by Anissa Helou
3. Add the cilantro, paprika, and lemon juice and cook for another couple of minutes, or until the sauce is completely reduced. Transfer to a medium serving dish and garnish with the strips of preserved lemons. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.
Indian Fried Eggplant
BEGUN BHAJA
INDIA
This is a lovely variation on plain fried eggplant, with a mildly spicy flavor that makes them a perfect accompaniment to the Bengali Khichdi or any grilled fish, meat, or poultry. They also make a scrumptious vegetarian sandwich wrapped in flatbread.
SERVES 4 TO 6
2 teaspoons Kashmiri chili powder
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
Sea salt
2 large eggplants (1 pound 2 ounces/500 g total), cut into medium thick rounds
¼ cup (60 ml) mustard oil
1. Put the chili powder, turmeric, and a little salt in a small bowl and mix well. Spread on a plate.
2. Dip both sides of each eggplant slice in the spice mix and shake off any excess—this is best done as soon as you cut the eggplant.
3. Set a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet. Heat the mustard oil in a large skillet over medium heat until really hot (test by dropping a piece of bread into the oil; if it immediately bubbles around it, it is ready). Add as many eggplant pieces as will fit comfortably into the pan (see Note) and fry until golden brown on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Transfer to the wire rack to drain off any excess oil. When done, the eggplants should be crisp on the edges and soft and silky on the inside. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.
NOTE: It’s best to fry the eggplants all in one go, otherwise there will be masala residue in the pan that will burn and stick to any subsequent batch. If your skillet is not large enough, wipe it clean after the first batch and use fresh mustard oil to fry the second batch.
Wild Endive in Olive Oil
HINDBEH BIL-ZEYT
LEBANON
Italian cicoria or hindbeh is available from Middle Eastern stores in summer. The type I buy in Sicily comes in long bunches, with thin stems and wide leaves that are kind of serrated with pointed ends where they branch off and it is slightly different from that available in Lebanon. That said, the taste is pretty much the same and it makes a wonderful mezze dish that also has the advantage of being supremely healthy.
SERVES 4
2¼ pounds (1 kg) Italian cicoria or wild endive
Sea salt
½ cup (125 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
4 medium onions (about 14 oz/400 g total), halved and cut into thin wedges
Lemon wedges, for garnish
1. Wash and drain the cicoria. Trim the bottoms of the stems and cut into pieces 2½ inches (6 cm) long.
2. Set up a large bowl of ice and water. Fill a large pan with water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add salt to taste (I like to add enough salt so that I don’t need to salt the greens after). Add the cicoria, return to a boil, and let bubble for 5 minutes, until just cooked. Drain the cicoria and dunk in the iced water.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and fry, stirring occasionally, until the onion turns a rich golden brown, being mindful not to let it burn, about 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer three-quarters of the onion to a sieve to drain any excess oil and crisp up. Leave the rest in the pan.
4. Squeeze the cooked cicoria dry, then loosen the leaves and put them in the pan with the fried onion and oil. Sauté over medium heat for a couple of minutes, stirring regularly, until the cicoria is well blended with the oil and onion. Transfer to a serving platter. Scatter the crispy onion all over. Serve at room temperature with lemon wedges.
Spinach with Paneer
PALAK PANEER
INDIA | PAKISTAN
There are many ways of making this northern Indian dish. You can blanch the spinach whole and cream it, or you can chop it and blanch it to use as is, or you can quickly sauté the spinach, either whole or chopped, before adding the paneer. As for the paneer, you can pan-fry it before adding to the spinach or add it as is. My favorite is to sauté the spinach whole, drain it if there is any excess liquid, then pan-fry the paneer separately and add it at the very end to combine crisp with creamy. That said, all versions are just as delicious and you can choose the one to your taste.
