The Gaza Kitchen- a cookbook

[Penguin_ie 5,993]

Came across this new book and thought it may be interesting for members here:

The Gaza Kitchen: A Palestinian Culinary Journey.

Edited February 18, 2013 by Penguin_ie

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

Came across this new book and thought it may be interesting for members here:

The Gaza Kitchen: A Palestinian Culinary Journey.

Thank you for this, Pengie ! Laila is very well-known for her writing and her blog, Gaza Mom ( http://www.gazamom.com/ ) but I did not know she had done a cookbook. I will check it out.

[Sarah Elle-Même 660]

OMG I read Gazamom, too. This is awesome. Thanks for sharing!

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

I found Gaza Mom's recipe for maqlouba online (along with a few more of her recipes at Aramco Magazine's website - link below.)

Maqlouba is a typical and very traditional Palestinian dish, an Arabic version of chicken or meat with rice and vegetables which are layered and cooked in a pot, then turned upside-down onto a plate and topped with pine nuts and other garnishes to be presented with flourish and flair. (By the way "maqlouba" means "upside-down.") It's a very popular dish in Palestine, also in Jordan and some Egyptians make it as well. It looks complicated, but it does not involve any difficult techniques. It's good for a weekend when you have some time on your hands, especially if you have a crew of extra hands available

I especially like this recipe because it uses roasted cauliflower/eggplant instead of fried (which is the more common way of preparing the dish.)

Here it is, for all the maqlouba lovers

Gaza-style Maqluba

Meat:

1 medium chicken, cut into 8 pieces, skin removed, or 700 gr. (25 oz.) lean beef or lamb, cut into large chunks

2 Tbs. light olive oil

Water to cover meat in pot

Flavoring for Broth:

1 onion, chopped

1 celery stalk, with leaves, cut in half

1 bunch parsley stalks, tied together with string

1 sprig rosemary (optional)

1 bay leaf

2 small pebbles of mastic, crushed with salt

5 cardamom pods

1 cinnamon stick

1 dried lemon or 1/2 lemon rind (omit if using beef or lamb)

Vegetables:

1 large onion, julienned

1 head of garlic, each clove separated and peeled

2 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

2 large tomatoes, sliced

1 sweet red pepper, seeds and veins removed, cut into large strips

3 carrots, peeled, cut in half, then cut again lengthwise

2 lbs. eggplant or cauliflower florets, fried or oven-roasted (recipe below)

1 c. chickpeas, pre-soaked and cooked (or one 14-oz. can)

Remaining Ingredients:

3 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

2 Tbs. qidra spices (recipe below)

3 c. medium-grain rice, rinsed and soaked for 20 minutes

4 Tbs. olive oil

1/4 c. pine nuts or slivered almonds, fried in 1 Tbs. ghee or butter parsley

Brown the meat or chicken in olive oil. Add water and bring to a boil, removing any froth. Reduce heat to medium and stir in all the items under "Flavoring for Broth." Simmer for an hour or so (more if using beef or lamb) until tender. Cool, drain, and reserve the broth and the meat separately. (While the broth is simmering, prepare the eggplant or cauliflower.) In a separate bowl, add salt, cinnamon and qidra spices to the rice and mix well. Set aside. Fry the onions and garlic in a separate pan in 2 Tbs. of the olive oil until caramelized. Remove from heat.

In a large non-stick pot, add remaining olive oil and arrange potato slices in a circular, overlapping pattern, followed by tomato slices, sautéed onions and garlic, red pepper, carrots, reserved meat, roasted eggplant or cauliflower, and chickpeas. Add the rice mixed with spices on top of the arrangement in the pot. Ladle the broth over the rice until just covered, using approximately 2 cups of broth for every cup of rice. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cover tightly for approximately 40 minutes or until rice is cooked. If necessary, ladle a little bit more of reserved broth, half a cup at a time, and leave to simmer until rice is cooked.

Remove pot from heat and let rest, covered, for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and place a large round tray, serving side down, on the pot. Hold on carefully and flip the pot and tray upside-down. Gently lift off the pot, allowing the maqluba to slide out, as out of a mold. Adorn it with toasted pine nuts or almonds and parsley. Serve immediately with salad and yoghurt.

Grilled eggplant or cauliflower for maqluba:

Peel eggplant in alternating vertical strips (one strip peeled, the next strip with peel), then cut crossways into finger-thick slices. Soak these slices in salted water for 15 minutes. Drain well and toss or brush with olive oil. Arrange slices on an oiled baking pan or cookie sheet and bake until brown on the bottom, then broil for 5 to 10 minutes. For grilled cauliflower florets, follow same procedure but skip the salt-water bath. Toss with olive oil and proceed with oven roasting. Sprinkle with 1 tsp. cumin.

