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 cup soaked chickpeas (unboiled)
- 1/2 cup coriander
- 1/2 cup parsley
- 8-10 cloves garlic
- 1/4 tsp baking soda or cooking soda
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp chickpea flour (besan) or whole wheat flour
- 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:
- 2 bell peppers (roasted on the stove)
- 4 – 5 Kashmiri chilies
- 4-5 cloves of garlic
- 2 tsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Salt as per taste
Tzatziki
Ingredients:
Ingredients:
- 2 cups Greek yogurt or hung curd
- 1 grated cucumber
- 2 tbsp dill
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp minced garlic or garlic paste (can adjust according to taste)
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 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:
- 2 medium eggplants
- 3 tbsp tahini or 4 tbsp yogurts
- 3-4 cloves of garlic
- 1/4 tsp cumin powder
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp parsley
Ingredients:
- 2 medium eggplants
- 3 tbsp tahini or 4 tbsp yogurts
- 3-4 cloves of garlic
- 1/4 tsp cumin powder
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp parsley
- 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