1½ teaspoons flaky sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 12 thighs)
2 large shallots or 1 large onion

2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
2 sprigs of fresh thyme

Instructions

1. Juice one of the lemons until you have 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Put the juice in a large bowl and add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil along with the turmeric, sea salt, and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper.
2. Add the chicken thighs to the bowl and toss to coat. Let the chicken marinate briefly at room temperature while you prepare the other ingredients.
3. Trim the ends off the other two lemons and slice them into ¼-inch thick rounds. Remove any visible seeds. Halve, peel, and slice the shallots.
4. Heat two large cast iron skillets over medium-high heat (or use one skillet and cook the chicken in two batches). Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom with a thin layer of oil.
5. Divide the chicken pieces between the two pans with the smooth side of the chicken (where the skin was) facing down, making sure to leave a little room between the pieces so they can brown. Cook for about 5 minutes, until nicely browned on the bottom, and then flip and cook for 8-10 minutes on the second side, until just cooked through, lowering the heat slightly if necessary. Use tongs or a slotted spatula to transfer the chicken pieces to a plate.
6. Add the lemons, shallots, and herb sprigs to the pans. Let cook undisturbed for 3-4 minutes, until the lemons are browned on the bottom. Pour ½ cup water into each pan and stir, scraping the browned bits from the bottom. Reduce the heat to medium, add the chicken back to the pans, and cook for 4-5 minutes so the flavors can meld. Serve the chicken, shallots, and pan juices hot over rice or cauliflower rice.

Beef Mince “Sfiha” Recipe

Sfiha is an open Middle-Eastern baked pie that looks like a mini pizza and is topped with spiced beef or lamb mince.

Some of the fresh ingredients of “sfiha”, tomatoes and onions keep the mince moist, lime and mint give the mince lots of zing and complement the flavour of the spices. Adopted from The Amazing Flavours of Brazil.

Ingredients

Dough:

520g plain flour, sifted

2 tbs caster sugar

1 tsp salt

2 tsp instant dried yeast

250ml luke-warm milk

40ml extra-virgin olive oil

Topping:

700g full fat beef mince

3 tomatoes (about 400g), deseeded, roughly chopped

3 onions (about 450g), finely chopped

Juice of 2 limes

1 bunch mint, finely chopped

1 tsp ground coriander

¼ tsp of nutmeg

¼ tsp ground cloves

1 tsp chilli flakes

½ tsp ground white pepper

½ tsp cinnamon

3 tsp sumac*

1 tbs freshly ground sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Extra-virgin olive oil, to drizzle

Lime wedges, to serve

American mustard, to serve

Vegetable oil spray to grease

*Available from Middle-Eastern grocers or large supermarkets

 Instructions

1. For the dough, in a large bowl combine flour, sugar and salt. Make a well in the centre and add milk, yeast and oil. Using your hands combine all the ingredients until the mixture comes to a ball. Knead the dough for 10 minutes, make a ball and cover lightly with olive oil. Cover the bowl with a clean tea towel and set aside to prove in a warm draught-free place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

2. Pre-heat the oven 200°C, grill fan-forced. Line two large trays with baking paper. In a large bowl mix all ingredients of the topping and set aside for 15 minutes.

3. When the dough is ready make 20 balls of the size of a lime and place them on a clean bench dusted with  flour. Flatten a ball in the middle and push down sideways keeping the round shape. Spoon about 2 tbs of mince, squeeze tightly in one of your hands over a bowl (to remove excess juices) and spread the mince on top of the dough at the same time you flatten the dough to make a thin round mini-pizza shape of about 8cm diameter, leaving a little bit of crust on the edges then place it on a tray. The thinner the dough, the better the end results will be. Repeat with remaining balls.

4. Drizzle the sfihas with extra-virgin olive oil and bake in the middle shelf of the oven for 8-10 minutes or until the crusts are golden and the base is dry and crispy. Serve with lime wedges and mustard.

Makes: 20 sfihas

Namoora (Basboosa) Recipe

Namoora (Basboosa)

"Middle Eastern dessert."

From allrecipes.com
Recipe by: Basma Yacoub


1 h 50 m 16 servings 286 cals

Ingredients

1 tablespoon tahini (sesame seed paste)
2 cups dry farina cereal
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon butter, softened
16 blanched almond halves
2 cups white sugar
2 cups water
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon orange flower water (optional)
Add all ingredients to list

Directions

Prep 20 m | Cook 30 m | Ready In 1 h 50 m

1. Line a 9x13-inch glass baking dish with aluminum foil and generously butter the foil. Spread the tahini evenly over the bottom of the prepared pan in a thin layer.
2. Mix together farina cereal with 1 1/2 cup of sugar and baking powder in a bowl. Mix in the yogurt and 1 tablespoon of softened butter gently with your hands until the dough is smooth. Spread dough out into the prepared baking dish. Pat the surface smooth. Cover the dish with foil, and allow to stand at room temperature for 2 hours. With a sharp knife, cut the dough into 16 squares; push an almond half gently into the top of each square.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
4. Bake in the preheated oven until the dessert is set and the top is lightly golden brown, about 30 minutes.
5. While the dessert is baking, make the syrup. Place 2 cups of sugar into a saucepan with the water, and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly to dissolve sugar. Stir in the lemon juice, and boil the syrup for 5 minutes; stir in butter and orange flower water until combined. Pour the hot syrup over the dessert as soon as it comes out of the oven. Let cool for 1 to 2 hours to let the syrup absorb before serving.

Editor's Note:
Dry farina is commonly sold in the US under the Cream of Wheat(R) brand.

Chicken Eggplant Maklouba Recipe

Chicken Eggplant Maklouba

Yield: 10 servings

Ingredients

1.00 kg Chicken, whole
1.00 kg Basmati rice
40.00 g Knorr Chicken Bouillon Powder
500.00 g Eggplant
200.00 g Onions, chopped
20.00 g Cinnamon powder
10.00 g Coriander powder
15.00 g Turmeric powder
100.00 g Almonds, roasted
100.00 g Roasted Pine nuts
40.00 ml Knorr Chicken Liquid Concentrate Bouillon

Preparation

1. Boil chicken in water for 50 minutes or until it becomes tender. Remove skin and bones and flake into thick flakes.

2. Deep fry eggplant slices until they become golden in colour. Set aside.

3. Heat the ghee in a pot and sauté chopped onions then add minced meat for 5 minutes or until it becomes brown in colour and well cooked.

4. Arrange fried eggplant slices on top of cooked meat in the same pot then add a layer of shredded chicken and flakes, finally add the rice on top.

5. Dissolve Knorr Chicken Bouillon Powder in 2 litre of hot water with all spices and add the stock to the rice and bring to boil. Cover and let it simmer on low heat for 30 minutes or until rice is cooked.

6. Before serving mix trough Knorr Concentrated Chicken Bouillon.

Source: Unilever Food Solutions