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The Arabic Food Recipes kitchen (The Home of Delicious Arabic Food Recipes) invites you to try Low Fat Basbousa with Yogurt Recipe. Enjoy preparing traditional Arabic desserts and learn how to make Low Fat Basbousa with Yogurt.

Preparation time :     15 minutes
Cooking time :     35 minutes

Serves: 20 persons

Ingredients

1 tablespoon tahina
¼ cup ghee or 50 g, softened
1 tin nestlé fat free sweetened condensed milk or 405 g
1 teaspoon baking powder
2½ cups fine semolina or 400 g
½ cup low fat yoghurt or 125 ml
1 cup water or 250 ml

For the syrup:
½ cup sugar or 100 g
1 cup water or 250 ml
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch or 15 g, (to thicken the syrup)
½ cup water, cold, to mix with cornstarch
1 tablespoon rose water

Preparation

Grease a 28x24cm baking tin with the tahina.

Combine ghee, NESTLÉ Fat-Free Sweetened Condensed Milk and baking powder and stir well. Add semolina, yogurt and water and stir until well combined.

Pour and level mixture into the prepared baking tin. Bake in a 190°C preheated oven for 35 minutes or until top is golden.

Remove from oven and pour all over the cooled syrup. Set aside to cool into a room temperature, cut into square shape and serve.

To prepare the syrup: Add sugar and 1 cup of water to a saucepan. Bring to boil and simmer for 6-8 minutes. Dissolve the 1 tablespoon of cornstarch in the remaining ½ cup of cold water and add to the simmering sugar and water, stir constantly on heat for 2 min until syrup thickens. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and rosewater.

Cooking tips : The texture of the basbousa mixture should be slightly loose and not firm to get best results.
 
Serving tips : Garnish with crushed pistachio and desiccated coconut.

Nutritional Information:

Energy :     181.00 Kcal
Protein :     4.70 g
Carbohydrate :     33.00 g
Fats :     3.20 g

More Dessert Recipes:

Basbousa Recipe
Coconut Basbousa
Knafeh
Knafeh Dough
Baklava with honey syrup
Pistachio Hazelnut Baklava     

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The Arabic Food Recipes kitchen (The Home of Delicious Arabic Food Recipes) invites you to try Beef kofta with saffron yoghurt Recipe.  Enjoy Tasty Middle Eastern Food recipes and learn how to make Beef kofta with saffron yoghurt.  

Cooking Time 30 minutes

Ingredients (serves 8)

1/2 cup loosely packed fresh continental parsley leaves
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh coriander leaves
1 brown onion, quartered
500g lean beef mince
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground mild paprika
1/2 tsp ground allspice
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
10 saffron threads
1 tbs hot milk
200ml container skim-milk natural yoghurt
2 tbs chopped fresh coriander, extra
2 tsp olive oil

Method

1. Line a large baking tray with foil. Place parsley, fresh coriander and onion in the bowl of a food processor. Process until finely chopped. Add mince, ground coriander, cumin, paprika, allspice and season with salt and pepper. Process until well combined and paste-like.
  
2. Preheat grill to medium-high. Use your hands to mould a heaped tablespoonful of beef mixture around a wooden skewer into a 7cm pointed-ended sausage. Place on the lined tray. Repeat with remaining beef mixture and skewers. Cover and set aside.
  
3. Place the saffron and hot milk in a small bowl and set aside. Combine the yoghurt, extra fresh coriander, salt and pepper in a small bowl and set aside.
  
4. Brush the kofta with a little of the oil and cook under preheated grill, turning carefully once and brushing with the oil, for 5-8 minutes or until browned and just cooked through.
  
5. Add saffron mixture to yoghurt mixture and mix well. Serve kofta with saffron yoghurt.

Notes
You will need 16 bamboo skewers for this recipe.

Source
Good Taste - March 2002, Page 70
Recipe by Jan Purser

More Arabic Food Recipes:

Moroccan kofte with spicy tomato sauce
Chicken kofta recipe
Kofta Orfali with White Rice
Lamb kofta with flatbread
Kofta Bil-Siniyah Recipe
Grilled Fish Kofta in Spicy Sauce   

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The Arabic Food Recipes kitchen (The Home of Delicious Arabic Food Recipes) invites you to try Baked falafel with roasted eggplant salad Recipe.  Enjoy Middle Eastern Food and learn how to make quick and easy Baked falafel with roasted eggplant salad. 

