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Over the last cenยญtuยญry, authenยญtic Midยญdle Eastยญern food has gained immense popยญuยญlarยญiยญty in the Amerยญiยญcan as well as othยญer culยญtures of the world, and we are not surprised! Midยญdle Eastยญern cuiยญsine boasts of havยญing some of the most delightยญful, aroยญmatยญic, and deliยญcious recipes. Rangยญing from the gutยญsy and innoยญvยญaยญtive to the hasยญsle-free dishยญes that you can easยญiยญly cook in a matยญter of minutes. This artiยญcle is aimed at proยญvidยญing a deliยญcious runยญdown of the five best traยญdiยญtionยญal Midยญdle Eastยญern recipes that will sureยญly make any foodยญie fall in love with the regionโ€™s cuisine.

Koshari

Canva - Egyptian Rice - Koshari Koshari, popยญuยญlarยญly known as the nationยญal dish of Egypt, is served in almost all homes, restauยญrants, and on every street corยญner in Egypt. This highยญly popยญuยญlar and deliยญcious pot dish comes with an unusuยญal blend of macยญaยญroni, rice, and lentils. A spicy tomaยญto sauce (a unique comยญbiยญnaยญtion of tomaยญtoes, onions, garยญlic, and vineยญgar) is typยญiยญcalยญly drizยญzled over the top. Sounds strange, right?! But believe us, you will end up cravยญing it once you have tastยญed it. Koshari can be preยญpared quickยญly and is superb for a dinยญner parยญty or famยญiยญly get-togethยญer. Letโ€™s look at the ingreยญdiยญents and the method required to preยญpare Koshari.

INGREDIENTS

  • 50 ml of olive oil
  • 200 gm (1 cup) basยญmati rice
  • 560 ml (2ยผ cups) hot vegยญetable stock or water
  • 250 gm brown lentils
  • 100 gm small macaroni
  • 20 gm butยญter, coarseยญly chopped
  • 2 onions, thinยญly sliced
Tomaยญto sauce
  • 60 ml (ยผ cup) olive oil
  • 1 onion, thinยญly sliced
  • 1 garยญlic clove, fineยญly chopped
  • 2ยฝ tsp (spices mix ) salt, cumin and black pepper.
  • ยฝ tsp dried chilli flakes
  • 600 gm canned chopped tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp vineยญgar, or to taste

METHOD

1- For the tomaยญto sauce, heat oil in a saucepan over mediยญum-high heat, add onion and garยญlic and sautรฉ until tenยญder (4โ€“5 minยญutes). Stir in spices mix and chilli flakes until fraยญgrant, add chopped tomaยญtoes, seaยญson to taste and simยญmer until slightยญly thickยญened (6โ€“7 minยญutes). Stir in vineยญgar, check to seaยญson and keep warm. 2- Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a saucepan over mediยญum-high heat, add rice and stir to coat. Seaยญson to taste, then add the stock, bring to a simยญmer and covยญer. Reduce heat to low-mediยญum and cook withยญout uncovยญerยญing until rice is tenยญder and liqยญuid is absorbed (12โ€“15 minยญutes). Set aside. 3- Meanยญwhile, cook lentils in a large saucepan of unsaltยญed boilยญing water until almost tenยญder (6โ€“8 minยญutes). Stir in pasยญta and cook until pasยญta is all done (6โ€“7 minยญutes). Drain, then stir lentils and pasยญta into rice, seaยญson to taste, and keep warm. 4- Heat butยญter and remainยญing oil in a saucepan over mediยญum-high heat, add onion and fry until goldยญen brown and crisp (8โ€“10 minutes). 5- To serve, divide lentil mixยญture among bowls, spoon tomaยญto sauce on top and scatยญter with crisp onion.

