Favorite Lebanese Dishes
Lebanese cooking is the epitome of excellent Middle Eastern Dishes the standard to which those of us who love Arab food aspire! The ingredients are fresh, wholesome and the dishes rich with olive oil, garlic and spices. Walking down the streets of an Arab city you can smell the spices in the air as they draw you to the spice shops. The spices that say “Arab food” to me are za’atar, cumin, coriander, cardamom (the Big 3). sumac and seasonings such as garlic, lemon juice, parsley and mint. Chickpeas, rice and bulgur often accompany meat dishes of lamb, beef, chicken or fish. The vegetable stands of Jordan always enticed me with the jewel like colors of fresh green peppers, purple eggplants, white cauliflower and ruby tomatoes.
We were invited into the kitchens of friends in the Middle East during the 15 years we lived there and I often muse on the wonderful memories of teaching them to make American pie and brownies as they taught me to make Cous-Cous and stuffed grape leaves. I always felt I got the better deal!
Though Lebanese food sets the standard, I was a student of Jordanian cuisine, which is very similar. In fact the 3 countries of Lebanon, Syria and Jordan, called the Levant, all boast they make the better rendition of each dish. And I would agree with each one! Following are just five of my favorites which I make whenever we think of those happy days we spent in that special, though troubled part of the world. But don’t worry, their recipes are no trouble! With a hearty “Sahtain!” (To your health!)
Shish-Ta-Wook - Chicken Kabobs:
I love to say the name "shish-ta-wook" as I feel so Middle Eastern-ly cultured when I do. To simply say Lebanese chicken kebabs isn't as fun but it certainly gives you a better idea of what a "wook" is. It was an Iraqi officer many years ago in Jordan who explained which may be obvious to many, that the shish is the name of the skewer itself onto which the kabob is molded or speared (in his case - a seasoned ground meat). Cooked over hot charcoals that he fanned almost constantly is how this expert, born to the craft, demonstrated their preparation. Kabob are much better known in recent years with the proliferation of Persian and Afghan restaurants serving them.
My introduction to the version below was at the Marriott Hotel in Amman, which created a delicious rendition and it instantly became one of my favorite Arabic dishes. The lemon and spices in the marinade Arabize the chicken with the warmth of zatar and allspice and the sparkle of lemon and sets it apart from other chicken kabobs of which there are endless varieties. (Truth be told - I like them all.)
I appreciate the intense flavors of this recipe without the heat of Afghani renditions, which allows you to enjoy bite after bite without looking for something to cool the palette down between mouthfuls! But to each his own. With a nod to Lebanese cuisine as being the ultimate "ideal" of Middle Eastern food, there are various preparations of this chicken even within Lebanon and Jordan itself. But you'll never go wrong ordering it off the menu. And now that you know how to say it, you won't even have to look at a menu to order it!
Shish-Ta-Wook
4 chicken breasts, skinned, boned – cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 small onion, finely grated or juiced
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoon plain yogurt
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 tablespoon zatar
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 teaspoon allspice
Sumac to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
-Blend onion and garlic into the lemon juice, olive oil and
yogurt. Add spices and marinate the chicken pieces in
the mixture for 2-4 hours, turning occasionally.
-Remove chicken from the marinade and thread loosely
on skewers, 4 or 5 cubes on each. Cook for 10-15
minutes under broiler or over barbecue brushing with
leftover marinade liquid a time or two.
-Serve with grilled slivered onions, thickly sliced green
and red peppers and tomato halves sprinkled with salt
and pepper and sumac.
-Condiments: garlic sauce (toom) recipe below, hummus or
baba ghannouj.
PERSNICKETY NOTES:
**Sumac is my favorite spice discovery of Middle Eastern Cooking. (It's
the granular-looking dark red spice you see in the small bowl and sprinkled
on the chicken and vegetables in the pictures above.) We first tasted it sprinkled on fattoush salad and wondered what the dark red pepper was.
After encountering it on the Palestinian specialty, Musakhan, where it all but covers the chicken dish, I learned the name. Sumac, not to be confused with poison sumac, comes from the berry of a flowering shrub indigenous to the Middle East and lends a bit of piquant, lemony pizazz to dishes. It's a must-have in my kitchen and can be found in Middle Eastern Groceries or through Penzeys or Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Sumac-Spice-2-0-Zamouri-Spices/dp/B000FVMOW6/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=sumac&qid=1579654042&sr=8-4.
