Middle Eastern cooking tips
Discussion
Living where I live in the wilds of Devon (well not quite wilds) we are devoid of many cultures especially when it comes to food. We just about have a Chinese takeway and even the local Nepalese has to call themselves "Indian" to avoid putting the locals off!
One cuisine that I really do enjoy and need to improve at home is Middle Eastern, highlighted by a recent meal in a Lebanese restaurant that really made me realise how crap I am at it! I would offer to stage there for a couple of weekends but its a 100 mile round trip for me.
Only relevant book I have is NOPI but I subscribe to it online, read many blogs and and have watched just about every programme on Netflix, Amazon and YouTube.
The only thing I don't do really is make my own yoghurt, tahini and I buy premixed spice mixes. On the assumption I have pretty much every ingredient going or can get it online what tips or tricks do you have?
Cheers all.
One cuisine that I really do enjoy and need to improve at home is Middle Eastern, highlighted by a recent meal in a Lebanese restaurant that really made me realise how crap I am at it! I would offer to stage there for a couple of weekends but its a 100 mile round trip for me.
Only relevant book I have is NOPI but I subscribe to it online, read many blogs and and have watched just about every programme on Netflix, Amazon and YouTube.
The only thing I don't do really is make my own yoghurt, tahini and I buy premixed spice mixes. On the assumption I have pretty much every ingredient going or can get it online what tips or tricks do you have?
Cheers all.
21TonyK said:
The only thing I don't do really is make my own yoghurt, tahini and I buy premixed spice mixes. On the assumption I have pretty much every ingredient going or can get it online what tips or tricks do you have?
Cheers all.
I am from there and still can't cook proper so don't worry. I cook French, Indian, Italian but ME...doesn't work for me, I guess that it is not just the spies but also the herbs. For example in the ME cooking there is use of pomegranate juice.Cheers all.
Watch Youtube , search for a dish that you are after and this might help.
As for tahini, buy it in the super and then dilute it with water until is a bit liquidi (not too much), add salt white paper and lots of lemon juice (~3 lemons). Leave over night in the fridge and test, not enough lemon or salt? Too solid?
You know what to do
Enjoy
African Grey said:
21TonyK said:
The only thing I don't do really is make my own yoghurt, tahini and I buy premixed spice mixes. On the assumption I have pretty much every ingredient going or can get it online what tips or tricks do you have?
Cheers all.
I am from there and still can't cook proper so don't worry. I cook French, Indian, Italian but ME...doesn't work for me, I guess that it is not just the spies but also the herbs. For example in the ME cooking there is use of pomegranate juice.Cheers all.
Watch Youtube , search for a dish that you are after and this might help.
As for tahini, buy it in the super and then dilute it with water until is a bit liquidi (not too much), add salt white paper and lots of lemon juice (~3 lemons). Leave over night in the fridge and test, not enough lemon or salt? Too solid?
You know what to do
Enjoy
Also, tinned chickpeas? Are they a complete no-no?
Falafel... soaked not cooked chickpeas?
Sorry to bombard but planning dinner for tomorrow!
There’s an Ottolenghi inspired Facebook group which would be well worth a look. I love the Sabrina ghayour books (we live on her food pretty much, or adaptations of) as well as YO stuff.
Diana Henry is great and love the food in Khazana by Saliha Mahmood. Ghayour quite often posts recipes on social media platforms.
I don’t have a problem using tinned chick peas, nor do many of the recipes/books I use, but can’t speak for authenticity.
We live in an area where getting hold of stuff can be tricky so tend to bulk buy when I can.
Tamarind paste, tahini, preserved lemons and pomegranate and date molasses are always to be found in our cupboards/fridge, along with rose water.
Dried cranberries can be used in place of barberries and Persian limes (found mine in a large Sainsbury’s) are fab for slow cooking into dishes.
Falafel tends to be best with soaked chickpeas as they stick together a little better than the canned ones - as these are pre cooked they’re a little too soft.
Diana Henry is great and love the food in Khazana by Saliha Mahmood. Ghayour quite often posts recipes on social media platforms.
I don’t have a problem using tinned chick peas, nor do many of the recipes/books I use, but can’t speak for authenticity.
We live in an area where getting hold of stuff can be tricky so tend to bulk buy when I can.
Tamarind paste, tahini, preserved lemons and pomegranate and date molasses are always to be found in our cupboards/fridge, along with rose water.
Dried cranberries can be used in place of barberries and Persian limes (found mine in a large Sainsbury’s) are fab for slow cooking into dishes.
