Dej Jawaneh

Whenever we go to El Bacha, our favourite Lebanese restaurant in Bucharest, we order various cold and hot starters, including dej jawaneh. Dej Jawaneh? That's chicken wings, cooked Lebanese style. They are served in a delicious minty and garlicky sauce I have many times tried to copy at home. Hélas, no matter how hard I tried, it never seemed to be quite like the real thing. However, when Joumana posted the Wings Lebanese-style recipe on her blog, I started drooling all over the screen thinking of all the nice meals & evenings we had at El Bacha. No more dreaming, I acted on the spot. I had tried and failed in the past in my pursuit to make perfect jawaneh, but with a trick I learned from Joumana, these jawaneh brought back the authentic smell and taste of the Middle East.

This is why I am blogging about them today. If they were not amazing, I wouldn't dare recommend them to you. 

Dej Jawaneh

inspired by and adapted from Taste of Beirut, my favourite Middle Eastern food blog

Type of cuisine: Middle Eastern/Lebanese

Ingredients

500 gr of chicken wings

approx 3 lemon wedges

a pinch of salt

crushed garlic 

2 tsp of coriander

a pinch of cinnamon

a small bunch of parsley/fresh coriander, finely chopped

olive oil

zataar and sumac to decorate 

Method

Preheat the oven @ 160 degrees Celsius.

Rinse the chicken wings then dry them with a paper towel. Chop the parsley and crush the garlic cloves. Rub each wing with a lemon wedge and sprinkle the salt, coriander & cinnamon all over. Add the garlic and half of the parsley. Squeeze the remaining lemon juice and drip some olive oil. Toss. 

Ideally, marinate the wings for a couple of hours before you roast them in the oven for about 1h. Make sure to flip them two or three times before taking them out of the oven. This way they will roast evenly.

The idea is that the meat should be tender while the skin should be mildly crunchy (yet not burned).  Finally, add the other half of parsley and extra lemon juice, if you wish. Decorate with sumac or home made zataar. 

I love the sizzling sound they make when you squeeze the lemon juice and the unmistakable smell of ... a small bedouin town lost in the vastness of the Arabian desert. Grilled chicken, bukhari rice, yoghurt dips, Lipton with mint and lots of sugar :) - that's what I love about Middle Eastern food. Simplicity and scrumptiousness around the table. What more can I ask for? 

 

"In the villages, or in the tents of the nomads, there will often be no furniture. The guest room, mandarah, is spread with coloured rugs or carpets and with quilts, mattresses and cushions laid around the walls for people to sit on. Usually no chambers are furnished as bedrooms. The bed, during the day, is rolled up and placed to one side or, when one is available, in a small adjoining room called a khazneh which is used as a bedroom in winter. During the summer many people in the towns and villages sleep on the flat root tops. The center of the men's room, which is usually regarded as a reception room, is kept empty. The guests sit around with their backs to the walls.

All Middle Easterners are very hospitable. The unwritten rule is to please one's family, guests or hosts. It is a great honour to be a quest, but a greater honour to be a host. When an unexpected guest  arrives a space is immediately created for him at the head of the table and coffee is offered. He must never refuse, to do so is taken as an offence. 

When food is served it is brought either on a large dish or in numerous small dishes and placed on the ground in the middle of the room. The guest is then invited to join the family.  [...] Before he sits down at the table the guest will wash his hands with soap and water in a copper basin, or, at least, have some water poured over his right hand. He is then offered a napkin. He must never refuse dishes that have been sampled by others present at dinner, to do so will give great offence. He must comment on the delicacy of the aroma emanating from the meal, pay little compliments such as on the tenderness of the meat or the thinnest of the housewife's kibbeh or the sweetness of the baklava, etc. [...] The master of the house first begins to eat, the guests and others immediately follow his example. Neither knives of forks are used; the thumb and the two fingers of the right hand serve instead of those instruments; but spoons are used for soup,s or rice or other things that cannot easily be taken [...]

Each person breaks off a small piece of bread, dips it in the dish, and then conveys it to his mouth, together with a small portion of the meat or other contents if the dish. The piece of bread is generally doubled together, so as to enclose the morsel of meat.

...The above lines from Edward William Lane's brilliant book Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians are as true today as when they were first written in 1836. Very little has changed in the social and cultural attitudes of the average Middle Easterner. Perhaps he doesn't sit on the floor, but uses a table and chairs, knives and forks, has table napkins, several plates instead of one, but the traditional Middle Eastern manners and rules of etiquette still remain".

(Taken from Middle Eastern Cookery by Arto Der Haroutunian, a comprehensive book on Middle  Eastern cuisine I recommend with all my heart.)

Labneh Inspiration

This is not my first post on labneh, as you know. The beauty of labneh is that it suits both savoury and sweet dishes and that can be combined with herbs, veggies, fruit or seeds. It can be served as comfort food or as party food and it's also ideal for breakfast paired with brown bread and black coffee. I have been mulling over some dessert ideas lately to include this wonderful delicate cheese and hopefully one of these days I will post an original recipe.

