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Recipes from Palestine
Palestine is both a new country and
an ancient place, with many sights, sounds and tastes. The cuisine of
Palestine has a Middle Eastern flavor. Family gatherings are an integral
part of life. Try these recipes for a taste of Palestine.
| For a snack with children, prepare a selection of Middle
Eastern foods. Buy (or make) pita bread, and serve with black olives (if you have older
children let them try olives with pits); sliced cucumbers in yogurt, flavored with dill
and parsley, and the humus recipe given below. Humus
(Chick-pea Dip) Humus (HOO-moose)
| Drain
and place in blender or food processor to puree: |
|
6
cups canned garbanzo beans |
| Add
alternately and continue pureeing: |
|
½
cup TAHINI Sauce and ½ to 1 cup lemon juice |
| Add
and blend until smooth: |
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4
to 5 cloves garlic and 1 ½ teaspoons salt |
Dip should be thick and smooth, so
that it can be scooped with pieces of pita bread. Place in a
serving bowl and garnish with fresh parsley or mint, black olives and
a few strips of sweet red pepper.
Recipe from Extending the
Table: a world community cookbook by Joetta Handrich Schlabach,
Herald, 1991, p. 259 |
Upside-Down Company
Platter (Jordan/Palestine) serves 6
Makhlubbi (mahk-LOO-bee) This is a time-consuming but not too
difficult company dish.
Cover
with salt water 1 medium eggplant, sliced, and soak for
30 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
In a large heavy saucepan or Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons
olive oil, add and fry: |
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sliced
eggplant and 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced |
| Remove
and set aside. In same oil, brown: |
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1
½ pounds lamb (traditional choice) or beef, cubed
½ cup finely chopped onion, 1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced |
| Add: |
|
2
teaspoons salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, ¼ teaspoon ground allspice,
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, dash of cinnamon, 1 ½ cups water |
Bring
to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, until meat is
tender, about 30 minutes for lamb, and 45 to 60 minutes for
beef.
Meanwhile, in a separate saucepan, boil 3 cups water.
Remove from heat and add: |
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2
cups long-grain rice
½ to 1 teaspoon saffron or ¼ to ½ teaspoon turmeric |
Cover and soak for 10
minutes. Drain and set rice aside. When meat is tender, drain and
reserve broth. Place browned vegetables over meat in saucepan. Arrange
eggplant and carrot slices attractively. Top with soaked rice,
carefully leveling it. Add enough water to reserved broth to make 3
cups. Slowly pour over rice. DO NOT STIR! Return to heat, bring
to a boil and then simmer, covered, until liquid is absorbed, about 15
minutes. Turn off heat and let stand, covered, 15 more minutes. Invert
saucepan on a large attractive platter, at least 2 to 3 inches in
diameter larger than the saucepan.
Let stand 10 minutes more
while preparing:
2 fresh tomatoes, cut in
wedges, 2 lemons, cut in wedges, and sprigs of parsley
Carefully remove pan so rice
does not lose shape of pan. Sprinkle with ¼ cup toasted almonds.
Lay tomato and lemon wedges and parsley sprigs around edges of the
platter. Pass a bowl of plain yogurt to spoon over top. Squeeze
lemon over Makhlubbi to taste. Serve with pita bread and sliced
cucumbers in olive oil and vinegar.
Recipe from Extending the
Table: a world community cookbook by Joetta Handrich Schlabach,
Herald, 1991, pp. 206-207 |
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