The Complete Middle Eastern Cookbook

790 Pages·2013·22.781 MB·English

by  Tess Mallos

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CONTENTS
Title Page
Introduction
Basics of Middle Eastern cooking
Preparation of vegetables
Pulses or legumes
Rice
Nuts
Bread
Fillo pastry
Syrups
The food processor
Yoghurt
Sterilising jars
Greece
Cyprus
Turkey
Armenia
Syria, Lebanon, Jordan
Iraq
The Gulf States
United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman
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Yemen
Egypt
Iran
Afghanistan
Glossary
Acknowledgements
Copyright Page
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INTRODUCTION
Cooking should be an enjoyable experience. It should also open doors to many cultures
and creeds, and its acceptance and appreciation should not be clouded by politics or
prejudice. Middle Eastern cooking, as presented here, is open to controversy, but not for
these reasons.

First the selection of the countries is controversial, as the area covered includes Greece, Cyprus, Turkey and
Armenia. More correctly, perhaps, the title should have been Near and Middle Eastern Cookbook, though Greece
and Turkey are regarded as the eastern boundaries of Europe. There seemed to be only one course open to me –
to delve into the region’s early history and justify the inclusion of certain countries from that viewpoint. Pure
geography has also played a part, as the area covered fits rather neatly between longitudes 20°E and 70°E, and
between latitudes 15°N and 45°N.
The region encompasses the birthplace of civilisation and its history goes back as far as 3500 BCE with a pre-
history dating back to 10,000 BCE. The Mesopotamian, Assyrian, Ancient Egyptian, Phoenician, Hebrew, Minoan,
Mycenaean, Ancient Greek and Persian civilisations all flourished within this area, and their contributions to world
knowledge cannot be disputed. In pre-history humans first learned to harness nature, and farming had its tenuous
beginnings in the area now known as Kurdistan, stretching from southeast Turkey across to northern Iran.
It is on this basis that the countries have been selected, for Middle Eastern cookery has evolved over several
thousand years.
The second area of controversy relates to the actual recipes. Which dish really originated in which particular
country? Again, history can solve this in part; however, there has been so much interchange of culture through
trade, migration, colonisation, invasion and counter-invasion that even this presents difficulties. So many similar
recipes turn up in the culinary repertoire of a number of countries that to trace the source of many of them is
virtually impossible. There are dolmas with variations in both name and ingredients stretching from Greece to
Afghanistan and south to the Arab Gulf States; keftethes in Greece gradually change in name and character to kofta
in Afghanistan; a sweet preserve made from green walnuts is made in Greece and Cyprus and the same delicacy is
prepared in Iran, but nowhere else in between; there are variations on the Greek kourabiethes and the Gulf States
ghiraybah in every other country of the region.
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Do not assume that the book is a collection of a group of recipes with countless variations – I have avoided this
as far as possible – for the scope of Middle Eastern cooking surprised me as much as it will probably surprise you.
Food and its preparation around the world have almost come full circle. (I say almost, for many aspects have of
course changed, and will continue to do so – this is the essence of civilisation. There has been change in the
manner of cultivation and the raising of livestock, though there are areas in the region where primitive methods are
still employed; and there has been change in cooking methods.)
People have realised that highly refined foods are responsible for a number of their ailments; nutrition experts
now advocate a diet based on simple, natural foods – meats, fish, poultry, less refined cereals, pulses, vegetable
oils, pure butter and ghee, vegetables, fruit, nuts, yoghurt and cheese. And these, along with herbs and spices, are
what Middle Eastern cooking is all about – a diet basically unchanged for thousands of years.
Western kitchen appliances – the electric blender, food processor, grinder, mixer and juicer – cut down on
preparation time considerably. Many ingredients you will already have or be familiar with; the others are readily
available at Middle Eastern, Greek and Armenian food stores, and at specialised food stores such as those stocking
natural foods. The glossary will assist you greatly as it gives the various names for particular ingredients, and which
substitutes, if any, may be used for unusual or hard-to-come-by ingredients.
Now let us mount the magic carpet for a culinary tour of the mystical, exotic world of Homer, the Arabian Nights
and Omar Khayyam. Ahlan wasah’lan! (Welcome!)