Preparation Time 30 minutes
Cooking Time 40 minutes

Ingredients (serves 4)

165g (3/4 cup) dried chickpeas
1 small brown onion, halved, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/3 cup firmly packed fresh continental parsley leaves
1/3 cup firmly packed fresh coriander leaves
2 tsp finely grated lemon rind
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 large (about 350g) eggplant, ends trimmed, cut into 2.5cm pieces
3 ripe egg tomatoes, each tomato cut into 6 wedges
Olive oil spray
1 bunch rocket, ends trimmed, washed, dried, leaves torn
1 small red onion, halved, thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
1/4 tsp sumac
130g (1/2 cup) reduced-fat natural yoghurt (Vaalia brand)
Freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Place the chickpeas in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Set aside overnight to soak. Drain well.
  
2. Preheat oven to 200°C. Place the chickpeas, brown onion, garlic, parsley, fresh coriander, lemon rind and juice, ground coriander, cumin and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor and process, scraping down the side of the bowl regularly, until smooth. Set aside for 30 minutes to develop flavours.
  
3. Line 2 baking trays with non-stick baking paper. Place the eggplant and tomato on separate trays. Spray the eggplant and tomato lightly with olive oil spray. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown and tender. Remove from oven. Increase oven temperature to 220°C.
  
4. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Divide chickpea mixture into 12 equal portions. Roll each portion into a ball and flatten slightly. Place on the prepared tray and lightly spray with olive oil spray. Bake in oven, turning halfway through cooking, for 15 minutes or until light golden brown.
  
5. Place the rocket, red onion, mint, sumac, roasted eggplant and roasted tomato in a large bowl and gently toss to combine. Divide salad among shallow serving bowls. Top with the baked falafel and a dollop of yoghurt. Season with pepper and serve immediately.

Notes
Sumac is a tangy, deep-purple spice commonly used in Middle-Eastern cooking. It's available in the spice section of Woolworths supermarkets.
This is a high fibre dish.

Source
Good Taste - September 2005, Page 112
Recipe by Tracy Rutherford

More Falafel Recipes:

Falafel with Tahini Sauce
Chickpea fritters (falafel)
Make Best Falafel Balls
Falafel & hummus on pita bread
Falafel Hot Sauce Recipe
Falafel and hommus wrap

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The Arabic Food Recipes kitchen (The Home of Delicious Arabic Food Recipes) invites you to try Stuffed zucchini (Koussa mahshi) Recipe.  Enjoy tasty  cooking recipes and learn how to make Stuffed zucchini (Koussa mahshi).

If you omit the mince, this simple and tasty dish makes a great vegetarian option, too.

Preparation Time 40 minutes
Cooking Time 60 minutes

Ingredients (serves 4)

8 (about 12cm long) white zucchini, stalks trimmed, washed
100g lamb mince
50g (1/4 cup) long-grain rice, washed, drained
1/2 tomato, finely chopped
10g butter, melted
2 tsp water
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
70g (1/4 cup) tomato paste
1/2 tsp salt
Lebanese bread, to serve
Natural yoghurt, to serve

Method

1. Use an apple corer or small, sharp knife to remove the flesh from the zucchini, leaving a 5mm-thick border. Wash shells in a bowl of salted water.

2. Combine the mince, rice, tomato, butter, water, allspice and cinnamon in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Fill each zucchini shell about three-quarters full with the rice mixture.

3. Place the zucchini, in a single layer, in a large saucepan. Cover with cold water. Add tomato paste and salt. Bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low. Cook for 1 hour or until very tender.

4. Divide among serving dishes and pour over broth. Serve with bread and yoghurt.

Source
Good Taste - October 2007, Page 134
Recipe by Gemma Purcell

More Arabic Food Recipes:

Lebanese Chicken and Potatoes
Dolma
Mansaf
Shish Barak with Yoghurt
Beef, feta and green onion rissoles
Chicken biryani recipe
Lamb and Apricot Tagine 

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The Arabic Food Recipes kitchen (The Home of Delicious Arabic Food Recipes) invites you to try Falafel with Tahini Sauce Recipe.  Enjoy Tasty Middle Eastern Food recipes and learn how to make Falafel with Tahini Sauce.  