I took these pictures earlier at breakfast. We had mini & maxi labneh sandwiches, coffee and Darjeeling, and a delicious vitamin booster with ginger, tangerine, banana & kiwi .

Savoury yoghurt cheese balls with chopped mint, zataar, extra virgin olive oil & lemon juice


When I lived in Saudi Arabia, I used to buy similar labneh  balls from Tamimi, a supermaket in Riyadh. They were sold in a jar, preserved in olive oil and their texture was slightly harder. Probably the balls were not made by hand. Maybe they had a special press to shape the balls and so, squeeze all the excess water out of them. 
However, now that I am back home I do everything by hand. I buy full fat yoghurt, I strain it and I shape the balls using my palms. 

When we have guests, I always prepare labneh for starter with different salads and Middle Eastern dips. 

Today I was playing around with ideas  and I came up with this delicious mini-sandwich . This way when you take a bite you really feel the creamy taste. 

Cut out small pieces of brown bread and place a yoghurt cheese ball on top. Sprinkle with extra zataar & mint.

You could also go a long way with a bigger slice of brown bread, just place a cheese ball in the middle, drip extra virgin olive oil carefully around it and sprinkle zataar and mint on top.
Spread the cheese on the bread with a butter knife and, if you want, sprinkle extra zataar  &mint for a more intense taste. 

I hope I have inspired you and if you haven't tried labneh before, tonight if you strain some yoghurt, tomorrow morning I promise, you will have an unforgettable breakfast . 

Labneh with Mint, Zataar & Pomegranates

We had some guests over for dinner and since we went for Italian for the main course, I decided to give to the starters a Middle Eastern slant. I love Middle Eastern food and I could eat Arab food daily. And why wouldn't I do so? I could cook Middle Eastern in my sleep - it's ridiculously easy, ingredients are readily available and it's healthy. 

I have written about labneh here and here and this dip is a variation of the savoury dish. 

Yoghurt cheese with pomegranates, mint and zataar 

Type of cuisine: Middle Eastern

Drain the full fat yoghurt and place on a large plate. Press the labneh with a silicone spoon to make the ripples and the circles in the soft cheese. Sprinkle some salt, zataar, chopped mint and pomegranate seeds. Finally drip some extra virgin olive oil just before you serve. 

It won't take more than 30 minutes to drain the yoghurt (if you are in a mad rush) and less than 2 minutes to decorate. Enjoy. xx

Bulgur Salad with Mint & Pomegranates

I discovered bulgur the first time I ordered tabouleh @ El Bacha restaurant in Bucharest. I thought, wow, what a great salad, so fresh and bursting with all the good stuff. Parsley does wonders when you have a flu, for instance, as it's packed with vitamin K and vitamin C. 

There was a time when I was going around the shops here in Bucharest desperately looking for bulgur, to no avail...the magic ingredient was nowhere to be found. Things changed in the meantime and recently I found bulgur in some small specialized shops. Needless to say, I stocked up on it and used to the full!

Bulgur Salad with Mint, Parsley & Pomegranates and a hint of Zataar

Type of cuisine: Middle Eastern/low fat/Fusion

This is a variation of tabouleh, basically we use 3/4 bulgur and 1/4 parsley and mint, plus we skip the tomatoes and replace them with pomegranate seeds. 

Ingredients

 half a cup of bulgur

a handful of fresh mint leaves

a handful of parsley

1/2 pomegranate 

a pinch of salt

lemon juice

extra virgin olive oil

zataar 

Method

Steam the bulgur until it becomes fluffy. Chop the mint and the parsley. Seed the pomegranates.

Once you have all the ingredients at hand, it's time you assembled the salad. Mix the bulgur with the mint & parsley, season with salt, add two tbs of extra virgin olive oil and a good squeeze of lemon juice. Finally, add the pomegranate seeds and stir gently. Decorate with zataar.

I usually make this salad for parties. It goes well with the usual Lebanese dips such as moutabal, baba ganoush, labneh with cumin and mint & laban with garlic and olive oil. But it pairs well also with Beetroot raita with garam masala, recipe I promise I will post soon.

Until then, enjoy life, love and good food. xoxo

Ready for the party

A typical meal @ El Bacha should start with dips and salads, followed by hot meat dishes: beef sharhat, kebabs, dej jawaneh, and delicious mildly sweet Middle Eastern desserts. 

taken with Instagram

El Bacha Alba Iulia Square, Bucharest

Beet Hummus with Tortilla Chips

I've discovered today that beetroot has fallen in love* with hummus, merging into one the most delicious and surprising fusion dishes: Beet hummus with tortilla chips. What an exciting combination! This tapas combines two old school Middle Eastern ingredients with the simplicity of the beetroot, accompanied by crunchy tortilla chips. Ole! 

