A Traditional Middle Eastern Meal

I was introduced to "real" middle eastern cuisine while living in the Netherlands. Before that, I could only make Falafel and Hummus at my home in Lahore and I had no idea if the taste was right or not. Back then, there was an arabic and lebanese restaurant in Gulberg but no one among my friends or family wanted to go there. With NO romantic-interest-in-my-life who'd take me to wherever i wanted to go, i was left with no option except to just make arabic/middle-eastern food at home myself and hope and pray it tasted authentic.

While being in the Netherlands, I tried some lebanese and persian restaurants and what a joy they were! Turkish food was my life-line in student life. Inexpensive and readily available till late at night, it is quite popular among the international students in Delft and im sure in half of Europe.

My love for persian food grew after I started sharing my house with an iranian student. Not only did I learn some very nice persian dishes, I also learned lots of tips and tricks that iranians use in cooking.

So here are some tidbits that I'd like to share today. Its a Mezze (appetizer), turkish sandwich (main course) and Doogh (a drink). Im leaving Falafel, Kafte and Mandi for another day, but soon, I promise.

More information on Middle Eastern cuisine can be found here. Since there is a lot of geographical variety in Middle East, I cant say I know much about cuisine from places like Jordan or Syria or Iraq etc. but hey, im still learning! :) 

Mezze platter

Ingredients 

1) Mezze:

Egg plant: 1 small

Green olives: 10-12

Cherry tomatoes: 5-6

Green, Red, Yellow bell pepper: 1/2 each, cut into strips
Paprika: To taste
Black pepper: To taste
Salt: To taste
Olive oil
Garlic: 1/2 tsp crushed
Parsley: For garnish
Hummus: Ingredients below.
Lahmacun: Ingredients below. You can also use toasted Pita bread.

Hummus:

Boiled chickpeas: 1 can or 400 gm (whether boiling at home or canned, reserve the liquid)
Garlic cloves: 3-4 large
Tahini paste: 1-2 tbsp (I used store bought, you can make it at home too)
Lemon juice: 2-3 tbsp or to taste
Salt: to taste
Paprika: for garnish
Parsley: for garnish
Extra virgin olive oil: 3-4 tbsp


Lahmacun or Turkish Pizza: Here are the ingredients.

Lahmacun (picture taken from web)

2) Turkish Sandwich:

Turkish Sandwich

Turkish bread (pide): 1/2

Onions: 1, cut into thick rings

Zucchini: 1/2, sliced
Hummus: 3-4 tbsp
Tomatoes: 1-2, sliced
Egg plant: 1/2, sliced
Pepper: to taste
Salt: to taste
Olive oil

3) Doogh (Persian minty drink): 

Doogh (borrowed the cup from my Iranian flatmate)

Yogurt: 1 cup
Water: 1-2 cups
Mint: 2 tbsp (dried, ground)
Salt: to taste
Garlic powder: a pinch (optional)
Ice cubes

Instructions

1) Mezze:

1. Sprinkle some salt, pepper and paprika on the vegetables and grill with a dash of olive oil.
2. Grill whole cherry tomatoes. Keep them attached to the branch.
3. Make a paste of garlic, olive oil, some salt and parsley and lightly coat the olives.

Hummus:
1. Puree the chickpeas, olive oil, garlic cloves, tahini paste, salt and about 1/4 cup of the chickpea liquid. Puree to a smooth consistency. If you feel the mixture is too thick and is unable to puree, add some chickpea liquid or olive oil.
2. Check if more tahini, salt or lemon juice is needed (basically depends on your taste).
3. Garnish with paprika, parsley and a dash of olive oil.

Lahmacun: Here is the recipe you can follow.

Arrange the hummus, vegetables, and lahmacun in a dish. Serve as an appetizer.

2) Turkish Sandwich

Turkish bread or pide (picture taken from web)

1. Slice turkish bread/pide (shown in above picture) in half. I used store bought (fresh). If not available in your nearby area, you can either make it at home (see the recipe from here) or you an use (toasted) Pita bread also. Make a pocket in the Pita.

2. Sprinkle the vegetables with some pepper, salt and a dash of olive oil. Grill to your liking.

3. Put a layer of hummus on both sides of the bread. Layer with all the vegetables. Ready! 

3) Doogh

In a food processor blend all the ingredients together. Serve, chilled. 

Happy eating! :)