**Truth be told, I have experienced many failures in attempting to make "toom", garlic paste like that served in Fakhr-al Din's in Amman, Jordan, our favorite Lebanese restaurant. We fell in love with it and always order french fries on the side in Arab restaurants to dip in the garlic paste. Fahkr-al Dins serves an array of fresh uncut vegetables as an appetizer, with the toom on the side. My favorite combo is slicing the tomatoes, spreading the garlic paste on top and sprinkling with salt, pepper and sumac. This video presents a great explanation of how to make it and what can go wrong - check it out for this indispensable side dip. (It is possible to make half the recipe to try it out before you commit an entire quart of oil to the recipe.) https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ufDD773NQMY
Toom Ingredients - (1/2 recipe)
1/2 cup peeled garlic cloves (sometimes you can find them already peeled -if they're fresh, go that route!)
2 - 2 1/2 cups vegetable, corn or canola oil
1 fresh lemon, juiced
1 tsp salt or to taste
Instructions
Before you start, ensure that all ingredients are at room temperature and your food processor is dry.
Add the garlic and salt to the food processor and pulse 4 or 5 times. Stop the processor, scrape down the sides and run for 10-20 seconds longer until the garlic turns pasty.
With your oil and lemon juice ready and measured, turn the processor back on and keep it on until the end of the process.
While the food processor is running, start adding the oil slowly in a very thin stream or thread until you have used 1/2 cup. Let the processor continue running for a moment and add 1 tsp. of lemon juice a bit at a time. After adding the first half cup of oil you will start seeing the garlic emulsify and turn into a paste. Let the processor blend for 30 seconds between adding oil and juice.
Continue the previous step with the remaining oil and lemon juice. Do not rush the process. Just continue to pour in the oil in a thin stream, followed by the lemon juice and let continue to blend after each addition.
Place "toom" in an airtight container but don't cover with a lid immediately. Cover with a paper towel and place in the refrigerator for an hour or so to allow the mixture to cool completely, to avoid condensation to fall back into the paste, which will cause it to split. Remove paper towel and cover with an airtight lid. Paste can be kept in the refrigerator for several weeks.
**Toom Shortcut: Mix very finely minced garlic cloves (4-6) to taste with 1 cup prepared mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice and sprinkle of salt. Let chill for 30 minutes and serve.
Fatteh - Jordanian Yogurt and Eggplant casserole
Tart yogurt combined with a beautifully seasoned stew of eggplant, onions and beef with a pita crouton topping. One of the best Arab recipes!
What did you picture when you heard the name eggplant as a child? Probably something similar to what I did - and I thought eggs came from chickens! When I understood that plants and eggs could share the name, I was still hesitant, suspecting that the vegetable tasted of rotten eggs - why would it be purple? No way I was going to taste it and since it was not served or even mentioned in my home, it wasn't a problem.
As an adult, I was offered aubergine - what a delightful name for a lovely shiny slender vegetable, and before I knew it I had been tricked into love! An aubergine by any other name would be as delicious.
When returning to Jordan after years away, the first dish I bought from a Lebanese cook we had once frequented, was Fatteh, (fe-tay) not to be pronounced "fatty" as in what you will become if you eat too much of it. In Arabic the word "fatteh" means "crushed" or "crumbs", as in bread crumbs, or croutoned bread. I don't remember when I first had it or who first served it to me - I will admit it doesn't look nearly as appetizing as it tastes - but it is in my top three favorite Arab dishes.
As I brought the aluminum container aboard our small tourist bus and was about to partake in this romantic reunion, the aroma bumped about the bus as we did and there were others who wanted to help me eat it. As hesitant as I was to share - after all we had forgotten to bring spoons - it was wrested from my hands and passed down the bus, as creative tasters devised eating implements of yogurt lids, emory boards and credit cards to scoop out samples of the casserole.
The very nature of eggplant succumbs silkily to oil when fried and this dish, topped with fried bits of Khoubiz, (pita bread), and pine nuts is succulently smooth and richly velvetized It has such a depth of flavor; smokey, garlicky, lemony, meaty, ---all those flavors that make you pause and say, "I want to remember this." There is also a chickpea, yogurt version that is also very popular though less complex in flavors. Thin small eggplants like the variety sold in the Middle East, are recommended as they are more tender than larger ones.
