Home- made Lebanese mezze

Homemade pita

Ingredients:
1. 2 cups whole wheat flour
2. 3 tbsp yogurt
3. 1 tsp baking powder
4. Pinch of salt and sugar
5. 1- 2 tsp olive oil
6. Luke warm water for kneading the dough

Method:

Mix together the whole wheat flour, baking powder, yogurt, oil, salt and sugar. 

Slowly add in the water and knead together. 

Knead for 5-8 minutes until dough is soft. Set aside for 1-2 hours to prove. Once done, knead once and make small balls. 

Take a small ball and roll it flat circle, slowly bring together the edges and form a small parcel (like a kachori) (this helps make the pocket). 

Flatten it and turn it and roll into a circle (should be thick). Bake at 260 C for 7-8 minutes in a preheated oven or cook on a stove top as you would make rotis. 

Serve hot.

Falafel (chickpeas)

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup soaked chickpeas (unboiled) 
2. 1/2 cup coriander 
3. 1/2 cup parsley 
4. 8-10 cloves garlic 
5. 1/4 tsp baking soda or cooking soda 
6. 1 tsp cumin powder 
7. 1 tsp coriander powder 
8. 1 tsp chickpea flour (besan) or whole wheat flour 
9. Salt to taste

Method: 

Blend all the ingredients to a coarse paste. 

Roll into balls/patties and either cook on a paniyaram pan or bake them in a preheated oven for 20 minutes at 220 C  

Harissa

Ingredients:

1. 2 bell peppers (roasted on the stove)
2. 4 – 5 Kashmiri chilies
3. 4-5 cloves of garlic
4. 2 tsp coriander seeds
5. 1 tsp cumin seeds
6. 1 tsp red chili powder
7. 1 tbsp lemon juice
8. Salt as per taste

Tzatziki

Ingredients: 

Ingredients: 

1. 2 cups Greek yogurt or hung curd
2. 1 grated cucumber
3. 2 tbsp dill
4. 2 tbsp lemon juice
5. 2 tsp minced garlic or garlic paste (can adjust according to taste)
6. 1 tsp olive oil
7. Salt to taste

Method:

Grate the cucumber and squeeze out all the liquid from it

in a bowl, mix together the Greek yogurt/ hung curd, lemon juice, garlic, dill and shredded cucumber

Grate the cucumber and squeeze out all the liquid from it

In a bowl, mix together the Greek yogurt/ hung curd, lemon juice, garlic, dill and shredded cucumber

Drizzle with olive oil and add some extra dill to garnish

Babaganoush

Ingredients: 

1. 2 medium eggplants
2. 3 tbsp tahini or 4 tbsp yogurts
3. 3-4 cloves of garlic
4. 1/4 tsp cumin powder
5.  2 tbsp olive oil
6.  3 tbsp parsley

Ingredients: 

1. 2 medium eggplants
2. 3 tbsp tahini or 4 tbsp yogurts
3. 3-4 cloves of garlic
4. 1/4 tsp cumin powder
5.  2 tbsp olive oil
6.  3 tbsp parsley
7. Salt  

Method:

Roast the eggplants on a stove top, remove the skin and set aside. 

Method:

Roast the eggplants on a stove top, remove the skin and set aside. 

Combine lemon, garlic, tahini, cumin, olive oil, salt and the eggplant in a blender. Serve cold.

Tabouleh

Ingredients:
1. broken wheat (fada) – 2 cups
2. water – 2 1/2 cups
3. tomato – 1 1/2 finely diced
4. cucumber – 1 finely diced
5. parsley – 2 cups finely chopped (you can decide the proportion as per your palette)
6. onion – 1 finely chopped
7. lemon juice – 3 tbsp
8. sumac
9. salt to taste

Method:
Wash and drain the broken wheat
In a medium pot add the broken wheat and water, within 5 minutes when it starts boiling, cover the pot and let it cook on a medium to slow flame.
Once cooked and cooked, mix the broken wheat with finely chopped tomatoes, cucumber, onion and parsley.
Add the lemon juice, sumac and salt.
Serve cold