SERVES 4 TO 6
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
14 ounces (400 g) baby spinach
1 tablespoon ghee
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
1 medium onion (about 5 ounces/150 g), finely chopped
1 small green chili, seeded and thinly sliced
½ inch (1 cm) fresh ginger, peeled and minced to a fine paste
1 clove garlic, minced to a fine paste
½ teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder
2 teaspoons ground coriander
3 medium tomatoes (10½ ounces/300 g total), peeled, seeded, and processed into a puree
Sea salt
5 ounces (150 g) paneer, cut into medium cubes
1 tablespoon heavy cream
¼ teaspoon garam masala (grind 1 clove, 1 green cardamom pod, and ½ cinnamon stick)
Pinch of crumbled dried fenugreek leaves
White rice or roti, for serving
1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add as much spinach as you can fit into the pan, remembering that it will wilt very quickly, and sauté until just wilted, 3 to 4 minutes. You may have to do this in several batches, adding a little more oil in between batches. Place the cooked spinach in a colander to drain off any excess liquid.
2. Melt the ghee in a deep sauté pan over medium heat. When the ghee is hot, add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle. Add the onion and chili and sauté until the onion is golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and sauté for a minute or so. Then stir in the Kashmiri chili powder and coriander.
3. Add the tomato puree and salt to taste and let bubble for 5 minutes or so, until thickened. Add the drained spinach. Mix well and cook for 5 more minutes. Add the paneer. Mix well. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for a couple of minutes, until everything is well blended. Add a little water if the mixture is too dry and taste for salt. Increase the heat to medium and cook for about 10 minutes, until the spinach is done and there is hardly any sauce left. Add the cream, garam masala, and the crumbled fenugreek leaves and mix well. Cook for a couple more minutes. Transfer to a serving dish and serve hot with rice or roti.
Iranian Pickled Eggplants
TORSHI-YE BDENJN
IRAN
There are two ways of making Iranian eggplant pickles. This one, where the eggplants are kept whole and stuffed with an herb mixture, and another with the eggplants mashed and mixed with herbs, garlic, and chili. You can use other vinegars, but wine or any other type of alcohol is forbidden in Islam, so they only use white or apple cider vinegar.
MAKES ONE 1-QUART (1-LITER) JAR
15 Japanese eggplants (1¾ ounces/50 g each)
1¼ bunches flat-leaf parsley (9 ounces/250 g total), most of the bottom stems discarded, finely chopped
1¼ bunches cilantro (9 ounces/250 g total), most of the bottom stems discarded, finely chopped
4 teaspoons dried mint
4 teaspoons dried basil
10 cloves garlic, minced to a fine paste
2 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons sea salt
2 teaspoons nigella seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
4 small green chilies
2 cups (500 ml) apple cider vinegar
1. Stem the eggplants and remove the calyxes (caps).
2. Put the eggplants in a steamer basket and steam for 10 to 15 minutes, until soft but not mushy. Transfer to a colander and put a weighted bowl over them to press out any excess liquid. Let drain for 24 hours, then spread on paper towels—squeezing the eggplants dry will stop them from spoiling quickly.
3. Put the fresh and dried herbs in a large mixing bowl. Add th
e garlic and 2 teaspoons of the salt. Mix well.
4. Make a lengthwise slit down the eggplants making sure you don’t cut through them. Gently pry them open and fill each with as much of the herb mixture as you can fit in the opening. Close each eggplant, wipe it clean, and lay flat in a sterilized 1-quart (1-liter) canning jar. When you have done one layer, sprinkle a little of the remaining salt, nigella, and coriander seeds all over. Add 2 of the chilies, then make a second layer and a third dividing the remaining salt, nigella, and coriander seeds as well as the 2 chilies equally between the layers. Pack the jar tightly, then pour the cider vinegar over the eggplants to cover completely. Add any remaining salt. Close tightly and gently shake back and forth to distribute the salt. Store in a cool, dark place. The pickled eggplant will be ready within 2 to 3 weeks.