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Tess Mallos
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BASICS OF MIDDLE EASTERN COOKING
Many foods are common to most Middle Eastern countries. Though most recipes give full details of their
preparation, here is some basic information for easy reference.
Preparation of vegetables
Okra
Wash well, handling the okra gently. Trim the stem end without cutting the pod. If desired, trim around the conical
stem attached to the pod, removing a thin layer. This is the correct way to prepare okra, but it is time consuming
and only serves to remove the fine brown ring just above the pod and the outer layer of the stem. Middle Eastern
cooks prefer to do this as the whole vegetable is then edible.
Fuzz can be removed if desired by rubbing the pod gently with a fine nylon scourer. Do this under running
water. If the okra is young, there is no need to remove fuzz. Dry the okra well in a cloth, or spread out and leave
until dry.
Place in a bowl and pour 125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) vinegar over each 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) okra. Toss gently using your
hands so that the vinegar coats the okra. Leave for 30 minutes, drain and rinse well. Dry and use as directed in
recipes. The vinegar treatment stops the okra becoming slimy during cooking.
FREEZING OKRA
As fresh okra are available for only a short time, it is worthwhile freezing some if tinned or frozen okra are not
readily available.
Method I: Prepare as directed above, then dry. In a deep saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil for each 500 g
(1 lb 2 oz) okra. Fry the okra for 5 minutes, tossing gently with a wooden spoon. Cool, place in freezer bags, expel
the air, then seal and label. Place in the freezer.
Method II: Prepare as above. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Have ready a bowl of iced water.
Place the prepared okra in a frying basket and lower into the boiling water. Boil for 3 minutes, timed from when the
water returns to the boil. Lift out and place in iced water for 3 minutes. Drain well, pack and store in the freezer.
Globe artichokes
Have ready a large bowl of cold water, with the juice of 1 lemon and some lemon slices added. If desired, stir in 2–
3 tablespoons plain (all-purpose) flour, as this is quite effective in preventing discolouration.
Wash the artichokes well and cut off the stem close to the base. As each artichoke is prepared to requirements,
rub the cut surfaces with a lemon slice from the bowl and place in the bowl until all are prepared. Cook as soon as
possible after preparation.
Whole artichokes: Remove the tough outer leaves and trim carefully around the base, just enough to neaten.
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Cut off 3 cm (1¼ inches) from the top and trim the remaining leaf ends with scissors. If the artichokes are of a
good shape and quality, it is not necessary to trim the leaf ends.
Artichoke hearts: As for whole artichokes, only remove three or four layers of leaves, until the tender inner
leaves remain. Scoop out the hairy choke and pink thorny leaves from the centre, using a spoon or melon ball
scoop. Leave whole, or cut in half.
Artichoke bases (fonds): Pull off all the leaves. Remove the hairy choke and trim the base into a neat cup
shape. Do not over-trim, as you will lose too much of the best part of the artichoke.
Eggplant (aubergine)
Recipes give details of preparation in most instances. However, as a general rule, leave the skin on, removing the
green stem for general usage.
The stem is left on if baking or grilling as it provides a convenient handle.
Slice, cube or slit the eggplant as directed in the recipe. While it has always been my habit to salt eggplant for
many recipes, I have found that if I choose them carefully, salting is not required. When eggplant is required for
frying, choose eggplant about 400 g (14 oz) in weight. Look at the base: the little ‘navel’ should be oval in shape,
not round.
BAKED EGGPLANT FOR PURÉES
Recipes give detailed instructions, as methods vary in different countries. However, a microwave oven is an
excellent means of cooking whole eggplant. Pierce it in several places with a fork or fine skewer, place on a
suitable dish and cook for 3–5 minutes, according to size. The flesh becomes soft and creamy and remains light in
