Rummaniyeh- Lentil Eggplant Stew

It’s a Middle Eastern lentil eggplant stew that can be eaten alone or with flatbread or a side of salad. Made on a stovetop

Ingredients

1 cup brown or green lentils

4 cups of water

1 large-size eggplant (peeled and cut into cubes)

¾ cup lemon juice or pomegranate juice

2 tablespoons sour pomegranate molasses

4-5 garlic cloves (crushed)

2 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon flour (or corn starch as a gluten free option)

2 teaspoons cumin powder

Jalapenos (Optional)

salt

Method

Place the lentils with water in a saucepan, bring to the boil cover and then continue to boil for 10-15 minutes until lentils are softened. Add eggplant over lentils, salt and cumin, cover the pot and lower the heat to medium. Let it simmer for another 25 minutes. Mix flour with lemon juice and pomegranate molasses and pour over the pot, mix well and let it cook for another 5 minutes. In a separate skillet heat olive oil, add crushed garlic and green chili (optional), keep stirring until golden brown, then pour over the pot. Place in serving bowls, and garnish with pomegranate seeds, parsley and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve at room temperature, with a side of salad or flatbread.

Maklouba

Maklouba is a classic Middle Eastern rice dish that translates to upside down. This dish is made with seasoned rice, fried eggplants and potatoes and bone in chicken. It’s served with yoghurt and a simple salad.

Ingredients

3 Large Eggplants, peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch thick discs

1 large potato peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch thick discs

2 onions

2 Chickens, cut into 4 pieces, skin on

4 cups Jasmine Rice

1 tbsp Cinnamon

1 tbsp Allspice

1/2 tbsp Ground Cardamom

1/3 tsp Ground Cloves

3/4 tsp Ground Turmeric

3/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg

3/4 tsp Ground Black Pepper

Salt to taste

Frying Oil

Olive Oil

Method

Begin by cleaning your chicken and cooking it. I like to boil it. Start by placing 2 tbsp of olive oil into a large stock pot. Sear your chicken pieces in it with some whole spices. I use a couple of bay leaves, some whole cloves, and cardamom. I also season with a little salt and pepper. Once the chicken is lightly seared, add enough water to cover the chicken fully. Keep in mind you’ll need about 9 cups to cook the rice. Bring the chicken to a boil, skim any foam and add a chopped onion. Cook until interior temp reaches 165 F.

Peel and chop your eggplants and place on a tray. Sprinkle with salt and set aside. The eggplants will release some water. Dry them off and fry until golden brown. Fry the potatoes and set aside.

Once the chicken is done cooking remove it from the broth. Remove the skin and set aside. Pour out all of the frying oil. Using the same frying pan add the chicken skin and the chopped onion. Cook until the skins are browned and the onion is charred. Add the chicken broth and boil for thirty minutes so the broth gets some colour. Strain the broth and measure out 8.5 cups of it.

Taste the 8.5 cups of broth and salt to taste. You want it to be slightly saltier than you like your soup. Once you get it to your liking add the rest of the spices. Set aside.

In a large pot layer your potatoes, eggplant, chicken, and finally your rice.

Pour over the measured broth mixed in with the spices and bring the pot to a boil. Once it boils, lower the heat to the lowest it will go and cook for 40 minutes COVERED. After its done cooking, turn off the heat and set the pot aside to rest for another 15 minutes.

Once you’re ready to enjoy, flip your maklouba and serve topped with fried almonds. Serve alongside yoghurt and a simple salad. Enjoy!

Tahini Salad Recipe

Ingredients

Tahini Dressing

• ¼ cup tahini paste (sesame oil)
• 3-4 tablespoons of water
• 1-2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Vegetables

• 2  cucumbers
• 2 Beef tomatoes
• Half a bunch of finely chopped parsley

Method

Dressing

In a small bowl gradually add water over the tahini paste and stir together with a small utility whisk or a spoon mix tahini and water together. Continue mixing until you get a creamy texture. Add fresh lemon juice and salt. Give it another mix combining everything, and set it aside.

Vegetables

Chop vegetables into small pieces, each vegetable is chopped about ¼ of an inch or smaller. Pick parsley leaves, wash well, rinse, and chop finely. Place all chopped vegetables in a large bowl. Pour tahini dressing over chopped vegetables. Mix dressing well with vegetables, adjust by adding more lemon and salt if needed.

Knafeh

 knafeh is considered the most traditional and the most iconic dessert perhaps not only in Palestine but also across the Middle East. Knafeh typically consists of shredded or finely ground dough mixed in ghee or melted butter, layered with stretchy cheese, baked then soaked in sugar syrup (after).

Ingredients

400 g Kunafa

250 g ghee

For the Syrup

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

½ teaspoon lemon juice

1 cup water

2 tablespoons glucose liquid

For the cream

3 cups milk

6 tablespoon cornflour

4 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Topping

2 tablespoons pistachio, finely minced

Method

Make the syrup

In a small saucepan, add sugar and water over high heat and bring to a boil (don't stir it, that will cause crystals to form in the syrup). Once it is boiling, turn the heat down, add the glucose liquid, and let it simmer for 5-6 minutes. Add 2 cups of sugar,1 cup of water, and 2 tablespoons of glucose liquid . Next, add vanilla extract and lemon juice, stir, then turn off the heat. Put the syrup in a cool place and let it cool down completely.

Prepare the filling

In a small saucepan, add sugar, cornflour and milk, stir well to combine (use a whisk). Keep mixing until there are no lumps at all. Put the saucepan over medium heat and constantly stir for 2-3 minutes until it comes to a boil. Keep whisking until the mixture thickens. Once it has reached the consistency of the cream, add vanilla extract, stir and turn off the heat. Pour the cream into a bowl, then cover the top with plastic wrap to prevent skin from forming, and leave it to cool down completely.

Prepare the Kunafa

Preheat the oven to 190C / 380F. Put the Kunafa in a large bowl, then use your hands to tear it or use kitchen scissors to cut it into 2-3 cm strips. Try to separate the individual strands from each other. When you have a pile of fine strips of dough, pour the melted ghee into the dough and mix it thoroughly (rub the Kunafa with ghee using your hands). Grease a 10-inch baking pan with ghee. Spread the ghee well in the bottom and the sides of the pan. Grab a handful of the dough and add it to the pan, fluff it up while adding it, so you don't get any clumps. Keep adding it until you cover the pan bottom with dough. After that, use any heavy object such as a measuring cup to press on the Kunafa until you get a flat layer. Now add more dough around the edges of the tray and press on them as well. Pour the cream filling in the centre of the pan and spread it out over the first Kunafa layer. Once the cream is spread, fold in any excess Kunaff walls down over the layer. Start gently covering the cream layer with the rest of Kunafa. Once you have created a thin layer of the Kunafa on the top, press it down gently using both your hands (don't press on it so hard that the cream comes out of the Kunafa). Put the pan in the middle of the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes or until the top becomes golden brown. Take it out of the oven. As soon as you remove the Kunafa from the oven, pour the syrup evenly over the top. You will hear a sizzle as you pour the syrup into the Kunafa. Let it sit for 10 minutes so all the syrup is absorbed. Place a serving plate over the baking pan, and flip the Kunafa onto the plate. Decorate it with the chopped pistachio, then cut it and serve.