* OK, I have fallen in love with it :)

Type of cuisine: Vegetarian, Middle Eastern/Mexican, Fusion

This snack is basically a great combo of what you already have in your pantry. You need:

a 400g can of chickpeas

a 400g can of diced beetroot

2 tbs of tahini paste

a pinch of cumin

2-3 cloves of crushed garlic

2 tbs of extra virgin olive oil

some lemon juice

a pinch of salt

Method

Mix the chickpeas and the beetroot with the tahini paste, cumin, garlic, the lemon juice (or lime) and the olive oil and puree them using a vertical blender or the food processor.  Season with salt and transfer to a small serving bowl. 

My impression

As you already know, I love Middle Eastern food very much and this recipe (adapted from Food Lovers' Lunch collection) brings together two of the most notable ingredients of Lebanese and Mexican cuisines: tahini and tortillas. The result will totally blow you away, as it has blown me away. The pink humus will remind you of strawberry mousse, so it's great for parties. People don't normally expect to have anything pink as a starter!  The tortilla chips paired with the hummus taste absolutely divine. One wouldn't even guess there's an ocean and thousands of kilometeres separating the two continents.  Now, that's what I call fusion! 

sprinkle freshly ground pepper to decorate the plate

tortilla chip with beet hummus

A Labour of Love: Beef Sharhat & 1001 Nights

Behind each dish there is a story. Either they are fascinating, mundane, personal, old, new, vintage, made-up or based on true facts, stories must live on and be told for the enjoyment of others or for reflective purposes as though stories we learn. 

I had Beef Sharhat some years ago in a beautiful restaurant here in Bucharest, El Bacha. It is there I discovered and fell in love with Middle Eastern food. Little did I know at the time about the variety of Middle Eastern cuisine, but in time, reading about it and living for two years in Saudi Arabia, I have perfected my skills and now I make lots of Lebanese dishes in a short time. I remember the first time I cooked Middle Eastern it took me six hours! Yes, practice makes perfect, so if you want to start cooking Middle Eastern, take things step by step, start with some dips (labneh, moutabal, hummus), then take your time in marinating the meat, and learn about herbs and spices. 

You will be amazed to see how easy (and healthy) it is to sample Middle Eastern dishes and how many people you can make happy :) Cooking is a labour of love: preparing the dishes with passion, sharing them with the people you love, sitting around the table and telling stories. 

Type of cuisine: Middle Eastern/Lebanese


Cooking time: 30 minutes, but 3-6 hours for the marinade. 


Availability of ingredients: it would be nice if you could find fresh mint, if not, use dry leaves.

Preparation 

(the dish is for 2 people)

To make this dish you need a fillet of beef (the meat must be tender).

Cut the meat into thin slices & marinade it in crushed garlic, (fresh or dry) mint, cinnamon, sweet paprika, coriander seeds, cumin. The meat should marinate for at least three hours in the fridge to let all the spices blend and come together. 

Method

Fry the meat in olive oil until it browns.  

In a separate bowl dissolve a cube of beef stock and add 4-5 diced tomatoes. If it's summer, use fresh ripe tomatoes; if it's winter, use tomatoes from a can (I used half a can). 

Pour the beef and tomato mix over the meat and let it simmer for 20 minutes. Add some more spices, to taste: extra mint, extra coriander seeds, more cinnamon.  The water will reduce, making the sauce a bit thicker.

I am sure you will just love it :) Looking at the photograph above makes me want to do it again, but I don't fancy eating beef today...

This recipe is my own. I have reconstructed it out of my recollections of the dish I almost always have in El Bacha. 

As a side dish, I have mujardarra - lentil and rice with red onion marmalade, or Lebanese potato salad - boiled potatoes with spices, and labneh - rich yoghurt with mint, garlic and lemon juice.

About all this, I'll blog some other time. I hope you enjoy both cooking and eating this dish. If you do, drop me a line and tell me all about it.

Traditionals shop in Granada Mall, Riyadh

From Lebanon with Love: Spicy beef pizza

Yesterday I was so busy that all I ate was 2 bowls of Weetbix, which were delicious, by the way. However, I woke up with a mild headache so I decided to cook something more substantial. A quick inspection of my fridge/freezer brought the following ingredients to light:

* lean minced beef- half a tray

* diced tomatoes - half a can

* 1 red onion

* spices

* parsley

* mint

* pine kernels (for decoration)

* frozen dough (the naan I kept in the freezer)

Lebanese style pizza is also called Arayes- a meat pie. It's amazing to have it as a snack or for lunch, with labneh (yoghurt dip with mint), mutabal (eggplant dip with tahina sauce), hummous and green salad as side dishes.

spicy beef Lebanese pizza with hummous

Method

1. Put the minced beef in a wok and add the spices: cinnamon, coriander, cumin, garlic, mint, sweet chilly, grated onion. Fry the meat and add half a can of diced tomatoes (I used Cirio) and let the meat brown nicely.

2. Flatten the bread, brush it with olive oil and use a spoon to lay all the beef onto the base.  Chop some parsley, sprinkle some pine kernels and some extra tomatoes to keep the pizza moist during the baking process.

3. Heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius and leave it in the oven for 10 minutes.

Although the original recipe uses lamb, I used beef instead as it is very difficult to find lamb in Romania, especially in winter. This one of the reasons why I make kofta with beef as well.