Cook Time: 30 min
Level: Intermediate
Yield: about 2 1/2 dozen

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups dried, peeled fava beans (skinless, split broad beans), soaked in cold water for 24 hours
1/3 cup dried chickpeas, soaked in cold water for 24 hours
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup minced parsley leaves
1/4 cup minced cilantro leaves
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon baking soda or baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Vegetable oil, for frying
Tahini Sauce, for serving, recipe follows
Pita bread, for serving, optional

Directions

Drain and rinse both the fava beans as well as the chickpeas. Combine both beans in the bowl of a food processor, along with the onion, parsley, cilantro, garlic, cumin, baking soda, salt, ground coriander, and cayenne, and pulse, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary, until a coarse paste is formed. Add 1 or 2 tablespoons of water, if needed to make the paste hold together - you will have to remove the lid of the processor and check this by pressing some of the mixture together between your fingers. Add a bit more water, if necessary. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to rest for about 30 minutes.

Preheat at least 3-inches of oil in a saucepan or a deep-fryer to 350 degrees F.

Scoop the fava-chick pea mixture into 1 1/2 to 2-tablespoon increments and, using your hands, shape into balls or patties about 1 1/2 to 2-inches in diameter. Gently lower the falafel balls into the hot oil (these are fragile - do not drop them or they will fall apart.) Fry the falafel in batches until crisp and brown, turning to promote even browning, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Transfer to paper-lined plates to drain briefly before serving with the Tahini Sauce and pita bread, if using.

Chef's Note: if you cannot find skinless fava beans, you will need to peel them. This is most easily accomplished after the beans have soaked for a short while - the skins will puff up away from the bean and can then be peeled off. While this is not terribly difficult to do, it is very time consuming and we recommend using skinless if you can source them.

Tahini Sauce:

1 cup tahini paste
1/4 cup plus more, if necessary, lemon juice
2 small cloves garlic, minced
1/2 to 3/4 cup water, as needed
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon salt

Make the sauce by combining the tahini paste, lemon juice, and garlic in a bowl and stirring to combine. Add the water a little at a time as needed to form a smooth, creamy sauce approximately the thickness of heavy cream. (Note that the sauce might appear to separate for a bit before enough water has been added; just keep adding more water bit by bit and stirring until the sauce comes together.) Season to taste with salt and more lemon juice, if necessary. Transfer to a nonreactive container and refrigerate until ready to serve the falafel.

Yield: about 2 cups

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2007
Show: Emeril LiveEpisode: A Persian Feast

More Falafel Recipes:

Chickpea fritters (falafel)
Make Best Falafel Balls
Falafel & hummus on pita bread
Falafel Hot Sauce Recipe
Falafel and hommus wrap
Falafel Sauce

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The Arabic Food Recipes kitchen (The Home of Delicious Arabic Food Recipes) invites you to try Umm Ali Recipe. Enjoy Egyptian Desserts and learn how to make Umm Ali. It's Cheep, easy!

Preparation time :     15 minutes
Cooking time :     20 minutes
Serves: 10 persons

Ingredients

8 pieces croissant or 600 g, medium size, cut into small pieces
3 tablespoons raisins
3 tablespoons desiccated coconut
3 tablespoons flaked almonds, toasted
3 tablespoons pistachio nuts, cracked
1 tin NESTLÉ® Sweetened Condensed Milk or 397 g
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
4 cups water or 1 liter
1 cup liquid cream or 250 ml, whipped

Preparation

Combine croissant pieces, raisins, coconut, almonds and pistachio in a baking dish.

Place NESTLÉ® Sweetened Condensed Milk , vanilla and water in a large saucepan and bring to boil then remove from heat and pour immediately over the croissant mixture in the baking dish and set them aside for 5 minutes or until croissants absorb the maximum of the liquid.

Place whipped cream in a piping bag and pipe the cream over the prepared mixture in the baking dish.

Place the baking dish in a preheated oven at 200°C using the grill part of the oven and grill for 5 minutes or until the cream topping is golden color. Serve it immediately.


More Dessert Recipes:

Pistachio Dates Truffles
Almond Sesame Balls
Baklava with honey syrup
Fried Qatayef Bil-Kishta
Qatayef Asafiri Bil-Kishta
Kunafa 

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The Arabic Food Recipes kitchen (The Home of Delicious Arabic Food Recipes) invites you to try Egyptian Eggs with Dukkah Recipe. Enjoy cooking tasty Arabic food and learn how to make Egyptian Eggs with Dukkah. 

