Rosewater and Watermelon Ice

Like all fruits in the Middle East, watermelons are most often enjoyed fresh as a snack or as part of a dessert fruit plate.The best watermelons are reputed to be grown in Iran although, they have have also been known to be cultivated in Egypt before 2000 B.C. The following recipe is often served during the summer months in Iran as a chilled dessert.It is quick to make and doesn't require any special equipment but you can use a food processor if you prefer.

Servings:2-4

Ingredients:

1-5lb. watermelon

2 tbsp. rosewater

1-2 tbsp. sugar

2 pinches fresh rose petals, to garnish

1. Halve and seed the watermelon and cut the flesh into small cubes, reserving the juice.



2. Crush the watermelon pieces with back of a fork or process in a food processor with the reserved juice in batches till it turns into a granita-like consistency.



3. Put in a bowl and then stir in the rosewater and sugar



4. Chill in the refrigerator and serve ice-cold garnished with rose petals.

Musakhan (Palestinian Bread with Chicken & Sumac)

Photograph courtesy of http://www.sarahmelamed.com/

Musakhan is a traditional Palestinian country dish of chicken flavored with sumac and other aromatic spices served on taboon bread. It is also very popular in Jordan where there is a very large Palestinian population.Taboon is a type of flatbread that is baked in a taboon, an outdoor oven made of mud-brick and clay.But as this bread is not commonly available you may also substitute lavash or regular pita bread.

4 servings, as a meal

8 servings, as a snack

Ingredients:

3 tbsp. olive oil

3-4 onions, chopped

1 lb. boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces

2tsp. ground sumac

1 tsp. ground cinammon

1/2 tsp. ground cardamom

juice of 1 lime

salt and pepper

2 oz. pine nuts (optional)

4 pita pockets

1. Preheat oven to 350F.


2. Heat oil in a pan and stir in onions and cook until transluscent.


3. Add chicken and sumac.Cook for a few minutes to sear the chicken, then reduce the heat and stir in the spices and lime juice.Cook for about 10 minutes until chicken is tender.


4. Arrange chicken evenly on top of pita bread.Sprinkle with pine nuts, if using . Put pita on top of baking sheet and pop them in the oven for 10 minutes.


5. Remove from oven and serve immediately.Can be accompanied with strained yougurt spooned on top.

Paloodeh Garmak (Iced Watermelon with Rosewater)

Like all fruits in the Middle East, watermelons are most often enjoyed fresh as a snack or part of a desert fruit plate.The best watermelons are reputed to be grown in Iran although they have also been known to be cultivated in Egypt before 2000BC. The following recipe is often served during the summer months in Iran as a chilled desert lightly scented with rosewater.It's quick to make and doesn't require any special equipment but you can use a ice cream maker if you prefer.

Yield:2-4 Servings
Ingredients:
1 medium sized watermelon, cubed seeds removed
2 Tbsp. rosewater
1-2 tsp. sugar
rose petals, for garnish

1. Put the watermelon pieces in a medium ceramic bowl and crush it lightly with a fork till it has a granita-like consistency.
2. Add the rosewater and sugar and mix and then continue crushing till sugar and rosewater are evenly distributed throughout.
3.Put watermelon mixture in freezer and freeze for few(3-4)hours.Every half hour with fork break up ice crystals to create granita-like consistency.
4.When ready to serve,garnish with rose petals.

Sumac Spice

Sumac is a popular spice commonly used in Middle Eastern cooking.The spice comes from the dark, red berries of the sumac shrub which commonly grows wild in Middle East and Mediterranean countries where it is dried before later use.Sumac can be used whole, crushed, or ground but it is normally found in ground form.Sumac has a lemony, tart taste and provides a souring element to recipes.It is used in a wide range of dishes from salads, flat breads to grilled fish and meats.It is one of the key flavorings for the Palestinian dish Musakhan(chicken sprinkled with sumac served on toasted Arabic flat bread with onions and olive oil) and is one of the main spices in the zaa'tar spice mixture.

Chai Za'faran (Saffron Tea)

Right next to coffee, tea is considered the next most popular drink consumed througghout the Middle East.Tea is considered a traditional sign of hospitality.It is often the first drink offered to guests when visiting a home or while conducting business, whether in an office or souk.Teas are also drunk in the Middle East for medicinal purposes as people believe they can relieve or cure a number of common ailments.Unlike in the West, tea in the Middle East is prepared using loose, dried leaves and/or spices and served in small glasses and presented on a silver tray.Sugar lumps are offered with tea, but instead of stirring them in, it is cutomary to place them on the tongue and sip tea through it.The following is an unusual recipe of saffron tea , I have been told it's from somewhere in the Arab Gulf States, possibly Kuwait.Please let me know if this is correct.

Ingredients:

4 c water

1 tsp. saffron

lump sugar, for serving

1.Boil the water.When water is boiling add the saffron.Turn heat off.Allow to infuse for 10-15 minutes.

2.Pour tea into small glasses and serve with lump of sugar.

Baharat ( Arab Gulf Spice Blend)

Baharat is a popular spice mixture used in Arab Gulf cooking. It varies from region to region but with the addition with 1-2 spices. For example, the kuwaiti mixture includes ground ginger and cayenne pepper while the Saudi version includes loumi (dried limes). Baharat is used in rice, soups, poultry, fish, and meat dishes to give them that distinctive character.Like most middle-eastern spice mixtures, Baharat does not require any hard to find ingredients as most of them you most likely have on hand in your spice cupboard.Belw is a recipe from the United Arab Emirates UAE.



Yeild: 1 1/2 c

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp. ground black pepper

2 Tbsp. coriander seeds

2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

2 Tbsp. ground cloves

3 Tbsp.ground cumin

1 tsp. cardamon

4 tsp. ground nutmeg

4 tsp. paprika

1. Combine thoroughly all ingredients in a bowl and store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.



2. Will keep for 6 months.

Samak Quwarmah (Fish Curry)

This is a recipe for a very popular dish from the Arab Gulf countries.It uses the spice blend Baharat which is very common to this region.In the next blog, I will include the recipe for this arab gulf spice .Dont worry, it uses some spices for which you probably most likely already have on hand.As for the fish, a common feature of Middle-Eastern cooking is that the fish in the recipes are never really specified.As a general rule, people tend to use whatever fish is available in their particular region so like most middle -eastern recipes, just feel free to experiment with what you have on hand and enjoy an authentic arabian gulf meal.

6 Servings

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. any white firm flesh fish fillets

salt

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped

1 tsp. ground ginger

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1/2 tsp. red chili

1 tsp.Baharat

1 tsp. turmeric

1 c tomatoes, roughly chopped

2 loomi (dried limes)or zest of 1/2 lemon

1/2 c water

1. Preheat oven 350F.Oil a baking dish with the olive oil.Rinse fish and pat dry. Place on baking dish and sprinkle with salt.



2. Add remaining ingredients one by one in order. Cover and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour.



3. Serve hot with rice.