colour.
Whichever way eggplant is baked, the skin must be removed quickly and the flesh combined with some lemon
juice or vinegar from the recipe to avoid discolouration.
Spinach and silverbeet (Swiss chard)
Spinach should not be confused with silverbeet — the two vegetables are not even related botanically. Spinach is
native to Iran, and widely used there and in other countries of the region. As spinach has a short season, from mid-
winter to late spring, frozen leaf spinach may be substituted at other times.
Silverbeet can be used instead of spinach, but in some recipes the result is not quite the same, particularly for
Iranian recipes. However, there are instances where silverbeet is the desired vegetable, with spinach an
impractical substitute. Individual recipes indicate whether one can be substituted for the other. Whether spinach or
silverbeet is being prepared, it is preferable to cook either vegetable in a stainless steel or enamelled pan as
aluminium can cause discolouration.
As bunch sizes vary, I have given a weight as the amount required for a recipe. If your bunch is above the
weight given, the success of the recipe will not be affected if the whole bunch is used. Some recipes give amounts
in cups of shredded spinach leaves, or the number of silverbeet leaves.
Preserving grape vine leaves
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Pick leaves early in their growth period — that is, early summer — when vines are well covered with leaves.
Choose leaves of medium-light colour, not too young. If the vines have been sprayed, wait for the period
recommended for general harvest by the insecticide manufacturer. When picking leaves, snip off the stem.
Wash the leaves and stack them in piles of 24, shiny side up. Roll up and tie with string.
Bring 2 litres (68 fl oz/8 cups) water to the boil with 3 tablespoons salt. Drop in one four-leaf bundle at a time,
return to the boil and blanch for 3 minutes, turning the rolls over so they blanch evenly. Lift out and drain.
Make a brine by boiling 2 litres (68 fl oz/8 cups) water with 315 g (11 oz/1 cup) rock salt. Pack the rolls upright
into warm sterilised jars and pour the hot brine over the leaves. Remove air bubbles and seal when cold.
The brine should be sufficient for 20 bundles of leaves. Adjust according to the quantity being preserved.
Parsley
In all recipes flat-leaf parsley (sometimes called Italian parsley) is used. Curly parsley may be used as a garnish.
Pulses or legumes
Pulses are the edible seeds of leguminous plants. The glossary lists them individually with their botanical names, as
well as the names by which they are known in the various countries of the region. Following is a general run-down
on their basic preparation.
To soak or not to soak? Some require pre-soaking, some do not, just as some cooks prefer to pre-soak while
others do not. It all depends on the nature of the seed and on its age. A dried bean less than a year old cooks more
quickly than one that has aged somewhat in the pantry or store. As pulses are more readily available, and stores
turn over stocks more frequently because of higher demand, the ones you are likely to encounter are relatively
fresh. However, as a general guide, I have categorised them.
Lentils, split peas and mung beans
There is no need to pre-soak these unless a recipe specifically calls for it. Brown lentils are often soaked for certain
recipes so that the skin can be removed before cooking (see ‘Skinning pulses’).
As a general rule, place the required amount in a sieve and rinse well under cold running water. If it looks as
though small stones have been left in after processing, spread the dried peas, beans or lentils on a tray, remove
any stones and discoloured seeds, then rinse.
Black-eyed, cannellini, haricot (navy), red kidney beans and butterbeans (lima
beans)
Pick over the beans and wash well under cold running water. To each cup of beans, add 750 ml (25 fl oz/3 cups)
cold water and bring slowly to the boil. Allow to boil for 2 minutes, then cover, remove from heat and set aside
until the beans are plump. Cook as specified in the recipe, using the liquid in which they were soaked.
If overnight soaking is preferred, wash the beans well and use 750 ml (25 fl oz/3 cups) water for every cup of
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