Neil Perry versed Greg Malouf in a Cook Off where eggs were the theme ingredient. See what Greg came up with.

Ingredients

Dukkah Spice Mix
8 tablespoons sesame seeds lightly toasted
4 tablespoons coriander seeds roasted and crushed
3 tablespoons cumin seeds roasted and crushed
50 g Hazelnuts toasted, peeled and crushed
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon White pepper
4 Eggs
Plain Flour for dusting
vegetable oil for deep frying
1 bulb Fennel thinly sliced
2 cups Flat-leaf parsley whole leaves
1 small purple Onion thinly sliced
60 ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
of 1/2 - 1 Lemon or lime
1 teaspoon dried Mint
Salt
Pepper
100 g Bulgarian feta

Method

1. Roast each ingredient separately, and rub away as much of the brown skin from the hazelnuts as you can.
2. Pound the seeds using a mortar and pestle or whiz them carefully in a spice or coffee grinder.
3. When you grind the sesame seeds and hazelnuts be careful not to over grind them or they will disintegrate
4. into an oily paste.
5. Soft boil the eggs for 3 minutes.
6. Cool down under running water and peel carefully.
7. Dust them in plain flour and then deep fry each egg for 1-1½ minutes, or until golden brown.
8. Remove from the oil and immediately roll them in dukkah.
9. To make the salad, mix together the fennel flat leaf parsley, onion and dried mint.
10. Whisk together the olive oil and lime juice and season with salt and pepper.
11. Dress the salad and crumble over the fetta.
12. Divide among serving plates.
13. Place a Dukkah egg on top of the salad, drizzle over a little extra virgin olive oil, and serve immediately.

Recipe by Greg Malouf

Moroccan eggs - Chakchouka Recipe - Shakshouka

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Egyptian Falafel - Egypt’s favourite street food is crisp outside, fluffy inside, and delicious throughout. Easy and tasty recipe for Egyptian falafel. Enjoy the Egyptian cuisine and cooking and learn how to make traditional falafel.

These little rissoles are a staple of Egyptian food, their provenance extending way back to the Egyptian Copts. They’ve since made their way through the Middle East in various guises, most popularly in Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. The Egyptian version uses dried white broad beans, while in other areas,some recipes call for half broad beans, half dried chickpeas or even all chickpeas. Of course, each group claims their own recipe to be the best and looks askance at the others.

Cooking Time Prep time 35 mins, cook 20 mins (plus chilling)

Ingredients serves 6
200 gm (2 cups) dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in cold water
200 gm podded broad beans (about 600gm unpodded)
1 Spanish onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp each ground coriander, cumin and cayenne
1 cup each coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley and coriander
1 lemon, finely grated rind only
3 tsp plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
For deep-frying: vegetable oil
To serve: pickled chillies, mixed herb leaf salad (see note) and warm flat-bread
Lemon, cumin and chilli salt
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp sea salt flakes
1 lemon, finely grated rind only
½ tsp dried chilli flakes
Yoghurt-tahini sauce
55 gm (2½ tbsp) tahini
2 tbsp lemon juice
150 gm Greek-style plain yoghurt
1 garlic clove, crushed

Preparation

1. Drain chickpeas (discard liquid) and process in a food processor with broad beans, onion, garlic, spices, herbs and rind until a fine paste forms. Stir through flour and bicarbonate of soda, season to taste and roll into walnut-sized oval balls. Place on a tray lined with baking paper and refrigerate until chilled (15 minutes).
2. For lemon, cumin and chilli salt, dry-roast cumin seeds until fragrant (2-3 minutes). Pound with remaining ingredients in a mortar and pestle until coarsely ground, set aside.
3. Meanwhile, for yoghurt-tahini sauce, whisk tahini and lemon juice in a bowl until smooth, add yoghurt and garlic, season to taste and set aside.
4. Preheat oil in a deep-fryer or large deep-sided saucepan to 170C. Deep-fry falafel in batches, turning occasionally until golden and cooked through (3-5 minutes), remove with a slotted spoon, drain on absorbent paper and keep warm. Season to taste with lemon, cumin and chilli salt and serve with yoghurt-tahini sauce, pickled chillies, herb salad and flat-bread.

