Rajesh in Dubai: For the Love of Buttermilk.

Man, this brings me back to my childhood.  

Laban-Up is a Middle East favourite.  A sour buttermilk drink that's so refreshing when served chilled on a sweltering hot day.  It has a very distinct and comforting flavour and a cute old fashioned carton that I miss seeing.

Costs roughly 10 pence, found in all good (and bad) grocery stores and supermarkets around here.

x

Rajesh

PS: For those who have tried 'salty' Indian Lassi, it's similar to that.

Rajesh in Dubai: Pa cooks an Arabic Breakfast

Click photos to Enlarge.

Foul madammas is the traditional arabic peasant's meal.  Meant to fill you up and keep you going for the day.  I woke up with a craving for it and my father seemingly had the exact same craving so he decided to whip it up.  He did warn me that it'll be like "cement in your stomach, you won't eat for the rest of the day"  he was right, this is good cheap desert fuel.  We popped over to the lebanese supermarket to get the needed components.

Foul is Fava Beans, sauteed with green chilly, garlic, lemon and tomato.  Once cooked it's doused in olive oil.  On the side he made some 'reverse' ( as I like to call it) Coarse hummous, whipped up in about two minutes by mashing chickpeas with tahini, garlic, parsley, salt and lemon.  It's a quick hummous fix.  This was all served with slices of onion, chillies and Nabulsi Cheese  - a great salty cheese from Palestine that makes Halloumi look dumb.

The breakfast was amazing, so hearty and filling, I'll be skipping lunch and dinner.  What made it extra special was the Palestinian Olive Oil that my dad doused the hummous and the Foul in.  It's truly special and he treats it like the rolls royce of olive oil.  It's not a commercial brand, it's from a small farm in Palestine, he had it brought over in big barrels.  It's a lot more deep in flavour and complex than the Italian Olive Oils, you could drink this stuff.

I'm smuggling that shit into London this weekend in a cola bottle.

xxx

Rajesh

PS:  My dad said the best Foul he had was in a tiny little joint down a backstreet in Jordan, I keep trying to get him to blog his Jordan trip but he's too lazy.

Quick & Easy Recipe: Arabic Snacks

I've mentioned before that I still long for those Middle Eastern flavours while stranded here on Her Majesty's Rainy Shores. The ones below are extremely simple and tasty, either as a light snack on a Sunday, or to serve to guests before a meal. Serve these with real arabic bread, the big flat variety which you can find in most good Arabic/Ethnic Supermarkets, the 'pita' you get in chain supermarkets is rubbish compared to it.

Tahini Dip

• 1/2 Cup Tahini (Arabic Sesame Paste, available in Arabic Supermarkets)
• 4 Heaped Tablespoons of Greek Yoghurt
• 1 Garlic Clove
• Juice of one Whole Lemon
• Optional Fresh Parsley to Garnish
• Sea Salt to Taste
  

Chop Garlic Finely. Add to the Tahini. Plop in the Yoghurt, mix till combined, watch as it thickens up into a nice paste. Incorporate the lemon, (add more depending on your your palette), season with the salt. If the dip is too thick for your tastes, thin it down with a little water till it reaches your desired consistency. This dip also goes well with fish!

Arnabeet Meklah (Fried Cauliflower)

• One Head of Cauliflower
• Sea Salt
• Oil for Frying
• Optional Fresh Lemon Juice

You won't believe how special this is until you try it, and it's so darn simple. The frying unlocks the beautiful flavours in the cauliflower that usually languish in boiling water and dodgy cheese sauces. This nice rustic treat is really addictive.

Slice up the cauliflower into florets. Shallow fry in hot oil, cook till nicely browned and a little crispy in places. Pat down and dry off oil. Sprinkle with Sea Salt (and optional lemon). Serve with Tahini Dip and warmed Arabic Bread. It's cheap too!

Enjoy!
xx

-R

Tip for the Lazy: Most UK Chain Supermarkets sell a Tahini brand called 'Cypressa' if you can't make it to an Arabic shop.

Quick & Easy Recipe: Muttabal aka Baba Ganoush

Having spent a large part of my life in the Middle East I occasionally  get flashes of flavours that I can't shake off, one of these being Muttabal which is a smoked aubergine dip.  It's really simple to make, cheap and tasty!  It's one of those simple dishes that always surprises you and your guests with it's distinct bold flavour.

Muttabal

Ingredients:

• 3 Cloves of Garlic
• 1/2 Cup of Tahina (A sesame paste available in all Arabic Supermarkets)
• 1 T/S Salt
• 1 Large Aubergine
• Lemon 
• Parsely to Garnish
• Paprika powder to Garnish

Directions:

The best way to smoke the Aubergine is to literally roast it on the hob, this sounds dangerous but works great.  Turn the flame up up high, slap the Aubergine down onto it and roast, turning occasionally till you can feel it has softened inside and the skin is burnt.

Put aubergine aside to cool, and peel off and discard skin.  At this point, chop it up into four or five pieces and put into a large mixing bowl.

Chop garlic cloves till fine and throw them onto the aubergine.  Add the teaspoon of salt, lemon juice and 1/2 cup of the tahina.  Mix thoroughly and set aside to cool.

Spread the Muttabal on a plate and garnish with small sprinklings of Paprika Powder, a bit of Parsley and Olive oil if you like. 

Serve with warm Pitta bread and enjoy the garlicky smokey goodness!