Feast
Dedication
For my late father, who
would have preferred me
to follow my first ambition
to be the Arab Marie Curie
but was then perfectly
happy to see me switch to
art, and later to food!
Contents
Cover
Title Page
Dedication
Introduction
Bread
Pita Bread
Saj Bread
Somali Pancakes
Iranian Flatbread
Turkish Flatbread
Moroccan Bread
North African Multilayered Breads
Arabian Pancakes
Yemeni Bread
Arabian Date Bread
Paratha
Naan
Zanzibari Savory Doughnut
Zanzibari Sesame Bread
Indian Flatbread
Savory Pancakes
Uzbek Flatbread
Kashgar Multilayered Non
Filled and Topped Breads and Pies
Moroccan Pigeon Pie
Egg Briouats
Southern Lebanese Za’atar “Pizza”
Ramadan Bread
Saudi Meat Pies
Berber Meat Bread
Lebanese/Syrian Savory Pastries
Ground Meat Pide
Turkish Meat Boreks
Turkish “Calzone”
North African Filled Bread
Indonesian Multilayered Bread
Indian Meat Breads
Uighur Scallion Pancakes
Bread-Based Dishes
Senegalese Bread Rolls
Arabian “Pasta” with Meat and Vegetables
Saudi Eggplant Fatteh
Saudi Meat Fatteh
Lebanese Lamb Fatteh
Egyptian Fattah
Syrian Fatteh
Arabian Meat and Vegetable Stew over Crispy Bread
Sweet Recipes Using Bread
The Bread of the Harem
Egyptian Bread “Pudding”
The Whole Beast
Baby Goat Roast
Iranian Stuffed Whole Lamb
Saudi Roast Lamb Shoulder on a Bed of Fragrant Rice
Saudi Camel Meatballs
Moroccan Mechoui
Moroccan Meat Kebabs
Turkish Kebabs
Lebanese Kebabs
Lebanese Kafta
Moroccan Kefta
Meat Satay
Chicken Satay
Indian Galawati Kebabs
Hyderabadi Kebab
Grilled Lamb’s Liver
Indian “Scotch Egg”
Chicken Mishkaki
Kashgar Kebabs
Afghani Sikh Kebabs
Iranian Ground Meat Kebabs
Chicken Kebabs
Lamb Shawarma Sandwich
Baked Kibbeh
Kibbeh in Sumac Sauce
Grilled Syrian Kibbeh
Kibbeh Balls with Quince in a Fresh Pomegranate Sauce
Meatballs in Sour Cherry Sauce
Chicken Tagine with Olives and Preserved Lemons
Poussin Tagine with Carrots, Olives, and Preserved Lemon
Lamb Tagine with Potatoes and Peas
Lamb Tagine with Eggplant
Moroccan Meatballs with Rice
Lamb Stewed with Cumin
Sweet-Savory Lamb Tagine for Eid El-Kbir
Awadhi Chicken Korma
Quail Tagine with Sweet Potatoes
Iranian Chicken in Walnut and Pomegranate Sauce
Aceh-Style Goat Curry
Pakistani Chicken Curry
Iranian Yellow Split Pea Stew
Iranian Mixed-Herb Lamb Stew
Iranian Lamb and Eggplant Stew
Quince Stew
Shanklish Salad
Paneer
Paneer Makhni
Yogurt Drink
Mango Yogurt Drink
Sweet Yogurt Drink
Cooked Yogurt Sauce
Festive Jordanian Lamb in Yogurt over a Bed of Rice and Bread
Lamb Shanks in Yogurt
Grilled Eggplant Puree and Minced Meat in Tomato Sauce
Kibbeh Balls in Minty Yogurt Sauce
Lebanese Dumplings in Yogurt Sauce
Turkish Dumplings with Garlicky Yogurt
Fresh Almonds in Yogurt Sauce
Spinach and Yogurt Spread
Labneh and Tarragon Dip
Eggplant and Yogurt Spread
Yogurt and Elephant Garlic Dip
Yogurt and Cucumber Dip
Azerbaijani Yogurt Soup
Rice, Grains, Pasta & Legumes
Slow-Cooked Biryani
Hyderabadi Biryani
Awadhi Biryani
Calcutta Biryani
Malabar Chicken Biryani
Emirati Biryani
Indonesian Kebuli Biryani
Saudi Shrimp “Risotto”
Qatari Shrimp “Risotto”
Qatari Chicken and Rice
Saudi Lamb Kabsa
Emirati Rice and Meat
Qatari Festive Rice and Chicken
Yemeni Chicken “Risotto”
Sweet-Savory Rice
Saudi Fish “Risotto”
Lebanese Fish and Caramelized Onion “Risotto”
Bengali Vegetable “Risotto”
Koshari
Zanzibari Coconut Rice
Afghani Vermicelli Rice I
Lebanese/Syrian Vermicelli Rice
Afghani Vermicelli Rice II
Plain Iranian Rice
Rice with Fava Beans