Bechamel pasta

Canva - Pastitsio Traditional Greek Baked Pasta Casserole With Ground Beef, Tomatoes, Feta Cheese and Bechamel Sauce One of lifeโ€™s true pleaยญsures, the Egyptยญian bechamel pasยญta, is undoubtยญedยญly the most delecยญtable pasยญta recipe on this planet. A ground beef mixยญture between layยญers of penne pasยญta and topped with the cheesy bechamel sauce, what else could you probยญaยญbly ask for? You can use any type of pasยญta (macยญaยญroni, spaghetยญti, or angel hair) accordยญing to your likยญing, but we love penne, so thatโ€™s what we will use in our deliยญcious bechamel pasยญta recipe. Itโ€™s an Egyptยญian favourite for sure because who on the face of the earth can resist beef, pasยญta, and sauce. This dish is great for dinยญner parยญties and can easยญiยญly feed a crowd; all you need is some salยญad to go along! Super addicยญtive, we swear. Now withยญout any furยญther ado, letโ€™s get elbow deep into the ingreยญdiยญents and recipe.

Ingredients:

Ground Beef Mixture
  • 1 Onion
  • 2 Cloves Garlic
  • 2 lbs Ground Beef
  • 8 oz Tomaยญto paste
  • 1/2 Teaยญspoon Cinnamon
  • 3 tableยญspoons chopped parsley
Bechamel Sauce
  • 1 stick butยญter approx 120 gms
  • 8 heapยญing Tableยญspoons Flour approx 120 gms
  • 6 cups of milk
  • 2โ€“3 pinchยญes of fresh ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaยญspoon allspice
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 cube chickยญen bulยญlion (optionยญal)
  • 1 lb Penne Pasta

DIRECTIONS:

Beef - Saute onion in oil until yelยญlow, seaยญson with salt and pepper - Add ground beef and brown, seaยญson with salt and pepยญper and cinnamon - Drain excess water - Make a well in the midยญdle and add tomaยญto paste, saute for 2โ€“3 minutes - Mix tomaยญto paste with beef and turn off the heat - Add chopped parsยญley Pasยญta - Cook pasยญta per packยญage direcยญtions. Reduce cookยญing time by 1 to 2 minยญutes as the pasยญta will conยญtinยญue cookยญing in the oven Bechamel Sauce - Melt butยญter in large saucepan on medium - Add flour and whisk until smooth, cook for 2โ€“3 minยญutes conยญstantยญly whisking - Put milk and whisk until flour is fulยญly incorยญpoยญratยญed. Add fresh gratยญed nutยญmeg, allยญspice and bouilยญlon cube. Seaยญson with salt and pepper - Conยญtinยญue stirยญring until milk comes to a slow boil - The sauce will thickยญen after milk comes to a boil - Stir for 2โ€“3 more minยญutes then turn off the heat - Taste and add salt until desired taste - Drain the pasยญta and mix in 1/3 of the Bechamel sauce - Butยญter botยญtom of a 9x12 bakยญing porcelain/Pyrex bakยญing pan - Layยญer in 1/2 of the pasยญta mixture - Add all of the beef as the secยญond layer - Put remainยญing pasยญta as the third layer - Pour bechamel sauce in top until fulยญly covered - Bake in a 375-degree oven in the top half for 35โ€“45 minยญutes. Beschemel will bubยญble slowly - Increase temp to 425 to brown (monยญiยญtor conยญtinยญuยญousยญly to avoid burning) - Remove from oven and allow to rest for 20 mins before serving

Stuffed grape leaves or Dolma

Middle Eastern Recipes l Middle Eastern Food Recipes l Easy Middle Eastern Recipes l Middle Eastern Chicken Recipes l Middle Eastern Vegetarian Recipes Dolยญma (also known as Stuffed grape leaves) is a Midยญdle Eastยญern dish that is eatยญen and appreยญciยญatยญed across the globe, all with a slight modification. This flavourยญsome dish can easยญiยญly be found in any restauยญrant, specifยญiยญcalยญly the Mediterยญranean. Still, today we are going to teach you how to make the best Dolยญmas at the comยญfort of your home. In this recipe, the grape leaves are stuffed with a temptยญing fusion of rice, onion, fresh herbs (dill, cilantro, mint), and warm spices. The Dolยญmas in the Midยญdle East are usuยญalยญly served with garยญlic yogurt and are eatยญen warm or cold as an appeยญtizยญer and as a main course as well. Dependยญing on your likยญing, you can also add meat to the recipe!

