Kunafa - Heaven of Desserts

Ingredients

Syrup:
2-½	cups sugar
1-¼	cups water
1	tablespoon lemon juice
2	tablespoons orange blossom water
Cream filling:
½	cup rice flour
4	cups milk
½	cup heavy cream
4	tablespoons sugar
Pastry:
1	pound Kataifi pastry, defrosted
2	sticks (½ pound) unsalted butter, melted
Garnish:
⅔	cup pistachios, chopped



Directions
1. Syrup: In a small saucepan on high heat add water, sugar and lemon juice, bring to a boil then reduce to low, cook for 5 minutes. Cook until thick, like a syrup (if it becomes to thick add a small amount of water). Add orange blossom water, cool then chill.
2. In a medium saucepan on high heat, add milk. Have a whisk and gently pour rice flour into milk, whisk vigorously until there are no lumps what so ever. Add cream, mix well. Reduce heat to low and allow simmering 10 minutes, whisking through out every minute. Add sugar, set aside.
3. In an extra large bowl, add Kataifi pastry, breaking all strings apart with hands. Add melted butter over pastry mixing well with hands, until covered. In an 11-12 inch pie pan, add half of Kataifi pastry, press down. Add cream filling, smoothing out then add other half of Kataifi pastry, press down. Bake in a pre-heated 350 F oven for 45 minutes.
4. Take a sharp knife and run along pastry sides. Cover pan with plate and gently flip. Pour half of sugar syrup over pastry; reserve other half to serve at table. Garnish with pistachios.

Kabsa - Jeddawi Style

Saudi Kabsa Recipe




Kabsa, in Arabic it is called "كبسة" is a family of rice dishes that are served mostly in Saudi Arabia, and the other Arab states of the Arabian Gulf. Chicken kabsa recipe is one of the most popular dishes in Saudi Arabia. It is considered a staple. There are various methods to prepare Saudi kabsa. Let's try two wonderful methods:




Saudi Kabsa Recipe I



Ingredients:
1. 1 2/12 - 3 pound chicken, cut into eight pieces
2. 1/4 cup vegetable oil
3. 2 medium onions, sliced
4. 1 (12 ounce) can tomato puree
5. 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
6. 4 cloves garlic, crushed
7. 2 medium carrots, grated
8. Grated rind of one orange
9. 4 cloves
10. 4 cardamom pods
11. 3 sticks cinnamon
12. Sale and pepper to taste
13. 1 pound long grain rice
14. 1/4 cup raisins
15. 1/4 cup sliced almonds



Preparation:

16. Sautee onion in oil until it begins to brown. Add chicken pieces, tomato puree, chopped tomatoes and garlic and stir for about five minutes over low heat. Stir in three cups hot water, grated carrot, orange rind, spices, salt and pepper to taste. Cook over medium heat, covered, about 20-25 minutes, until chicken is done.
17. Remove chicken. Set aside to keep warm. Stir rice into the liquid in the pan, and cook, covered over low heat for about 35 - 40 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed.
18. Put rice on a serving platter with chicken pieces arranged around the circumfrence. Toss raisins and almonds over all.
Serves: 6



Saudi Kabsa Recipe II

Ingredients:

19. 1 roasting chicken, small one for 2 people and large one for 4 people
20. 2 bay leaves
21. 1 maggie chicken bouillon cube
22. 1 diced onion
23. 2 chopped garlic cloves
24. 6 cardamoms
25. 5 cloves
26. 2 cinnamon sticks
27. 2 dried lemons
28. 1 teaspoon cumin
29. 1 teaspoon coriander
30. salt & pepper
31. 1 teaspoon ginger
32. 1 teaspoon cardamom
33. 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
34. 4 hard-boiled eggs
35. pine nuts, and raisins, for flavor