Herbed Polow
Lentil Polow
Baked Rice Cake with Lamb
Jeweled Rice
Festive Sweet-Savory Rice
Indonesian Yellow Rice
Indonesian Fried Rice
Azerbaijani Sweet-Savory Rice
Couscous with Seven Vegetables
South Asian Meat, Legumes, and Wheat “Porridge”
Wheat and Meat “Porridge”
Persian Meat and Wheat “Porridge”
Qatari Chicken “Porridge”
Sweet Couscous
Sweet-Savory Couscous with Chicken
Moroccan Couscous with Monkfish
Tunisian Fish Couscous
Lebanese Couscous with Chicken
Spicy Noodles with Shrimp
Salim’s Pasta Sauce
Classic Balaleet
Umm Saeed’s Balaleet
Bulgur and Nut Cakes
Bulgur “Risotto” with Chickpeas and Lamb
Chicken and Lamb with Frikeh
Lamb Shanks with Chickpeas and Wheat
Zanzibari Sweet Noodles
Egyptian Split Lentil Soup
Lebanese Lentil Soup
Tunisian Chickpea Soup
Moroccan Chickpea and Lamb Soup
Lentil, Chickpea, and Bean Soup
Meat, Beans, and Tomato Stew
Iranian Pomegranate Soup
Ful Medammes
Nigerian Breakfast Fritters
Lentil Kibbeh
Cannellini Beans, Dill, and Eggs
The Chicken That Flew
Chickpea Flour Fritters
The Sea
Baked Stuffed Fish
Baked Sea Bass with Tomatoes and Olives
Moroccan Grey Mullet Stuffed with Swiss Chard
Spicy Baked Fish with Herbs and Nuts
Spicy Baked Fish in a Tahini, Herb, and Nut Sauce
Bangladeshi Fish Head “Risotto”
Indonesian Fish Head Curry
Indonesian Crab Curry
Indonesian Fish Curry
Fish Kibbeh
Fish in Tahini Sauce
Fish Yassa
Indonesian Fried Fish
&
nbsp; Algerian Fish Cakes
Fried Mussel Brochettes
Shrimp Brochettes
Swordfish Brochettes
Mackerel Tarator
Pickled Swordfish
Fish in Tamarind Sauce
Stuffed Mussels
Sardines Chermoula
Fish Stewed in Spicy Coriander
Arabian Spiced Fried Fish
Arabian “Ravioli” with Fish
Zanzibari Grilled Fish in Coconut Sauce
Senegalese Fish Stew
Spicy Baby Shark
Emirati Fish in an Onion and Tomato Sauce
Spices, Spice Mixtures & Spice Pastes
Lebanese 7-Spice Mixture
Dried Herb and Bulgur Mixture
Garam Masala
Indian Biryani Masala
Qatari Biryani Masala
Advieh
Yemeni Spice Mixture
Yemeni Mandi Spice Mixture
Somali Spice Mixture
Berbere Spice Mixture
Arabian Spice Mixture
Arabian Spice Mixture for Desserts
Arabian Fish Spice Mixture
Dukkah
Yemeni Cilantro Chutney
Harissa
Spicy Shrimp Sambal
Chili and Tomato Sambal
Fresh Chili and Tomato Sambal
Fresh Produce
Tabbouleh
White Tabbouleh
Turkish Bulgur Salad
Mixed Herb and Toasted Bread Salad
Indonesian Vegetable and Egg Salad
Scrambled Egg and Eggplant Dip
Onion and Parsley Salad
Eggplant in Tomato Sauce
Moroccan Steamed Eggplant Salad
Smoky Eggplant Dip
Mario Haddad’s Fattoush
Stuffed Grape Leaves Cooked on a Bed of Lamb Chops
Iranian Stuffed Grape Leaves
The Lord of Stuffed Vegetables
Iranian Herb Omelet
Iraqi Stuffed Onions
Stuffed Cabbage Leaves
Vegetarian Stuffed Swiss Chard
Egyptian Mulukhiyah
Lamb Shanks with Mulukhiyah
Cauliflower in Tomato Sauce
Vegetable Curry
Fava Bean Salad
Indian Fried Eggplant
Wild Endive in Olive Oil
Spinach with Paneer
Iranian Pickled Eggplants
Turkish Pickled Green Almonds
Pink Pickled Turnips
Eggplant with Walnuts and Garlic Preserved in Olive Oil
Lime Pickles
Green Mango Pickle
Saudi “Salsa”
Falafel
Hommus
Tahini Sauce
Saudi Mulukhiyah Dip
Lebanese Spicy Tomato “Salsa”
Dried Okra Soup
A Sweet Tooth
Aleppine Breakfast Porridge
Dried Fruit and Nuts in Apricot Leather Juice
Lebanese Sweet Cheese “Pie”
Moroccan Almond Spirals
Baklava
Caraway Pudding
Cornes de Gazelles
Semolina Cake
Ramadan Date Cookies
Ramadan Nut-Filled Cookies
Date Halva
Date “Fudge”