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 onion, fineยญly chopped
  • โ…” cup rice (short or mediยญum grain), washed and drained
  • 1 small bunch cilantro, chopped
  • 1 small bunch dill, chopped
  • 15 fresh mint leaves, chopped
  • 1 teaยญspoon salt
  • ยผ teaยญspoon pepper
  • 65 fresh vine leaves (or canned)
  • 4 tableยญspoons butยญter, melted
  • ยฝ cup of water
Garยญlic yogurt
  • ยฝ cup plain yogurt, mixed with 2 chopped garยญlic cloves

INSTRUCTIONS

Fillยญing In a large bowl, mix, onion, rice, fresh herbs, salt and pepยญper and knead vigยญorยญousยญly for 5 minutes. Dolยญmas - If using fresh grape leaves, blanch 10 at a time in a large saucepan of boilยญing water for 2 minยญutes. That will softยญen the leaves and make them easยญiยญer to roll. Remove the leaves with a slotยญted spoon. Cut the stems or hard veins. - If canned leaves, place them in a large colanยญder and rinse thorยญoughยญly with cold water. Cut stems or hard veins. If canned leaves are too thick, blanch in boilยญing water, in the same manยญner as fresh leaves, but only for one minute, then drain. - Place the shiny side of the grape leaf down on a board or in the palm of your hand. And place 1 teaยญspoon of stuffยญing at the basis of the stem of the leaf. Fold the lowยญer end of the sheet up, then fold its sides over the fillยญing and roll. - In a Dutch oven or non-stick pot, place the stuffed grape leaves, close to each othยญer. You can make sevยญerยญal layยญers, if necessary. - If using fresh grape leaves, sprinยญkle a litยญtle salt between each layer. - Pour the meltยญed butยญter over the grape leaves and add the water. - If necยญesยญsary, place a small lid or a small plate on top of the dolยญmas to keep them tight and to preยญvent them from opening. - Covยญer and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium/low heat and simยญmer for 1 hour 30 minยญutes to 2 hours or until the leaves are tender. - Serve dolยญmas hot or warm accomยญpaยญnied by garยญlic yogurt.

Chicken Kabsa

Middle Eastern Recipes l Middle Eastern Food Recipes l Easy Middle Eastern Recipes l Middle Eastern Chicken Recipes l Middle Eastern Vegetarian Recipes Regardยญed as the nationยญal dish of Jorยญdan and Sauยญdi Araยญbia, Chickยญen Kabยญsa is sure to turn your next dinยญner parยญty into a feast. This Araยญbic dish is a famยญiยญly favourite and is suitยญable for any occaยญsion. This spiced chickยญen and rice recipe is served with roastยญed almonds and raisins. Some fresh carยญrot, tomaยญto and letยญtuce salยญad with pita bread on the side comยญpliยญment Chickยญen Kabยญsa very well. Drizยญzle some citยญrusy yogurt sauce on top, and you are good to go. So chanยญnel your inner chef this seaยญson and cook the tanยญtaยญlizยญing Chickยญen Kabยญsa for your friends and family!

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup vegยญetable oil
  • 2 cups onions chopped
  • ยฝ tsp ginยญger grated
  • 600 gms chickยญen pieces with bones and skin
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • ยฝ tbsp ground pepper
  • ยฝ tbsp carยญdamom powder.
  • 1 dried lime
  • ยฝ tsp cinยญnaยญmon powder
  • ยผ tsp clove powder
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tbsp tomaยญto paste
  • 2 cups tomaยญtoes fineยญly chopped
  • 1 ยฝ cup long grain rice like Basmati
  • 2 cup carยญrots shredded
  • 1/3 cup almonds blanched and halved
  • 1/3 cup raisins