Note You’ll need to begin this recipe a day ahead. You could use any delicate herb for the salad; here we’ve used flat-leaf parsley, chives, mint and dill.

This recipe is from the September 2009 issue of Australian Gourmet Traveller.

Falafel and hommus wrap - Falafel Sauce - Make Best Falafel Balls Recipe

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Recipe for Foul Mudammas, learn how to make best foul mudammas, a dish made from fava beans, which are cooked and served with diced cucumbers, tomatoes, and parsley in a pita and is commonly served in the middle east as a breakfast food.

Ingredients
1 Can fava beans 16oz
1 Can garbanzo beans 16oz
2 Large minced Garlic
1 tsp of salt
1/2 Cup lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped tomato
1/2 cup chopped parsley
2 radish sliced
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Preparation
In a pot warm up the fava beans and chick peas then transfer to a large bowl. Add minced garlic with salt and lemon juice and combine with beans. With a mortar, mash half of the beans then mix with a spoon. Top with freshly chopped parley, tomato, radishes, olive oil and cayenne pepper. Serve with pita bread.

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Fasolia is a famous main dish in many Arab countries and it is served with Lebanese rice. Enjoy this Fasolia recipe (white beans).

Ingredients

1lb dried haricot beans
1 large onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
peeled tomato
1 tbsp tomato puree
olive oil for frying
salt

Preparation

1. Soak the beans overnight.
2. Drain and add fresh cold water. Bring to boil.
3. Meanwhile, sauté the onions and garlic.
4. Add peeled tomato, tomato puree and cook for 2-3 minutes.
5. When the beans have come to the boil for 10 minutes, drain and add freshly boiled water enough to cover.
6. Add the tomato sauce, cover and simmer for 45minutes or until the sauce has thickened and the beans are cooked.
7. Five minutes before the end, add the salt and pepper.
8. Allow the beans to stand for at least 15 minutes before serving. Serve as a main dish with Lebanese rice.

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Enjoy the oriental cuisine and try an easy recipe to make the Coconut Basbousa, wonderful Arabic dessert.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon tahina
½ cup ghee or 100 g, softened
1 tin NESTLÉ® Sweetened Condensed Milk or 397 g
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups semolina or 320 g
1 cup desiccated coconut or 100 g
1 cup water or 250 ml

For the syrup:
1½ cups sugar or 300 g
1 cup water or 250 ml
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon blossom water

Preparation

Grease a 28x24cm baking tin with the tahina.

Combine ghee, NESTLÉ® Sweetened Condensed Milk and baking powder and stir well. Add semolina, desiccated coconut and water and stir until well combined.

Pour and level mixture into the prepared baking tin. Bake in a 190°C preheated oven for 35 minutes or until the top becomes golden in color.

Remove from oven and pour all over the cooled syrup. Set aside to cool into a room temperature, cut into diamond shape and serve.

To prepare the syrup: Add sugar and water to a saucepan. Bring to boil and simmer for 6-8 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and rosewater.

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Om Ali, Umm Ali or Um Ali is a favourite Middle Eastern pudding. In Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and across the Middle East, Om Ali is probably one of the most popular desserts available. Usually made with layers of filo or puff pastry, both produce excellent results.

Ingredients - Om Ali

• 1 large sheet of puff pastry ( about 90g/3 oz) / (or 5 to 6 sheets of small filo pastry) 120g (4oz) raisins
• 120g (4oz) flaked almonds and pistachios, a few chopped apricots, and dates.
• 1 litre milk
• 300 ml double cream
• 90 gr (3oz) sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preparation - Om Ali

• Preheat oven to 150C degrees
• Lightly butter the puff pastry (optional).
• Place the one large sheet of puff pastry sheet on an oven tray. and bake for 25 minutes or until crisp and brown. Remove from the oven and raise the oven temperature to 240C degrees.
• Butter the baking dish.
• Crumple the pastry into a baking dish, scatter the raisins, fruit and nuts in between layers
• In a saucepan on the top of the stove bring the milk , cream and sugar to the boil. Pour this over the pastry. Sprinkle with cinnamon, flaked almonds, and ground pistachios.
• Place dish in oven for 20 minutes or until the top is browned.
• Serve hot.

