Category Archives: rice and couscous and other grains

Chicken biryani

The recipe for this dish was generously given to me by a (lady) chef who works for an NGO here in Beirut; biryanis (various versions of the original Indian biryanis) are popular in Iraq and in the Gulf countries where they are considered an important part of the local cuisine. The richness in spices in [...]
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Buckwheat crêpe

I am spending a few days in the South of France  and the landscape around us is eerily similar to Lebanon’s. Everywhere you turn there are hills covered in greenery and then there is the seascape far away. One thing that surprised me is to find buckwheat crêpe offered in many cafés’ menus, even though [...]
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Bean mujaddara (Mujaddara Hammaniya)

  A mujaddara is primarily made with lentils and a starch (usually rice) and flavored with caramelized onions. It is a dish that is very ancient (mentioned in the Old Testament). In any case, it is healthy, rustic,  easy to make and easy on the wallet.    In the beautiful village  of Hammana (Mount Lebanon range), [...]
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Tumbleweed stew (Yakhnet akkoub)

This delicious stew is one of the traditional dishes made with this wild vegetable; my grandmother used to prepare it this way and so do lots of folks here. Just sauté the akkoub (tumbleweed)  in some olive oil with plenty of chopped onions and garlic, cook the stew meat separately, then mix the two and finish [...]
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Black rice seafood pilaf

This is black rice; not wild rice or toasted white rice. The rice is short-grain and just as dark as can be. The Emperor of China used to love it and it was believed  to be an aphrodisiac. Apparently, he’d forbid his subjects to eat it, it was meant only for him. In any case, [...]
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