Turkish Pickled Green Almonds
ÇAĞLA TURŞUSU
TURKEY
Some cooks use a pure vinegar solution to pickle both fruit and vegetables, but I prefer to dilute the vinegar with water as I find the pure vinegar solution too tart. There is a wonderful pickle store in Nisantasi, a well-heeled neighborhood in Istanbul, where they only sell pickles. The display is quite spectacular, with jars filled with fruit, vegetables, herbs, such as fresh thyme, and even fresh nuts stacked to the ceiling. They are famous throughout Turkey and beyond for having the best pickles, and they still work in an artisanal way with the family overseeing the production.
MAKES ONE 1-QUART (1-LITER) JAR
1 cup (250 ml) white or apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 pound 11 ounces (750 g) fresh green almonds
Put the vinegar in a large measuring cup. Add 2 cups (500 ml) water and the salt. Mix until the salt is dissolved. Wash the fresh almonds and drain well. Pack tightly in a sterilized 1-quart (1-liter) jar. Pour the pickling solution over the almonds to cover them. Close the jar and store in a cool, dark place. The pickled almonds will be ready within 5 days to a week.
Pink Pickled Turnips
KABISS LEFT
LEBANON | SYRIA | JORDAN | PALESTINE
This pickling solution for Lebanese/Syrian pickles, which are less tart than either Iranian or Turkish, can be used with the vegetable of your choice, from cabbage to cucumber to green tomatoes. Pickled turnips are probably the most famous of Lebanese/Syrian pickles, mainly for their beautiful pink color imparted by the added beet. Sadly these days most people, especially those commercial pickle makers, use artificial coloring for a psychedelic rather than vibrant pink. At home though, they are still colored naturally with beet. Be mindful to store the jars in a dark spot, as light will cause the color to fade. The taste will not be affected much, but the presentation will no longer be attractive.
MAKES ONE 1-QUART (1-LITER) JAR
⅔ cup (160 ml) grape vinegar
2 tablespoons sea salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 pound 2 ounces (500 g) small turnips
1 small beet, washed, unpeeled, and quartered
1 fresh chili (optional)
1. Put the vinegar, salt, and sugar in a spouted pitcher or large measuring cup. Add 1¼ cups (310 ml) water and mix until both salt and sugar are completely dissolved.
2. Wash and dry the turnips, then trim the stem and root ends and pull out any thin roots on the skin.
3. If the turnips are very small, make one deep incision down the middle from the root end stopping about ¼ inch (6 mm) short of the stem end. If they are small to medium, cut into them every ½ inch (1 cm) from the root end to have thin slices, making sure you do not cut through to the other side.
4. Pack them into a sterilized 1-quart (1-liter) canning jar, interspersing the beet pieces, which will turn the white turnip a lovely pink color. Add the chili (if using). Pour the pickling solution over the turnips to cover them. Close the jar and store in a cool, dark place. They will be ready to consume within 2 to 3 weeks.
Eggplant with Walnuts and Garlic Preserved in Olive Oil
MAKDUSS
SYRIA
This is a wonderful Syrian way to preserve eggplants. In Syria, many use tiny white eggplants to make bijou makduss that can be eaten in one bite, but you can just as well make them with Japanese eggplants, which are more commonly available.
MAKES ONE 1-QUART (1-LITER) JAR
1 pound 10 ounces (750 g) Japanese eggplants
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
2 heads garlic (3½ ounces/100 g total), separated into cloves and peeled
1 fresh red chili, seeded
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
⅔ cup (100 g) walnuts
Extra-virgin olive oil
1. Discard the eggplant stems and peel off the calyxes (caps), but without cutting into the eggplants. Put the eggplants in a large pot. Cover with boiling water and add the coarse salt. Place over medium-high heat, bring to a boil, and let bubble for 5 minutes. Drain and place in a colander. Weight down the eggplants to extract as much excess liquid as you can.
2. Put the garlic and trimmed chili in a food processor and add the fine salt. Process until nearly smooth. Add the walnuts and process until the walnuts are ground medium-fine. The filling should have a fine crunch.