Stuffed Grape Leaves (Warak enab mehshi) in Arabic "ورق عنب محشي" is a middle eastern dish that can be served as a side dish or a main dish. At restaurants it is usually served as a side dish (Mezzi), but when cooked at home it is mostly considered as a main dish. Warak enab is famous in Lebanon, ٍSyria, Jordan, Palestine, Egypt, and Iraq which is called Dolma. Here is a step by step recipe on how to make warak enab. Cinnamon and mint seasoning make this version of a popular eastern Mediterranean food typically Lebanese.

Ingredients:

• 1 Ib. fresh tender vine leaves
• 2 cups ground or chopped meat, preferably lamb
• Several meat bones
• 1 1/2 cups rice
• 2 whole garlic cloves
• 8 garlic cloves crushed with salt
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 cups cold water
• 2 medium sized tomatoes, sliced
• 1 medium sized tomato, chopped (optional)
• 1 tsp. dried mint
  

Preparation:

1. Soften and blanch vine leaves by dipping a few at a time in boiling, salted water. Set aside.
2. Wash rice and mix with ground meat, chopped tomato, salt, pepper, cinnamon and one half cup cold water.
   
3. Stuff one leaf at a time. Place a teaspoon of stuffing in the center of each. Fold the bottom of the leaf up over the stuffing, then fold from each side to the middle. Roll tightly to form a cylinder about three inches long and somewhat thicker than a cigar.
4. Place layer of bones in pressure cooker and cover with sliced tomatoes and the whole garlic.
   
5. Arrange rolls side by side in layers on the tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and lemon juice. Add water. Cook under pressure 12 minutes. Simmer uncovered to reduce sauce. Mix one half cup of the sauce with crushed garlic and mint. Sprinkle this over the mahshi and simmer a few more minutes to enhance flavor.
   
6. Remove mahshi carefully from cooking pan. Cool fingers in cold water to facilitate handling the hot rolls.
   
7. Arrange on platter.
8. Serve hot with bowl of the sauce.
   

Remark: Cook without pressure if you prefer. Prepare as above. Arrange mahshi over layer of bones and sliced tomatoes. When all has been added, press down firmly with palm of the hand.
Add water to cover, salt, and cook about an hour, or until leaves are tender and the stuffing is well cooked. Sprinkle with lemon juice, minced garlic and dried mint. Simmer few more minutes.

Dolma is a family of stuffed vegetable dishes in the cuisines of the former Ottoman Empire and surrounding regions, including Turkey, Egypt, Albania, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, the Balkans, Greece, Iraq, Iran, Northern Sudan, Central and South Asia. Perhaps the best-known is the grape-leaf dolma, which is more precisely called yaprak dolma or sarma. Common vegetables to stuff include zucchini, eggplant, tomato and pepper. The stuffing may or may not include meat. Meat dolma are generally served warm, often with sauce; meatless ones are generally served cold, though meatless dolma are eaten both ways in Iran. Both are often eaten with yoghurt. Read More...

Ingredients:

• 3 cups uncooked white rice
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon curry powder (optional)
• 1 (16 ounce) jar grape leaves, drained and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 potato, sliced into rounds
• 1 cup canned tomato sauce
• 2 cups water, or as needed
  

Preparation:

• In a medium bowl, mix together the uncooked rice, ground beef, parsley, allspice, pepper and curry powder until well blended.
• Pour oil into the bottom of a large pot, and spread to cover. Make a layer of potato slices to cover the bottom of the pan. The dolmas should not be able to touch the bottom of the pan.
• Lay the grape leaves out flat on a cutting board. Place about a tablespoon of the beef mixture in the center of one leaf. Fold sides in towards the center, then roll up from the bottom loosely. Set in the pot seam side down. Repeat with the remaining mixture and leaves. For large leaves, you may cut them in half at the center vein. Place a heavy dinner plate on top of the dolma to keep them from unraveling. The cooking pot should be about 2/3 full.
• Pour tomato sauce and water over the dolma. The liquid should cover them by at least one inch. Adjust the amount of water if necessary. Bring to a boil, then cover, and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until all liquid has been absorbed and rice is tender.
  