Preparation:
36. PLEASE note, when cooking with basmati rice you always have to soak in water first or it will not cook well, for at least 15 mins!
37. In a stockpot add your onions and garlic on medium and let brown. Then add all of your *spices. Stir in tomato sauce on med heat until sauce thickens.
38. Then add you chicken into the sauce. I let it sauté for a few minutes on med heat still. Rotate your chicken so it gets all the flavors. After this add your maggie and water. Add water so it covers your chicken this is usually between half and full that I do.
39. Now let your chicken cook like this for about 35 minutes. The first few minutes let it cook on boil them turn the heat down to medium for the rest of time.
40. Meanwhile get another pot the same size and put your basmati in it. I use about 4 teacups full (the Arabic tea cup) then add some vegetable oil or ghee. Not too much but not to less. Then just set your rice aside until after your chicken has cooked.
41. Now after your chicken has cooked for 35 minutes you will turn your oven on broil. Put the chicken in a roasting pan. I add the dried lemons to it. You have to watch it because it only takes a minute on so on broil. It will get crispy and blacken a bit but this is how it is supposed to be.
42. Do not throw your broth away that you cooked your chicken in because we will use this to cook the rice.
43. Add the broth spices and all to your rice (just let it cover the rice and some extra) then just throw the rest away. Cook rice covered for 8 minutes then uncover stirring and cook for another 8 minutes. Make sure you left your sticks and all in the rice this makes it tasty.
44. Now on a serving platter put your rice, then lay your chicken on top, add boiled eggs around the chicken and sprinkle nuts and raisins. You now have the best Saudi Kabsa there is.

Old Fashioned Falafel like your Grandmother Used to Make

Learn how to make the best authentic falafel balls. A very filling vegetarian recipe, perfect as a starter, main course or just a snack.




Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: Max 1 hour and 45 minutes; adjust according to ingredients used.




Falafel Balls Ingredients:

1. 1 cup dried chickpeas or 16 oz. can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans.
2. 1 large onion, chopped
3. 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
4. 3 tablespoons of fresh parsley, chopped
5. 1 teaspoon coriander
6. 1 teaspoon cumin
7. 2 tablespoons flour
8. Salt
9. Pepper
10. Oil for frying



Falafel Balls Preparation:

11. Place dried chickpeas in a bowl, covering with cold water. Allow to soak overnight. Omit this step if using canned beans.
12. Drain chickpeas, and place in pan with fresh water, and bring to a boil.
13. Allow to boil for 5 minutes, then let simmer on low for about an hour.
14. Drain and allow to cool for 15 minutes.
15. Combine chickpeas, garlic, onion, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper (to taste) in medium bowl. Add flour.
16. Mash chickpeas, ensuring to mix ingredients together. You can also combine ingredients in a food processor. You want the result to be a thick paste.
17. Form the mixture into small balls, about the size of a ping pong ball. Slightly flatten.
18. Fry in 2 inches of oil at 350 degrees until golden brown (5-7 minutes).
19. Serve hot 

Batinjaan Mahshi with Ground Lamb

• 20 small cylindrical eggplant
• 1-1/2 cups minced lamb or beef
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 3/4 cup minced onions
• 1-1/4 tsp. 
• Salt-1/2 tsp. 
• Pepper-to taste
• 1-1/2 cups fresh tomato juice, or diluted tomato paste
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup (or more) samneh, (or other shortening)

Clean eggplant and trim stems to about half an inch. Do not remove hulls. Partially peel, leaving lengthwise strips of alternating peel and flesh. Fry eggplant until soft in hot samneh. Drain into shallow baking pan or pyrex baking dish. Fry chopped onions in samneh until yellow. Add meat, pine nuts, salt and pepper and fry until meat is well done.

Slit each eggplant lengthwise to form a pocket. Gently press several spoonfuls of stuffing into the slits. Cover with tomato juice, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Simmer on top of stove 15 minutes and then bake 15 minutes in hot oven to brown the tops. Serve hot in the baking dish. Good with Lebanese rice.

Bint Al Sah'n

Bint al Sah'n - "the concubine"

400 degrees F. 20 minutes

 Serve with Natural Uncooked HONEY.

One of my favorites, learned from the Yemeni side of the family - and my blessed mother-in-law.


1) 1 tsp of yeast dissolved in 1/4 cup of warm water2) 4 eggs3) 3 cups of white flour sifted before use4) 1/4 cup of water (in addition to the 1/4 of cup in which you have dissolved the yeast)5) 1 tsp salt6) 1/4 cup of melted butter(or ghee if you have some at hand)

In a bowl hand whisk the eggs, add the salt, water, yeast mixture and whisk well. Slowly add the flour and knead into a dough. Slowly pour the melted better and continue kneading until all the butter is incorporated. You can use a mixer for this, but we usually knead it by hand.
The dough takes on a yellowy color from the eggs and the butter!

Divide into 16 balls of equal size and cover so they do not dry up ( REMEMBER to flour the plate you put them on, so they do not stick to the plate). Let rise for about 20 min. You can use a rolling pin and start opening up each circle as big as you can–each one has to be so thin that you can literally see through it. Our yemeni mothers and sisters do this by hand. I continue with my hand here, tossing it from one hand to the other. BE CAREFUL it does not break! It will be VERY thin, almost see through.