Turkish Flour Halva
Chickpea Flour Halva
Carrot Halva
Date-Filled Pastries
Iraqi Date Cookies
Pistachio Ice Cream
Date Ice Cream
Pakistani/Indian Ice Cream
Cream or Walnut Sweet “Hand Pies”
Sweet-Salty Cassava Cakes
Malaysian Pandan Balls
Indian/Pakistani Milk Rice Pudding
Saffron Lebanese/Syrian Milk Pudding
Indonesian Black Rice Pudding
Moroccan Rice Pudding
Syrian/Lebanese Rice Pudding
Turkish Saffron Rice Pudding
Saffron-Flavored Fritters
Saudi Sweet Fritters
South Asian Sweet Milk Fritters
Lebanese/Syrian Round Fritters
Aniseed Fritters
Turkish Mixed Nut, Dried Fruit, and Legumes Dessert
Lebanese Wheat and Mixed Nut Porridge
Pumpkin Halva
Sugared Almonds
Grape Leather
Grape Juice Pudding
Orange Blossom Jam
Mint Tea
Turkish Coffee
Arabian Coffee
Arabian or Indian Milky Tea
Acknowledgments
Glossary
Index
About the Author
Also by Anissa Helou
Copyright
About the Publisher
Introduction
I slam was born at the beginning of the seventh century in one of the world’s harshest climates, in Mecca in Saudi Arabia around the year 610 AD, when the Prophet Muhammad began receiving divine revelations from the angel Gabriel. However, it wasn’t until the year 622 AD or 1 AH (after Hijrah, or exile) that the Islamic calendar marks the official start of the religion when, after a dispute with his tribe, the Prophet Muhammad fled Mecca to the city of Yathrib, now known as Medina.
Medina was and still is an oasis in the desert, but though there was water, there wouldn’t have been much variety available to the early Muslims in terms of food, and their diet was mainly limited to dates from the palm trees growing in the oasis; meat and dairy from their flocks of sheep, camel, and goat; and bread from grain they either grew or imported in their trade caravans from the fertile countries of the Levant and beyond. The Prophet’s favorite meal is said to have been tharid, a composite dish made of layers of dry bread topped with a stew of meat and vegetables, which still exists in one form or another, under different names, throughout the Middle East and North Africa, and even as far as Indonesia, where some curries are served over roti.
The Arabs have always been great traders, from even before the advent of Islam. They controlled lucrative trade routes along the Silk Road, and in the early days of Islam, they spread their religion not only through war conquests but also by peacefully converting the people they traded with. The goods they traded included spices as well as dry ingredients such as rice and legumes, although it is unlikely that they traded any fresh produce given how long the camel caravans took to cross the desert from lands where fruits and vegetables grew in abundance.
Even today the Muslim world whose recipes I have included follows the same arc more or less as that of the conquests during the expansion of Islam: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Egypt in North Africa, finishing in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India in South Asia, and Xinjiang province and Uzbekistan in Central Asia. In between are Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Jordan, Turkey, and Iran in the Levant; the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar in the Arabian Gulf. On the fringes are countries where the influences are more diffuse, such as Zanzibar, Somalia, Senegal, Nigeria, Malaysia, and Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim country.