Kousa Mehshi (Stuffed Zucchini) is an Arabic main dish and widely spread in the mediterranean region . Here is a step by step recipe about cooking Kousa Mehshi.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg (32 oz) medium zucchini
• 200 g (7 oz) minced meat
• 1 cup short grain rice, washed
• 1 kg (32 oz) red tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 2 tspns salt
• a dash of ground allspice and black pepper (as desired)
• a dash of ground cinnamon (as desired)
• 1 tbls shortening or butter
• 5 cloves garlic, crushed with a dash of salt
• 2 cups water
• 4 tbls lemon juice
  

Preparation:

• Wash well zucchini. Remove stems using a knife. Hollow out using an apple corer. Wash zucchini inside and out. Drain. Filling: Mix minced meat with rice. Stir in salt and spices.
• Stuff zucchini, shake each after filling it so that the filling is well distributed (don™t over stuff). Arrange in a pot. Invert a plate on top.
• Strain tomatoes using a colander. Add 2 cups of water, shortening, and a dash of salt. Place tomato juice in a pot over medium heat. When it boils, add to zucchini. Cook for 1 hour, or until tender. Add crushed garlic and lemon juice. Cook for 5 minutes.
• Serve zucchini and sauce hot separately or together in a large bowl.

Kabsa is an Arabic favorite rice dish popular in many Gulf countries such as Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates. Because Kabsa is really delicious, it became famous dish in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Egypt. This is a meat (lamb) version of the Kabsa recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 kg lamb, large cubes
• 4 cups basmati rice
• 1/2 kg carrot, peeled and finely diced
• 1 green pepper, seeded and finely diced
• 1 kg tomato, peeled and diced
• 1 kg finely chopped onion
• 6-8 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pinch ground cumin
• 1 pinch ground coriander
• salt and black pepper
• butter or olive oil (for frying)
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
  

Kabsa Spice Mix

• 1/2 teaspoon saffron
• 1/4 teaspoon ground green cardamoms
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground dried limes
  

Sauce

• 2 cups water
• 1 beef stock cube (Maggi)
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 14 ounces chopped tomatoes
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/4 cup diced celery
• salt and black pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
  

Preparation:

• Fry meat until browned on all sides. Add enough water to the pot so that it covers the meat by 1.5"-2", bring to a boil then cook gently over medium heat for 1 1/2 - 2 hours or until tender. Reserve stock & set meat aside.
• Soak rice for 15 minutes. Drain, rise under running water then drain well.
• Add butter to a large stock pot or casserole, fry the onion, pepper, carrot & spices. Cook on low heat for about 10 minutes, or until tender.
• Add rice to vegetables in the pot, cook for 5 minutes on medium heat. Add meat stock until stock covers rice (approx 1.5" above rice). Cover pot. Cook on low heat for 30 minutes or until tender - add a little more stock or water if rice seems to become dry.

Sauce:

• Fry onion, garlic and tomato in the butter. Add tomato paste, celery, salt, cinnamon, water & stock cube. Cook on medium heat until slightly thickened and celery is tender.
• Serve in a large dish or on a platter. Place the rice first, top with meat & garnish with pine nuts. Serve the sauce in a jug with a spoon. Saudies enjoy kabsa with a hot sauce called "shattah".

How to cook Kabsah - Arabic Favorite Rice Dish - Video:

Homemade Arabic Cream (Kushta). Wonderful Kushta recipe.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of milk powder
• 1/4 cups of refined white flour
• 4 cups of water
  

Preparation:

1. Mix the ingredients in a bowl very well and then put over a meduim fire.
2. Mix the ingredients with a wooden spoon continuously so that the milk does not crumble.
3. When the mixture begins to boil, keep it for five minutes and then take it off the fire and pour it over a wide pan.
4. After two minutes remove the cream that has been created on the surface and put it aside.
5. Keep on doing this each time a cream is found on the surface until there is nothing left.

Katayef is the traditional sweet that is made during the Holy month of Ramadan. It is really simple to make, and as long as they are pinched closed, they should come out great!!