With a spoon sprinkle some melted butter onto a round metal oven dish (about 14 inch in diameter). Then place the first layer onto the butter–make sure the edges stick to the oven dish. Sprinkle more butter on this layer and repeat the process of opening up the balls of dough–basically repeat the previous three steps–until you get the to last one. Don’t sprinkle the top of this layer with butter, but rather brush it with some egg yolk and sprinkle some black seeds on it.Place in the preheated oven about 20 minutes, until it rises and browns on the top.

Samboosa

Samboosa with Mafrooma (Ground Meat Pastries)

Ingredients:

1 Pound of Ground Lamb or Beef

   I recommend that you buy the meat whole and have it ground by your butcher, or grind it at home. 

1 Large Onion, finely minced

4 Cloves of Garlic, crushed, and then minced.

3 T. Olive Oil

Spices:

  1 T. Fresh Ground Cumin

  2 Tsp. Fresh Ground Cinnamon

  1 Tsp. Fresh Ground Black Pepper

  1/2 Tsp. Ground Allspice

  2 minced and seede

4 Hard Boiled Eggs, chopped finely

1 Cup of Green Peas

1 Bunch of Cilantro, finely minced

4 Medium White Potatoes, cut into squares 1/4 inch per side, sauteed in 2 T. Coconut Oil, and salted to taste

Cooking Oil: Grape Seed Oil should be used, or Corn Oil of you have no other option. Vegetable Oil is not recommended.

Pastry:

Commercial Egg Roll papers (Fresh Food Section of your grocery store). Alternatively a puff pastry, or empanada pastry can be used to wrap the Samboosa.

Begin by sauteing the ground meat in half of olive oil. Break the meat chunks up completely to ensure small grains of the meat to be mixed with the spices and vegetables. Pour off any excess meat juices or oil, or strain as desired. When done, set the meat aside.

Saute the garlic until savory, and add the onions, continue to cook until light browning occurs. 

Lower the heat, and add the spices. Continue to Saute until a rich aroma arises from the mixture. 

Add the blanched, seeded, and blended tomato, cook 1 more minute to dissolve excess liquid.

Add the chile, and salt to taste. 

Add the ground meat and continue to cook for 4 minutes at low to medium heat to integrate the flavors.

Set aside.

Complete the Saute of the cubed potatoes. It's ok to leave to leave the skins on if you prefer. Use plenty of heat to quickly saute the potatoes in the coconut oil to achieve crispiness, and ensure that they are fully cooked.

Add the potatoes to the ground meat and spice mixture. Do not mix.

Add the Hard Boiled Eggs, and Cilantro to the Ground mixture. Mix entire mixture lightly.

Add the Peas, folding them in gently to the mixture. Test for Salt.

The filling is now complete. Cover, do not refrigerate, and set aside until you are ready to fill the wrappers.

Wrapping the filling

Wrap the papers as directed. If you are using Egg Roll wrappers, cut 3/4 inch from one side of the stack and then cut in half to get an easy size to work with. 

Fold over one corner and "paste" with flour/water mixture or simply use a light amount of water. Continue to fold as shown above. This will create your pocket. 

Add a large soup spoon full of your ground meat mixture, and carefully seal all three corners of the sambusa as well as the top (envelope) closure.

NOTE: Place on a paper towel. When preparing sambusa do not layer or allow sambusa to touch. The dough will sweat and cannot be separated without tearing.

Prepare the Grape Seed Oil. When very hot, but not smoking - add the sambusa approximately 5 at a time and quickly fry to the color of a camel - turning once. Do not overcook.

Serve with Yogurt, or Salata mixed with Yogurt. Humbus is also a nice side dish with pickled vegetables.

Salata

A chopped Salad with Chiles and Cilantro

This salad is much like a fresh salsa, eaten with An excellent salad to be served with rice dishes, it can be mixed with yogurt as a complement to Samboosa, or eaten with bread and olive oil laced with balsamic vinegar. This salad is most often served with lunch along with a meat and rice dish or stew and bread.

Ingredients 

• 5 Roma Tomatoes, chopped
• 1 Cucumber (medium) chopped fine
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic (adjust to taste), minced or chopped very fine
• 1 green chile, seeded*** and minced very fine (Jalapeno's work very well, and adjust to taste)
• 1 bunch of fresh Cilantro or Parcely, minced or chopped in a food processor very fine
• ***Optional - 1/2 to 1 cup of Feta Cheese (drained well) can be previously marinated in olive oil for more taste
• Juice of one lemon

*** If you are making a sauce for Samboosa, omit the Feta and mix the ingredients with Yogurt