When I shut my eyes and take a look at to consider a dish that claims house, mujadara is often the one which involves thoughts. Thoughts you, the identical in all probability goes for many Palestinians: this humble but vastly satisfying meal was simply essentially the most requested recipe on my radio present, Ramblings of a Chef, which I began through the pandemic. Mafghoussa, in the meantime, is a refreshing facet for grilled meats or to serve by itself with bread as a lightweight meal – the phrase means “squashed” in Arabic, and the identify of the dish took place as a result of the greens concerned are mashed throughout or after cooking and served as a chilly salad.
Mafghoussa (pictured high)
There are a lot of completely different variations of mafghoussa: some are made with tomatoes and laban jameed (salted and dried yoghurt), whereas others are made with olive oil, as right here. I usually make mafghoussa once I core courgettes to stuff them, however you possibly can additionally use chopped courgettes – the style is barely completely different, although. Mafghoussa is all the time served chilly or at room temperature.
Prep 10 min
Cook dinner 40 min
Serves 6
Additional-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 recent crimson chilli, thinly sliced
500g courgette flesh, or chopped entire courgettes
1 tsp salt
Juice of 1 lemon
30g pine nuts
30g mint and parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
Heat bread, to serve
Put three tablespoons of oil in a big frying pan on a medium-high warmth. Add the garlic, saute for about 30 seconds, till aromatic, then add the chilli and saute for 2 to a few minutes extra, till softened and calmly colored. Stir within the courgette, flip down the warmth to medium and saute, stirring usually, for 15 to twenty minutes, till properly cooked; the courgette flesh will slowly break down as you stir. Combine within the salt and lemon juice, then switch to a bowl and go away to chill down.
Within the meantime, in a small pan, toast the pine nuts in somewhat olive oil on a medium warmth for a few minute, till calmly colored and aromatic, then put aside.
As soon as the mafghoussa has cooled down, sprinkle the mint, parsley and pine nuts on high, drizzle over one other teaspoon of oil and serve with heat bread for scooping.
Mujadara
There are in all probability as many variations of mujadara as there are Palestinians.
Prep 10 min
Soak 30 min
Cook dinner 1 hr
Serves 4
280g dried inexperienced lentils
½ tsp salt
125ml extra-virgin olive oil
4 crimson onions, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
Salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp floor cumin
1 tsp floor coriander
1 tsp floor cinnamon
350g medium-grain rice
For the dressing
2 spring onions, trimmed and chopped
Juice of two lemons
1 tsp floor sumac
1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
Soak the lentils in chilly water for half-hour, then drain.
In a pot, mix the drained lentils, salt and 750ml water, then cook dinner on a medium warmth for 10 to 12 minutes, till the lentils are al dente. Drain, rinse below chilly water to cease the lentils cooking additional, then go away to empty totally.
Put 60ml of the oil in a medium frying pan on a medium warmth. Add the sliced onions, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, then cowl and cook dinner on a low warmth for 3 or 4 minutes, till translucent. Sprinkle the sugar over the onions and cook dinner for six to eight minutes extra, till the onions are caramelised. Drain half the onions on a plate lined with kitchen paper and go away the remainder within the oil within the pan.
Put the remaining 65ml olive oil in a big pot on a medium-high warmth, add the cumin, coriander, cinnamon and a half-teaspoon of salt, and cook dinner, stirring, for about two minutes, till the spices scent aromatic. Add the rice, stir to coat with the spices, then pour in 600ml scorching water. Convey to a boil, flip down the warmth to medium and cook dinner for 4 to 5 minutes. Stir within the drained lentils and cook dinner for about 12 minutes, till the lentils and rice are virtually accomplished, however nonetheless have a slight crunch.
Stir within the onions and oil from the frying pan, then go away on a low warmth till the liquid reduces. Flip off the warmth, cowl and relaxation for 10 minutes.
In the meantime, make the dressing. Mix the spring onions, lemon juice, sumac and oil in a small bowl. Switch the rice and lentils to a serving bowl and fluff up with a fork. Sprinkle the dressing on high, garnish with the reserved drained caramelised onions and serve.
Tahinia roast aubergines
Palestinians use aubergine in all method of dishes. This one works as a starter or as a part of a diffusion.
Prep 10 min
Cook dinner 50 min
Serves 4
4 giant aubergines
Olive oil
95g tahinia (AKA tahini)
4 garlic cloves, peeled
Juice of two lemons
2 chillies, finely chopped
½ tsp effective salt
1 bunch dill, picked and coarsely chopped
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, picked and coarsely chopped
1 tsp nigella seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
2 tbsp pomegranate seeds
2 tbsp toasted pine nuts
Warmth the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/fuel 6. Rub the aubergines throughout with olive oil, put them on an oven tray and roast for about 45 minutes, turning them each 10 minutes, so that they cook dinner evenly.
In the meantime, make the sauce. Put the tahinia, two and a half tablespoons of olive oil, two of the garlic cloves, the lemon juice, chillies and salt in a meals processor, then blitz. With the motor working, slowly incorporate six tablespoons of chilly water, mixing till the sauce is clean.
Put the roast aubergines on a serving dish and press down on them so the skins cut up and crack. Drizzle over the tahinia sauce, then sprinkle the dill, parsley, nigella seeds and coriander seeds on high. Sprinkle on the pomegranate seeds and pine nuts.
Thinly slice the remaining two garlic cloves. Put somewhat oil in a small pan on a medium warmth, then fry the garlic for about two minutes, till golden. Drizzle the oil and garlic all around the high of the aubergines and serve.
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These recipes are edited extracts from Bethlehem: A Celebration of Palestinian Meals, by Fadi Kattan, revealed on 15 Might by Hardie Grant at £28. To order a duplicate for £24.64, go to guardianbookshop.com
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