Qidra Spices

Use the freshest spices available. Mix well and store in an air-tight container:

1/2 Tbs. ground nutmeg

1/2 Tbs. ground red pepper

1 Tbs. ground cinnamon

2 Tbs. ground cardamom

2 Tbs. ground cloves

2 Tbs. ground dried lemon

1/2 c. ground allspice

1/2 c. black pepper

1/2 c. garlic powder

1 c. ground turmeric

http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/201106/gaza.s.food.heritage.htm#.TskoMNvi-js.wordpress

No photo was included, but here's basically what maqlouba looks like (this one was made with chicken):

Edited February 20, 2013 by wife_of_mahmoud

[Sarah Elle-Même 660]

I found Gaza Mom's recipe for maqlouba online (along with a few more of her recipes at Aramco Magazine's website - link below.)

Maqlouba is a typical and very traditional Palestinian dish, an Arabic version of chicken or meat with rice and vegetables which are layered and cooked in a pot, then turned upside-down onto a plate and topped with pine nuts and other garnishes to be presented with flourish and flair. (By the way "maqlouba" means "upside-down.") It's a very popular dish in Palestine, also in Jordan and some Egyptians make it as well. It looks complicated, but it does not involve any difficult techniques. It's good for a weekend when you have some time on your hands, especially if you have a crew of extra hands available

I especially like this recipe because it uses roasted cauliflower/eggplant instead of fried (which is the more common way of preparing the dish.)

Here it is, for all the maqlouba lovers

No photo was included, but here's basically what maqlouba looks like (this one was made with chicken):

OMG That looks so good WOM, thanks for the recipe! I had this once or twice when I was volunteering in the West Bank and I still remember the spices.

Out of curiosity - did you see 5 Broken Cameras? I just saw it yesterday. It's nothing new of course in terms of material but it was such an emotional roller coaster and I highly recommend it.

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

OMG That looks so good WOM, thanks for the recipe! I had this once or twice when I was volunteering in the West Bank and I still remember the spices.

Out of curiosity - did you see 5 Broken Cameras? I just saw it yesterday. It's nothing new of course in terms of material but it was such an emotional roller coaster and I highly recommend it.

Glad to share

Yes, I've seen the film - it's a stunning piece of work. I have been recommending it. I even had a few threads about it in the P&R forum:

Oscar nominated Palestinian director detained at LAX

Israeli kids watch '5 Broken Cameras'

5 Broken Cameras

You should join us - always lots of fun over there

[Cathi 5,755]

I found Gaza Mom's recipe for maqlouba online (along with a few more of her recipes at Aramco Magazine's website - link below.)

Maqlouba is a typical and very traditional Palestinian dish, an Arabic version of chicken or meat with rice and vegetables which are layered and cooked in a pot, then turned upside-down onto a plate and topped with pine nuts and other garnishes to be presented with flourish and flair. (By the way "maqlouba" means "upside-down.") It's a very popular dish in Palestine, also in Jordan and some Egyptians make it as well. It looks complicated, but it does not involve any difficult techniques. It's good for a weekend when you have some time on your hands, especially if you have a crew of extra hands available

I especially like this recipe because it uses roasted cauliflower/eggplant instead of fried (which is the more common way of preparing the dish.)

Here it is, for all the maqlouba lovers

No photo was included, but here's basically what maqlouba looks like (this one was made with chicken):

This is my favorite dish that my mother in law makes. I made it a few weeks ago and it didn;t turn out half bad for the first time. Too bad I am the only one in the house who ate it, my husband refused to eat it because he hates eggplant, and my kids have yet to find a taste for middle eastern food

Edited February 27, 2013 by mimolicious

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

This is my favorite dish that my mother in law makes. I made it a few weeks ago and it didn;t turn out half bad for the first time. Too bad I am the only one in the house who ate it, my husband refused to eat it because he hates eggplant, and my kids have yet to find a taste for middle eastern food

Awww after all that work ?!

Feel free to adjust the recipe - you can omit the eggplant to suit your family's taste. What vegetables does your husband's mom usually use ?

[Cathi 5,755]

Awww after all that work ?!

Feel free to adjust the recipe - you can omit the eggplant to suit your family's taste. What vegetables does your husband's mom usually use ?

she uses cauliflower and eggplant in it. Neither my husband nor kids will eat veggies, they pick around them.

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

she uses cauliflower and eggplant in it. Neither my husband nor kids will eat veggies, they pick around them.

Not fun for you