Falafel tends to be best with soaked chickpeas as they stick together a little better than the canned ones - as these are pre cooked they’re a little too soft.
Edited by guillemot on Sunday 29th December 23:12
Edited by guillemot on Sunday 29th December 23:15
Thanks for above. Confirmed my thoughts on chickpeas, tried adding more gram flour but that just made them heavy. Will pick up some at the local C&C for next time.
Dried cranberries in place of barberries is a good one, especially as they're going to be cheap over the next few weeks!
I've ordered a pile of used books off Amazon to start me off.
Anyone recommend a specific rice for vermicelli rice? Basmati any good?
Dried cranberries in place of barberries is a good one, especially as they're going to be cheap over the next few weeks!
I've ordered a pile of used books off Amazon to start me off.
Anyone recommend a specific rice for vermicelli rice? Basmati any good?
I’m sure the recipe we have used to make falafel has bulgar wheat in, when I find it I’ll share it because it really is excellent.
As for chick peas, next time you make hummus peel them. It’s a total arse ache but it completely changes the texture of it. If you like Sabra stuff then you’ll appreciate the effort.
As for chick peas, next time you make hummus peel them. It’s a total arse ache but it completely changes the texture of it. If you like Sabra stuff then you’ll appreciate the effort.
African Grey said:
I am from there and still can't cook proper so don't worry. I cook French, Indian, Italian but ME...doesn't work for me, I guess that it is not just the spies but also the herbs. For example in the ME cooking there is use of pomegranate juice.
Watch Youtube , search for a dish that you are after and this might help.
As for tahini, buy it in the super and then dilute it with water until is a bit liquidi (not too much), add salt white paper and lots of lemon juice (~3 lemons). Leave over night in the fridge and test, not enough lemon or salt? Too solid?
You know what to do
Enjoy
Yeah, Tahini is delicious.Watch Youtube , search for a dish that you are after and this might help.
As for tahini, buy it in the super and then dilute it with water until is a bit liquidi (not too much), add salt white paper and lots of lemon juice (~3 lemons). Leave over night in the fridge and test, not enough lemon or salt? Too solid?
You know what to do
Enjoy
I make an 'instant' version all the time. Just pour a bit of the ground sesame paste into a glass bowl, add garlic puree, salt, jif lemon, boiling water and whisk with a fork. Makes a lovely dip or kebab sauce.
RobbieTheTruth said:
Yeah, Tahini is delicious.
I make an 'instant' version all the time. Just pour a bit of the ground sesame paste into a glass bowl, add garlic puree, salt, jif lemon, boiling water and whisk with a fork. Makes a lovely dip or kebab sauce.
Okay, so what you call tahini is as you describe above? To me tahini is the raw (unroasted) sesame paste? I tried a sauce as you describe last night, I liked it and then let it down with about 50% yoghurt which whilst okay was not great.I make an 'instant' version all the time. Just pour a bit of the ground sesame paste into a glass bowl, add garlic puree, salt, jif lemon, boiling water and whisk with a fork. Makes a lovely dip or kebab sauce.
This is where the confusion starts to creep in between what an authentic dish or recipe describes vs. UK suppliers (or US website
)Any help appreciated!
21TonyK said:
Okay, so what you call tahini is as you describe above? To me tahini is the raw (unroasted) sesame paste? I tried a sauce as you describe last night, I liked it and then let it down with about 50% yoghurt which whilst okay was not great.
This is where the confusion starts to creep in between what an authentic dish or recipe describes vs. UK suppliers (or US website )
Any help appreciated!
Yeah - you make Tahini Sauce or Tahini Dip out of tahini (sesame paste), water, garlic, lemon juice etc.This is where the confusion starts to creep in between what an authentic dish or recipe describes vs. UK suppliers (or US website
)Any help appreciated!
Don't worry too much about recipe, just put a big blob of paste in a bowl, a squeeze of lemon, bit of garlic paste then which with boiling water until you get your consistency.
Vermicelli rice (went with sumac roasted chicken)
Fry vermicelli in butter and olive oil until golden
Add washed and presoaked rice and continue frying until rice starts to absorb the oil and butter and the vermicelli is dark
Light chicken stock with pinch of saffron
Simmer then cover and turn off the heat until everything absorbed.
Improvements anyone?
Fry vermicelli in butter and olive oil until golden
Add washed and presoaked rice and continue frying until rice starts to absorb the oil and butter and the vermicelli is dark
Light chicken stock with pinch of saffron
Simmer then cover and turn off the heat until everything absorbed.
Improvements anyone?
Edited by 21TonyK on Sunday 12th January 15:27
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