Few recipes for raw eggplant exist owing to the fact that the toxin solanine, which raw potatoes contain as well, can cause intestinal distress, but once eggplant is cooked it complies beautifully with digestion. The raw product is also cursed with a bitter flavor which can come through in the cooking, though more modern hybrids are said to be less bitter. To avoid the bitterness, salt the eggplant well after slicing or cubing it and let sit for about 30 minutes. The salt causes the flesh to weep and draws out the bitterness. Rinse well, blot dry with paper towels and use as described in your recipe. Give this eggplant recipe a try and if you, like me, pictured boiled eggs growing among foul smelling leaves, this dish will wipe away those childish misconceptions!
FATTEH WITH EGGPLANT
1 1/2 pound ground beef or lamb
4 small eggplants
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 medium onion, chopped in small cubes
1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 1/2 cups beef stock
1 tablespoon grenadine molasses
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup plain yogurt
5 cloves crushed garlic cloves
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
2 loaves pita bread
1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley 2 teaspoons sumac
-Toast pine nuts in dry saute pan until lightly browned; set aside Cut bread into 1-inch squares and fry in 3 tablespoons butter until browned; set aside. Combine sour cream, yogurt, 1 teaspoon salt and crushed garlic in bowl; set aside.
-Chop eggplant into 1-inch chunks, place in large bowl and sprinkle liberally with salt and toss. Let sit for 15 minutes. Drain and rinse eggplant and fry lightly in 3 tablespoons oil in large saute pan until golden and starting to soften. Remove eggplant from pan and set aside.
-In same saute pan, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Place ground beef and onion in pan with salt and pepper, cinnamon and allspice and fry, stirring frequently until meat is browned. Drain off any extra fat. Stir in beef stock, tomato sauce and molasses then bring mixture to a boil. Add eggplant and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until eggplant is tender and sauce is thickened.
-In an oven-proof casserole dish, pour the eggplant/meat sauce on the bottom and then cover with the yogurt sauce. Place the toasted pita squares on the top. Bake in 350 oven until just warmed through, about 15 minutes.
PERSNICKETY NOTES:
**The original recipe has you place the bread squares on the bottom of the casserole dish, then cover with meat sauce and finally the yogurt sauce. I, however, like my croutons to stay crispy so I place them on top.
**Sumac is used in the Middle Eastern diet to add a lemony pop to soups, salads and meat dishes. It is made from the ground fruit of a species of sumac bush and is a dark red/purple color. Can be purchased on Amazon or at Middle Eastern groceries.
**Grenadine Molasses: This molasses used in Middle Eastern and Persian cooking, is a thick syrup made from pomegranate seeds, sugar and lemon, is dark purple in color and adds a tangy, sweet zest to dishes. It is available in Middle Eastern Groceries. (To substitute in this recipe use 2 tsp. regular molasses and 1 tsp. lemon juice)
Hashwi
An easy Middle Eastern staple of rice, ground meat, onions and warm Arab spices.
A lovely blue and white hand-painted Jerusalem pottery bowl filled with a melange of rice and finely minced ground beef topped with toasted nuts. crunchy fried onions straws and parsley, caught my attention. A closer look revealed the ubiquitous sprinkles of the holy trinity of Arab spices - cinnamon, allspice and cloves and I dug in with gusto!
This food memory is just one of many experienced in our years in the Middle East as we discovered and relished their indigenous recipes! It was a simple “potluck” at our school where, to many, it must have appeared to be the same old fare but to me was a wonderland of taste sensations.
This is a super simple recipe that is prepared in Jordan for a quick and easy evening meal or as a side dish or even the basic ingredients for a stuffing of vegetables such as zucchini squash, eggplant and grape leaves.
(See the recipes for stuffed squash and grape leaves on this blog: https://www.persnicketypanhandler.com/blog/stuffed-kousa-meat-amp-rice-filled-zucchini?rq=Kousa https://www.persnicketypanhandler.com/blog/stuffed-kousa-meat-amp-rice-filled-zucchini?rq=Kousa)
An easy introduction to Lebanese Arab food, it is a favorite in my kitchen. If it is your first foray into this cuisine go easy on the spices. If you are a vet of Arab food, you may want to add another sprinkle or two of each spice.
And when I don’t have any prepared, I always have my memories of hashwi “to keep me warm!”
Hashwi - rice & ground meat
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, finely minced
1 pound lean ground beef or lamb
1/4 cup pine nuts - toasted
1/4 cup sliced almond - toasted
fresh minced parsley
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 cups long-grain white rice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
FOR MEAT MIXTURE:
-In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat then add the minced onion. Sautee until transparent and softened, 4-5 minutes.