Ingredients:

• 6 cups of flour
• 1 teaspoon of yeast (ferment)
• 6 cups of milk
• 3 cups of fresh Kushta cream
• 3 cups of home made kushta
• 3 cups of minced walnut
• 1 cup of powdery sugar
• 1 tablespoon of rose water
• 2 tablespoons of orange-flower water
• 1/2 cup of lemmon jam
• 1/2 cup of fine pistachio
• 6 cups of frying oil
• 3 cups of Syrup
  

Preparation:

1. Mix the flour,yeast (ferment) and the milk until you get a soft and combined dough.
2. Keep it aside until it gets double the size.
3. Fill the pouring bad (that has a steel head) with part of the dough.
4. Start pouring small circles on a steel pan you have put on the fire.
5. You can make the circles as big or as small as you like.
6. After 1 minute of pouring the circles turn the Katayef to the other side for 2 seconds and then we take them off the steel pan.
7. Mix the finely minced walnuts with the powdery sugar, rose water, orange-flower water.
8. Take 1 teaspoon of the mixture and distribute it at the middle of the Katayef .
9. Do the same thing with the Kushta, take 1 table spoon and distribute at the middle of the Katayef.
10. You can make 6 of the walnut mixture and another 6 of the Kushta filling, it depends on the quantity you want from each.
11. Close the Katayef (with the filling inside) to make a half moon shape. Close it tightly by pressing on the edges of the dough.
12. Fry the filled Kateyef with the oil until it gets a golden color.
13. Take them out and put them in the Syrup for few minutes.
14. Take them out of the Syrup and serve them hot.

Katayef Ramadan Video: قطايف رمضان

Maqluba often pronounced as Makluba, Maalouba, or Maglouba (Arabic: مقلوبة) is an upside-down rice and eggplant casserole, hence the name which is literally translated as "upside-down". It is made with richly succulent braised lamb and sometimes tomatoes. When the casserole is inverted, the top is bright red from the tomatoes that now form the top layer and cover the golden eggplant.

Considered to be the national dish of Palestine where it is generally made with lamb or chicken and tomatoes, onions, aubergines, cauliflowers and other vegetables.

Maqluba was made popular throughout the Levant and Gulf region by the migrating Palestinians fleeing military occupation.

Ingredients:

• 2 medium-size eggplant (about 2 1/ 2 pounds), peeled and slice 1/ 2-inch thick
• Salt
• 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 1/2 to 2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, trimmed of as much fat as possible and cut into pieces
• 1 tablespoon baharat
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground allspice berries
• Pinch of ground cinnamon
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• 3 cups water
• 6 cups pure or virgin olive or olive pomace oil for frying
• 3 large ripe but firm, tomatoes (about 1 3/4 pounds), sliced
• 1 1/2 cups long-grain rice, rinsed well or soaked in water to cover for 30 minutes and drained
• 1 cup boiling water
  

Preparation:

1. Lay the eggplant slices on some paper towels and sprinkle generously with salt. Leave them to drain of their bitter juices for 30 minutes, then pat dry with paper towels.
2. In a large skillet, heat 5 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat, then cook the onion until yellow, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to the medium-low, add the lamb, baharat, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/ 2 teaspoon of the pepper, the allspice, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and brown for 10 minutes, turning the lamb. Add the water to barely cover the lamb and cook until the lamb is very tender, about 2 1/2 to 3 hours, adding a little water to keep the skillet from drying out. Remove the lamb from the skillet with a slotted ladle or skimmer, getting as much of the onion as you can and leaving behind the fat.
3. Meanwhile, preheat the frying oil to 375F in a deep-fryer or an 8-inch saucepan fitted with a basket insert. Deep-fry the eggplant slices in batches until golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes, turning once. Drain and reserve on paper towels. Let the frying oil cool completely, strain, and save for a future use.
4. Lightly oil the bottom of a round, heavy-bottomed 4- to 6-quart casserole 10 inches in diameter with a tight fitting lid with the remaining teaspoon extra virgin olive oil and arrange the tomatoes slices on the bottom, overlapping or double layering if necessary. Sprinkle a handful of the rice on top of the tomatoes. Layer the lamb on top, then layer the sliced eggplants on top of the meat. Press down with a spatula or the back of your hand. Pour the rice on top and spread it evenly, pressing down again with a spatula or the back of your hand, add 1 teaspoon salt, the remaining 1/ 2 teaspoon pepper, and the boiling water. Cover tightly and cook over low heat until the rice is tender and the liquid absorbed, about 1 hour. Don't check too often, maybe twice during the whole cooking time. The liquid in the casserole should not be boiling vigorously, so reduce the heat to very low, or use a heat diffuser, if you find that necessary.
5. When the rice is done, take off the lid, place a large round serving platter over the top of the casserole, and carefully invert in one very quick motion, holding both sides very tightly. Slowly and carefully lift the casserole. Serve.
   

This Maqluba recipe Makes 6 servings
Preparation Time: 4:30 hours