After the Prophet Muhammad died in 632, the Rashidun (wise guides) established a caliphate, with Medina as its capital, to continue spreading the Prophet’s word. They took Islam to the Levant and North Africa to the west and Persia, Afghanistan, and Iraq to the east, but it wasn’t until the Ummayads founded their own dynasty (661–750 AD), moving the capital to Damascus in Syria, that Muslims began to live in splendor. They expanded their culinary repertoire because of easy access to more varied produce—part of Syria is desert but much of the country is fertile with the fruit growing around Damascus famous throughout the Middle East and beyond; as are the pistachio and olive groves around Aleppo. The Muslims also acquired new culinary knowledge from the locals they ruled over, which they absorbed into their own cuisine.
The Ummayads established one of the largest empires the world had yet seen, continuing Islamic conquests further west onto the Iberian penins
ula, and east into Central Asia to create the fifth-largest contiguous empire ever. However, it wasn’t until the Abbasid Caliphate (750–1258 and 1261–1517), when the capital moved to Baghdad, that Muslims started to develop a rich culinary tradition.
The Abbasid caliphs favored Persian chefs—the Persians already had splendid courts and a rich culinary tradition—who brought a whole new culinary knowledge with them, which they then adapted to the taste of their new masters.
Food became an important element of Abbasid culture and, in the tenth century, a scribe named Abu Muhammad ibn Sayyar wrote the first Arab cookbook, Kitab al-Tabikh (The Book of Cooking) for an unnamed patron who may have been Saif al-Dawlah al-Hamdani, a cultivated prince of Aleppo. The book contained a collection of recipes from the court of ninth-century Baghdad. The scribe himself descended from the old Muslim aristocracy and, as such, he was in a good position to faithfully transcribe the court’s recipes, which he gleaned from the personal collection of individual caliphs, such as al-Mahdi, who died in 785 AD, and al-Mutawakkil, who died in 861 AD, among others.
Many of the dishes that are today typically associated with Arab, Persian, or North African cooking, such as hummus, tabbouleh, kibbeh, baklava, pilaf, or couscous, do not appear in this book. Still, there are dishes from that time such as hariisah (meat and grain “porridge”) or qataa’if (pancakes folded over a filling of nuts, fried, and dipped in syrup) that are prepared today even if slightly differently and with different names. The medieval lavish use of herbs continues to this day.
The Abbasids allowed several autonomous caliphates like the Fatimids in the Maghreb and Egypt and the Seljuks in Turkey to prosper, and each developed its own distinct cuisine based on local know-how and ingredients, but all remained rooted in the tradition of Persian cooking. It was also during the reign of the Abbasids that Sufism rose as a mystical trend with a particular emphasis on the kitchen as a place of spiritual development.
The next great Muslim empire was that of the Ottomans (1299–1922/1923) who established Istanbul as the capital; and with them, a new culinary influence was born. Ottoman cooks introduced many innovations and were among the first to quickly adopt New World ingredients.
They took inspiration from the different regional cuisines of the empire, which they refined in the Topkapi Palace kitchens in Istanbul where hundreds of chefs cooked for up to four thousand people. Each group of chefs concentrated on one specialty with some groups, like the sweets-makers, having their own separate kitchens. All the chefs were hired on the basis of one test, which was how well they cooked rice, a simple task but a good indicator of skill. Eventually, the Ottoman palace cuisine filtered to the population during Ramadan events when food from the palace was distributed to the poor, and through the cooking in the yalis of the pashas, which was directly influenced by palace cooking.
The Mughals were the last great Muslim dynasty and, at the height of their reign in the seventeenth century, their empire spread over large parts of the Indian subcontinent and Afghanistan. The Mughal emperors belonged to the Timurid dynasty, direct descendants of both Genghis Khan and Timur. The former in particular was famous for his pitiless conquests, destroying conquered cities such as Damascus and Baghdad, with mass slaughter of the citizens. But the Mughals founded a refined dynasty that owed a debt to Persian culture. This was evident in their art and literature and in their cooking, which they made their own by using local ingredients and techniques, and using an impressive number of spices, which they almost always toasted before use.