3. Make a lengthwise slit down the middle of each eggplant, cutting halfway into the flesh—be careful not to cut through the other side. Gently prise the flesh open with your fingers to create a pocket for the filling. Press 1 teaspoon of the walnut-garlic mixture into the eggplant. Smooth the filling to level it with the eggplant, put on a plate, and fill the remaining eggplants in the same way.
4. Pack the eggplants in layers, filled side up, in a sterilized glass jar, arranging them snugly next to one another without crushing them. Cover with extra-virgin olive oil. Close the jar and store in a cool, dark place. They will be ready within 3 to 4 weeks.
Lime Pickles
ACHAAR
INDIA/PAKISTAN
These are traditionally made with yellow limes, but I have also made them with small lemons and they worked out really well. Another type of lemon that would be eminently suitable is the Moroccan doqq, which has a thin skin.
MAKES THREE 1-PINT (500 ML) JARS
FOR THE PICKLES
15 yellow limes or small lemons with a thin skin, stem end cut but without cutting into the pulp, washed, and dried
3 cloves garlic, minced to a fine paste
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
¼ teaspoon ground fenugreek
⅓ cup (30 g) Kashmiri chili powder
½ cup (75 g) coarse sea salt
FOR THE TEMPERING
½ cup vegetable oil
3 dried red chilies
¾ teaspoon cumin seeds
¾ teaspoon mustard seeds
6 fresh curry leaves
¼ teaspoon asafetida powder
1. To make the pickles: Squeeze the juice from 5 limes into a small bowl and set aside. Cut the rest into 8 pieces each, by first halving crosswise, then cutting each half into 4 wedges. Remove the seeds and put in a large bowl. Add the garlic, turmeric, and fenugreek and mix well. Add the chili powder and salt and mix again. Add the lime juice. Mix again, then cover with plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator for 3 days. As they are, these will last for a few months. You can serve them as is, or you can temper them by adding the tempering solution to serve after a few days. Once tempered, the limes will not last past 2 to 3 weeks.
2. To temper the limes (or lemons): Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat until hot. Stir in the chilies, cumin seeds, and mustard seeds. Take off the heat as soon as the spices start to sizzle. Add the curry leaves and asafetida. They will sizzle as the oil will still be hot. Mix well and transfer to three sterilized 1-pint (500 ml) jars. Divide equally between the jars of pickled lime. The pickled lime will be ready in 5 days and will last about 2 to 3 weeks. Store in a cool, dark place or refrigerate.
Green Mango Pickle
AAM KA ACHAAR
INDIA | PAKISTAN
Pickle or relish
, it is a moot point, but whatever you want to call this green mango “preserve,” it is very easy to make and delicious served with plain rice and Vegetable Curry or any other curry of your choice, or simply with grilled or roast meats.
MAKES ONE 1-PINT (500 ML) JAR
1 large green mango, about 14 ounces (400 g), peeled and cut into medium cubes (about 2½ cups)
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1 teaspoon nigella seeds
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground fennel
1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
2 tablespoons mustard oil
1. Put the diced mango in a medium mixing bowl. Add the salt and mix well. Let sit for 4 hours.
2. Mix the mango again and squeeze it dry over a small bowl, reserving the liquid for later. Spread the mango over a tray to let it dry. If you have access to a sunny table, leave it in the sun for 4 hours, otherwise let it dry overnight on your kitchen counter. You don’t want the mango to become dried out, just drier and slightly shrunk.
3. While the mango is drying, add the spices to the reserved salt water and mix well.
4. When the mango is ready, add the spiced water together with the mustard oil and mix well. Pack in a sterilized 1-pint (500 ml) glass jar. Seal and store in a cool, dark place. The pickle/relish will be ready to eat within a week and will last for a few months.
Saudi “Salsa”
DUGGUS
SAUDI ARABIA
Also known as daqqouss, this relish is the Saudi equivalent of Mexican salsa even if it is lightly cooked. Duggus is served with a variety of dishes including Saudi Lamb Kabsa, which is Saudi Arabia’s national dish, and the Saudi Meat Pies. And if you like spicy flavors, simply increase the amount of chili pepper given below.