-Add ground meat and spices. Cook 8-10 minutes or until meat is browned, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon to break up meat. Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
-To toast nuts, place nuts separately in small saute pan and toast dry over medium-high heat for 2 - 3 minutes. Watch the nuts carefully and stir frequently to avoid burning them. Remove from pan allow to cool. (Toast nuts separately, almonds then pine nuts, as they brown at different rates.)
FOR THE RICE:
-Rinse the rice with cold water until the water runs clear. Drain well and set aside.
-In a medium non-stick pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil on medium heat. Add the rice and cook stirring frequently until the rice is coated with the oil and becomes wheat-colored - about 2 minutes.
-Add 4 cups water and the salt and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover the pot with a lid and reduce heat to lowest setting. Cook covered for 20 minutes.
-When the rice is fully cooked, remove from the heat and allow pot to sit covered for 10 minutes. Then uncover and fluff with a fork.
-Gently mix prepared beef mixture with rice. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Place hashwi in a serving bowl and garnish with toasted nuts and parsley. Crispy fried onions make an excellent topper! Serve warm. Serves 7-8.
PERSNICKETY NOTES:
**Hashwi is often used as filling for squash, eggplant and cabbage leaves in Middle Eastern cuisine or served as a side dish with chicken and lamb entrees.
**Adjust the Arab spices according to your taste. They are used lightly in this recipe but if you are used to Arab seasonings, use more! (cinnamon and allspice.)
**Hashwi is often served with a garlicky yogurt salad. Recipe follows:
YOGURT SAUCE
1 1/3 cups plain Greek yogurt 2 cloves garlic, finely minced 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint (optional) 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 teaspoons salt -Combine ingredients and chill at least 30 minutes.
**Crispy Fried Onions make Hashwi especially delicious. Here is a recipe for Birista (crispy fried onions) that will give you the perfect crispy topping for your Hashwi: https://cookingshooking.com/crispy-fried-onions-biryani-fry-onion-recipe-birista
So simply satisfying!
Middle Eastern Green Beans with/tomatoes & onions
Green beans, sauteed onions and juicy tomatoes make beautiful music as solitary notes of garlic and lemon juice ply us to the table. Yes, it's all healthy and hearty, but it's the crunchy squares of fried pita bread nestled in tangy labneh (yogurt) garnishing the top that sets my fork to tapping.
Lubia (green beans) bil Zait (in oil) is something of a green bean stew indigenous to the Levant (Lebanon, Jordan, Syria). Soumaya, our Lebanese friend, called this a common family dish and would also add browned ground beef to make a meal of it. (Labneh is a thickened yogurt product similar in thickness to sour cream but much more tart. Plain Greek yogurt will do the trick!)
Lubia bil zait
1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed of stems
3 large ripe tomatoes diced or 1 large can of crushed tomatoes
2 medium onions, slivered
4 cloves of garlic crushed
4 tbs olive oil
2 tbs lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
3 loaves pita bread, cut in 1 inch squares
1/4 cup oil for frying
-Heat oil in a large saucepan, add onions and fry till soft and golden. Add garlic and beans. Keep frying on low heat for 15 minutes, or till the beans start to soften. Add the tomatoes, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low heat for 45 minutes.
-Meanwhile, heat 1/4 cup oil in another small skillet. Add pita bread squares and fry turning frequently until they are browned and golden. Set aside.
-Serve beans warm or at room temperature, topped with thickened yogurt (Greek style) and garnished with pita croutons. Serves 6 - 8.
Fateyah (Arab filled Bread)
.
A Lebanese friend introduced me to "fa-tie-ah" at a Christmas Open House she hosted every year with the most wonderful Lebanese food. These little golden puffs of bread filled with warm Arabic spiced ground beef, fried onions, rich with butter and studded with pine nuts became a family favorite. In fact, they received the honor of being placed on the menu of the traditional Christmas Eve buffet at our home.
Along with various dips which always included hummous, fateyah took its place of honor on the holiday table or on the picnic blanket when picnicking in the shepherd's fields overlooking Bethlehem, or when looking for a hint of Christmas, sitting unknowingly on the King's forested private property in Jordan. That time we were driven off by a guard.....we should have given him a fateyah and he would have welcomed us to stay
If you are intimidated at working with yeasted dough, I would happily offer you "yeasted dough therapy" if I could and in my cooking classes have forced students to face yeast head on! People often worry about killing the yeast or ending up with a lump or hardtack when the timer goes off at the end of baking. But truly, yeast is quite a hardy fungus and I have rarely had it fail me, and then probably because it was already deceased when I used it.
