Qahwat (Arabic coffee)

Ingredients:

1-2 cups water

6 lightly pounded cardamom pods

3 tablespoons finely ground, dark roast coffee

Method: 

Usually made in a dallah (coffee-pot made of brass with a bulbous body that tapers at the top and has a long, pointed spout, a curved handle and a high-domed lid). Can use a normal coffee pot. Pour water into pot and add cardamom pods and coffee. Stir well. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Allow grounds to settle. 

Serve coffee unsweetened in tiny, handless, bowl-shaped cups for an authentic feel. It is apparently bad manners to have only one cup. The general custom is to wiggle the cup in the right hand after the second cup of coffee to indicate you are done. 

Al batheeth (Date sweets)

Ingredients:

1 cup wholewheat or wholemeal flour

1/2 cup ghee

Crushed cardamom for flavor

1 cup chopped pitted dates

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Icing sugar

Method: 

Place flour in a heavy-based pan and stir over medium hear till light golden. Add dates to flour and heat till dates are soft. Stir constantly. Add ghee, cardamon and ginger to date mixture. Stir till all these ingredients are evenly distributed and remove from heat once mixture is crumbly. Set aside until cool enough to handle. Take 1 tablespoon mixture at a time and knead in hands till mixture holds together. Squeeze into an oval shape. Place on a plater and allow to further cool. 

Serve dusted with icing sugar and coffee. Makes 20.

Mashkoul (Onion rice)

Ingredients:

2 cups basmati rice

1 tablespoon salt

1/4 cup vegetable oil 

6 cups cold water

1 large fine chopped brown onion

Method: 

Wash rice and drain well. In large saucepan, bring the water to a boil and then add rice and salt. Return to boil, stirring occasionally. Cook for 8 minutes, then drain immediately in a sieve. In another saucepan, heat oil and add onion. Fry till translucent. Raise heat to medium-high and fry onion until lightly colored and crisp. Remove half the onion and oil and set aside in a small bowl. Add rice to the saucepan and combine with the remaining onion using a fork. Put the previously removed onion on top of the rice and cover pan tightly. Cool over low heat until the rice is tender, about 35-40 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve piled on a platter. 

Serve with meat or vegetables. Mashkoul is a standard accompaniment to most Arabic dishes. Serves 6.

Fattoush (Toasted bread salad)

Ingredients:

6-8 lettuce leaves

1 small green cucumber

2 tomatoes 

1 cup capsicum (green or red)

5 stalks spring onion 

6 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

1 pita bread

Dressing:

1 clove garlic

1/2 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

coarse ground black pepper

Method: 

Toast pita bread till golden-brown and cut into tiny squares. Chop lettuce, cucumber, capscicum and tomatoes into medium sized pieces. Combine in a salad bowl with finely diced spring onion, parsley and mint. Make dressing in a separate bowl by crushing garlic, and mixing the paste with salt, lemon juice, olive oil and black pepper. Pour dressing on the salad and toss well.   

Variations:

Dress the salad with the Tahini dip.

Serve as a starter or as a light meal. Serves 6.

Dukkous bi tahina (Tahini dip)

Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup tahini 
1/3 cup cold water
1/3 cup lemon juice


Method: 
Place tahini (can be bought from Trader Joe or Wholefoods) and garlic in food processor and process for a few seconds till garlic is crushed. Add lemon juice and water alternately, a small amount at a time, until the desired consistency is reached. Blend in the salt to taste. 


Variations:
Add 3-4 tablespoons of flat-leaf parsley in the final round of blending.


Serve with warm pita bread, or as a sauce with roasted meat or vegetables. Makes 1.5 cups.

Flavours of Arabia

Arabia (a.k.a. the Gulf or the Middle East or the land between Africa and Central Asia) boasts some of the best cuisine in the world. While first impressions of Gulf food may be that of boiled meat on a big mound of spiced rice, such as that enjoyed by nomadic Bedouins or Lawrence of Arabia, and eaten in a communal setting with the hands, this is not always the case. Indeed, Arabia was at the center of the spice route between the East and Europe. Some frequently used spices in Arabic cooking include cardamom, saffron, turmeric, almonds, flat-leaf parsley, rosewater and dates. Five different recipes follow......

Food for thought

Whether you 'live to eat' or 'eat to live', food preparation and dining is a daily activity we all perform. My take on it is that for utmost enjoyment, the experience should be relaxed and unaffected, where the food can be prepared in a short time and still be flavorsome, nutritious and appeal to a general majority. The Melange Master Class will present recipes that incorporate these values. A 'Cuisine du Monde' approach, with tried and tested traditional and/or innovative recipes from all over the world, will be used. A bit of history about the cuisine and its interesting spices or herbs will also be available for interested readers. Here's wishing you wonderful new creative experiences. Bon appetit!