Sweet chickpea powder (Na3oomeh)

na3oomeh

Beirut is a city that is fast becoming unrecognizable to those of us who grew up here; Ottoman-style homes with inner courtyards, street cart vendors and baskets lowered from balconies are nearly all gone; this is why when I went searching for this candy called na3oomeh I came home empty-handed. One man I asked told me I needed to go to Sidon and look for it in the old souks. Luckily, Asma, my trusted friend, chef, and go-to person for all things traditional and culinary, knew exactly where to find some and promptly got me a bag.

This candy will be remembered by some as the one that cart vendors would hawk yelling in the streets “na3oomeh, na3oomeh”. My friend Hoda tells me she never tasted it because her mother forbade  her from touching  anything that was sold in the streets. The cart vendor would quickly wrap it in a paper cone and hand it out to kids after school. 

It is simply roasted chickpeas and sugar. As fine as flour. Delicious. 

It could be made at home with a good coffee grinder. These colored candied chickpeas are still sold nowadays and I found them at the Dallas Middle-Eastern grocery store. I would try to grind them as fine as possible; however, I bet it would not come out as fine as this one which is made in a commercial flour mill. 

chickpea powder

7 Comments

Ground meat kebab

kebabs

I was thinking about my friend Phoebe and how fun it was to cook together. She taught me a few of her kitchen secrets and we would exchange stories about her native Egypt and my native Lebanon; Phoebe loves Lebanese food; she remarked to me once “you know, your food is very healthy you have a lot of fresh salads”. She had her son’s graduation party at her favorite Lebanese restaurant in Dallas, Ali-Baba.

Apparently now that place has branches everywhere, including Vegas. There are so many good entertainment in Vegas! I like the shows, the shopping center and the wide variety of great restaurants. Ali-Baba is the type of Lebanese restaurant with American-style comfort and a generic traditional menu with food that you might find at your aunt or best friend’s house in Lebanon. I read so many good reviews about it. The interior design of the restaurant is amazing, they have chandeliers that are Tiffany-inspired, nice long tables and they also offer belly dancing entertainment which pleased my Egyptian-born friend immensely (I think Egyptians really adore belly dancing, much more than the Lebanese do).

Here is what she would typically order from their menu.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 lb ground meat (beef or lamb or a mixture of the two)
  • 1 onion, grated
  • 1/2 bunch of Italian parsley, leaves chopped
  • Spices: 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp allspice, 1/4 tsp paprika. 
  • 2 slices of sandwich bread, soaked in water and drained and squeezed dry or 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs
  • 1 egg yolk (optional)

If you have a meat grinder, run the meat with the onion and parsley and spices through the grinder a couple of times through the fine grinder. If not, place them in the bowl of a food processor and run the machine till you get a homogenous paste. 

NOTE: I added about 1/4 cup of tomato paste, and a couple of tablespoons of tahini,  which is not necessary, just an option!

mix in processor

METHOD:

1.     Divide the meat mixture into golf-size balls; insert one ball into a skewer  and using the palm of one hand, shape each ball into a kebab, stretching it and patting it constantly till it look even and elongated. 

2.     Grill the meat or roast in a 400F oven for 12 minutes, rotating the skewers after 5 minutes to cook all sides evenly. 

3.     Serve on pita bread, previously slathered with tomato paste and covered with chopped parsley, onion and sumac.

beef & lamb kbab

pro kebab maker

19 Comments

Dried fruit balls

dried fruit balls I am not sure how or why it happened, but I suddenly found my fridge,  freezer and cupboard  bursting with packages of dried fruits and nuts. These are the solution; made in minutes and perfect for a breakfast on-the-go or a case of the munchies at eleven PM. INGREDIENTS:

  • 2  cups assorted dried fruits ( I used figs, prunes and apricots)
  • 1/2 cup roasted nuts ( I used pistachios and almonds)
  • 1/4 cup grape molasses or honey (add more if the paste is too stiff)
  • 1/2 cup grated coconut 

METHOD: 1. Place the fruits and nuts in the bowl of a food processor; run the machine and add the molasses or honey to obtain a thick paste. Either form the paste into balls or pat onto a brownie pan. If balls are used, dip in the coconut. Otherwise, sprinkle coconut all over the pan; dry out for a couple of hours and cut into bars. Balls can be kept in the fridge in a box. 

NOTE: If your fruits are too dry, you can soak them in a little hot tea or liqueur to plump up for a couple of hours; also, if you don’t want to do this, you can add a touch more of honey or molasses to make the mixture hold together better. 

une belle rose

13 Comments

Eggplant in yogurt sauce (Batenjane be-laban)

eggplant in yogurt sauce

The recipe for this dish was generously shared with me by a lady chef who told me that it comes from Tripoli, Lebanon’s Northern coastal city. It is simpler to make than other eggplant and yogurt dishes and just delicious; the eggplant is silky and the cooked yogurt sauce light; the ensemble is divine. Recipe courtesy of Chef F. Hassan.

fry eggplant

INGREDIENTS: 4  to 6  servings

  • 2 large eggplants
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1/4 lb ground beef or lamb
  • 1 lb yogurt
  • cilantro pesto (1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, 4 cloves of garlic, salt, olive oil) optional
  • spices: salt, to taste, pinch of black pepper, 1/2 tsp allspice 
  • 1/4 cup of toasted pine nuts
  • oil, as needed

 METHOD:

1. Peel the eggplants; cut into long strips; sprinkle with salt and let them spit out their brown juice; pat dry with paper towels. Heat 1 cup of oil in a large skillet and fry the slices for a few minutes on each sides until golden and soft. Drain on paper towels or dip in a pot of simmering water for one second, then drain on paper towels. 

2. Heat one tablespoon of oil and fry the onion till golden; add the meat and brown, add the spices and stir to combine well. Set the meat aside. To cook the yogurt: dissolve one tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with 1/2 cup of water in a small bowl and mix in one egg white.  Add this mixture to the yogurt and stir continuously until the yogurt thickens a bit. Add the cilantro pesto if using. 

Assembly: Lay the eggplant slices in  an ovenproof dish; ladle the yogurt over the eggplant, then the meat mixture;  sprinkle the pine nuts. Serve immediately. 

betenjane bel-laban

NOTE: You can serve this with yogurt, as is, without cooking it or adding the cilantro pesto. 

18 Comments

Zaatar and cheese plate

dukk and feta salad

I posted an image of my foray into zaatar hunting and both Arlette and Dana mentioned the zaatar and feta cheese combo. Feta (aka Bulgarian cheese here) is crumbled, doused in olive oil and sprinkled with fresh zaatar; a breakfast and after-school snack that helped assuage my hunger daily as a child growing up in Beirut. 

Obviously, not all of us can go out and pluck a handful of wild zaatar; getting a good-quality dry mix is fine as a substitute or a little oregano. Last but not least, the best olive oil and all the trimmings: Pita bread, chopped tomatoes, olives and sliced cucumbers should be included in the mouthful. 

The most satisfying  breakfast or snack. 

zaatar dukk w jebneh

Related Posts with Thumbnails
15 Comments