If you follow a couple of rules, you too can create these softy pillowy delights. This is a yeast dough that is generous in the rising and creates a soft, malleable dough that is happy to become a fateyah.
Couple of rules: let the yeast rise first, as the recipe instructs in a small amount of lukewarm water. Now, if you're wondering what lukewarm is, no hotter than the milk in a baby's bottle is a good guide, but if you don't know how hot that is, you don't have to search for a wisened mother to show you. Go for tepid water, or even a bit to the cool side if you're still concerned - just not ice-cold water. Yeast will rise, though more slowly in cool water. Be sure to let the dough rise as long as the time suggested in the recipe.
You can use your bread-proofing function on your oven if you have it. Otherwise, cover the bowl with a clean towel or plastic wrap and set on the counter where there are no cold drafts and forget about it for a couple of hours. It knows how to do what it needs to do and you don't have to help it along. You can even place your dough to rise in the refrigerator overnight or all day and come back to it later when you're ready to create the fateyah
When you shape the balls of dough let them sit for 10 minutes or so to get used to their new shape and then when you roll the balls out into flat circles, again be patient with your dough - it has to think about it a bit before it relaxes and keeps the shape you are insisting upon. In fact, if the dough shrinks back as you roll it, walk away for a few minutes, come back and roll again and it will be much more obliging.
Fatayeh (Arab Meat filled Bread)
BREAD DOUGH:
3 cups lukewarm water 1 tablespoon salt 2 tablespoons dry instant yeast ½ cup oil ½ cup sugar 8 -9 cups flour
-Mix yeast and 1 tab. sugar in 1/2 cup tepid water and let sit
until foamy, about 10 minutes. Add the rest of the water
and sugar. Stir in salt, oil and enough flour to make a stiff
dough. (You do not need to use all the flour, just enough to
make a dough that can be handled without sticking to
your hands.)
-Knead the dough in an electric mixer with a dough hook or
by hand for 5 - 7 minutes or until the dough forms a
smooth ball. (see instructions on how to knead, below).
Place the dough ball in a large oiled bowl, cover with a
dish towel or plastic wrap and set to rise for about 1 1/2
hours in a warm spot on your kitchen counter. Or use the
bread-proofing feature on your oven for an hour. Dough
should be about doubled in size. To test if the dough has
risen enough, poke a hole in the center with your finger.
If the indentation stays, it is ready.
FILLING:
1 finely chopped onion 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon ½ cup butter 1 tablespoon ground allspice 1 pound lean ground beef 1 - 6 oz. can tomato paste ½ cup pine nuts salt and pepper to taste
-In medium frying pan, melt the butter. Saute the onion in
the butter over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes.
Add the ground beef and simmer till brown breaking it up
as it cooks. Add tomato paste, cinnamon, allspice, salt and
pepper. Simmer another 15-20 minutes. Stir in pine nuts.
TO FORM FATEYAHS:
-Punch down the dough after it has risen, to release some of
the air. Roll dough into balls about the size of a golf ball.
With a rolling pin, roll each ball on a lightly oiled surface
(oil works better than flour for this recipe) into a 5-inch
round. Let rest for a couple of minutes.
-Place a spoonful of filling in the center of the round. Fold
the sides over the filling then roll up, encasing the filling.
-Place seam side down on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degress until golden. Brush with olive oil while still warm.
-Serve warm or at room temperature. (Can bake until just
barely done and freeze. Reheat in oven before serving.)
Forming the fatayeh: fold the 2 vertical sides over the filling and then roll up and over the filling starting with the edge closest to you.
PERSNICKETY NOTES: Why and how to knead bread:
**For a simple but thorough explanation of why and how to knead
bread watch the following video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySOj0fFWo1U
**My technique for the actual kneading process is somewhat different
as, after working with the heels of my hand to push the dough out, I
fold it over itself away from me. Go ahead - develop your own
style! There are as many styles as there are bakers - some knead
in a leisurely almost poetic fashion, embracing the dough at each
turn, others tackle it much more aggressively flailing the dough about
the counter as they work. The important thing is to develop the smooth
elastic texture the dough needs to rise! It's not terribly particular as
to how it is treated. Most will tell you there is great satisfaction in
kneading their own bread and it can even count as your daily workout
session!