Instructions

1- Wash and soak the rice in cold water for 45 minutes. 2- In a big pot, add 1/3 cup of vegยญetable oil, chopped onion and ginยญger. Fry on mediยญum heat until brown. 3- Add the chickยญen and brown it on both sides. 4- Add the carยญdamom powยญder, cinยญnaยญmon powยญder, clove powยญder, dried lime, bay leaf, salt, and pepยญper and mix well. 5- Add the tomaยญto paste and the chopped tomaยญtoes and cook until the oil risยญes to the top. Add 1 litre โ€“ 4 cups of water, covยญer and let the chickยญen cook for 25 minยญutes on mediยญum-high heat. 6- In the meanยญtime, fry the raisins until plump and brown in a litยญtle bit of oil, drain and keep them aside. Then do the same thing with the almonds. Keep aside. 7- Once the chickยญen is cooked, remove it from the pot and put it in a bakยญing pan. Broil it in a hot oven for 5 to 10 minยญutes. Keep aside. 8- Drain the rice and put it in the pot from where you removed the chickยญen. Add the shredยญded carยญrots and mix well. 9- Covยญer with a clean tea towยญel and then covยญer with a lid (this will preยญvent the steam from evapยญoยญratยญing too quickยญly) โ€” Cook the rice for 20โ€“25 minยญutes on mediยญum heat. 10- Serve the rice topped with the chickยญen and the roastยญed almonds and raisins.

Fattoush salad

Middle Eastern Recipes l Middle Eastern Food Recipes l Easy Middle Eastern Recipes l Middle Eastern Chicken Recipes l Middle Eastern Vegetarian Recipes Fatยญtoush salยญad is a clasยญsic dish that is served in almost all Lebanese restauยญrants. The dish is preยญpared from fresh vegยญetaยญbles and pita bread.  It typยญiยญcalยญly includes tomaยญtoes, radishยญes, cucumยญbers, parsยญley, garยญlic, yogurt, cheese, and fried pieces of pita bread. Sumac, garยญlic, vineยญgar, mint and lemon juice adds to the flavour and makes the recipe more refreshยญing and satisfying. Preยญpare Fatยญtoush salยญad as a light evening snack or as a full meal by topยญping it with humยญmus, or crispy baked falafel.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup Greek yogurt
  • 2/3 cup whole milk
  • 3โ€“4 large heirยญloom tomaยญtoes, diced
  • 3 oz radishยญes, thinยญly sliced
  • 5 mini cucumยญbers, thinยญly sliced
  • 1 scalยญlion, diced
  • 1/2 oz fresh mint, coarseยญly chopped
  • 1 oz flat-leaf parsยญley, coarseยญly chopped
  • 1 large clove garยญlic, diced
  • 3 tableยญspoons freshยญly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
  • 2 tableยญspoons vinegar
  • 1/2 teaยญspoon freshยญly ground black pepยญper, plus more to taste
  • 1 teaยญspoon fine grain sea salt, plus more to taste
  • 4 pita bread, toastยญed until goldยญen and fulยญly hard
  • 6 oz feta cheese, crumbled
  • 2 teaยญspoons sumac (or more to taste)

INSTRUCTIONS

  • In a mason jar or cup with a lid, shake milk and yogurt togethยญer and place it in the fridge until bubยญbles form on the surยญface. Let sit for at least 2 hours, but up to 1 day.
  • When youโ€™re near ready to serve, comยญbine the ferยญmentยญed yogurt mixยญture with tomaยญtoes, radishยญes, cukes, scalยญlion, mint, parsยญley, garยญlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and vineยญgar. Sit for at least 20 minยญutes for all the flavours to combine.
  • When youโ€™re ready to serve, crumยญble the pita into large pieces and toss to comยญbine. Towards the end of your mixยญing, toss in feta. Garยญnish with sumac and serve!
Omnia Abdeยญlazยญim conยญtributed to the article

Conclusion

So, there you have it, the five best Midยญdle Eastยญern dishยญes that everyยญone should try at least once in their lives. If you havenโ€™t tried the Midยญdle Eastยญern cuiยญsine yet, plan your next visยญit to any of the Midยญdle Eastยญern counยญtries or just reach out to the nearยญest restauยญrant that serves great Mediterยญranean food. The deliยญcious and palatยญable cuiยญsine will leave you cravยญing for more of the Midยญdle Eastยญern goodยญness. Amid the many temptยญing dishยญes on their menu, do rememยญber to try out the five best ones that we menยญtioned above. Enjoy, and do let us know about your flavourยญsome experience!

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