Upside down rice pot

This is Kabsa, originally a Saudi daily dish consisting of rice, vegetables and meat. It is called kabsa, because the dish is cooked in a pot and served by turning the pot upside down onto a plate. A very easy Safia style recipe that doesn´t take much time and effort to prepare.


You need:
1 kilo of meat (mutton, camel, fat calf) cut in small chunks
2 big cauliflower heads, cut in pieces
2-3 aubergines, cut in small pieces
6-7 chopped garlic cloves
a handful of almonds
fresh or frozen coriander, chopped
harissa, salt, pepper
about 1 kg rice

Use a BIG cooking pot!

Fry the pieces of meat in the oil in the pot together with the garlic and the chopped coriander leaves until meat is lovely brown. Then add the cauliflower and aubergine pieces. Fry everything some minutes only, then add water until covered well and spice up with harissa, salt, pepper.

Put a lid on the pot to close well and let the pot simmer for an hour and a half. Meanwhile cook the almonds in a small pot one minute, then wash them under the faucet with icecold water. Remove the skin from the almonds and slice them sideways in halfs. Heat a little oil in a pan and fry the almond halves lovely brown, then scoop up and put away.

When the pot has cooked for about 1 and 1/2 hours, check that water is still covering the ingredients well. Wash and clean white rice (basmati) or any rice type, then pour the rice into the pot a handful a time. Use some salt but do not stir the rice! The water should slowly raise to cover the rice; if needed, add some water until rice is covered.

Return lid on pot, cooking for 20 - 30 minutes until rice looks ready. Then remove the lid and put a plate upside down on the open pot. Carefully (use cooking gloves) turn the pot around, keeping the plate tightly in place until the plate is down and the pot is upside down on top of it.

Give the pot bottom a hit, so the rice slips and remove pot carefully. Scatter the fried almond halves on top of the dish and enjoy!

Jirjeer Salad (سلطة جرجير)

What you need:

Fresh Jirjeer leaves (they look exactly like fresh spinish leaves)
Tomatoes cut into squares
Onions cut into long thin slices


Salad Dressing:
Lemon
Salt
Olive Oil
Sumak (سماغ)


Sorry I suck at writing down recipies! But my food kick's ass! :D

Lazy lamb leg

Here is a favorite recipe for eid dinners, guests and other do-it-quick-they-are-coming occasions; I call it Lazy Lamb Leg, because it doesn´t take much work.

This is what you need:

A big lamb leg or any larger chunk of mutton
Harissa
Fresh ginger
Garlic (10-12 cloves)
Lemon juice

Greens:
Aubergine (peeled)
Courgette
Potatoes
Onions
Carrots
Salsafy or other colorless beet roots
Tomatoes
or whatever greens you prefer (but the meat goes well with winter and fall/autumn greens)

Stab the lamb leg several places with a thin, long knife to make incisions. Put chopped garlic cloves into the incicions as deep as possible. Flavor the lamb leg in salt, pepper, harissa and the smashed fresh ginger.
Place the lamb leg into a deep oven pan or baking pan; then peel and cut the greens into large chunks and place it around the lamb leg in the pan. Flavor with salt, pepper, soya, harissa or other spices of your linking and finish off by pressing some fresh lemon juice over the entire thing.

Fill the pan with fresh water until it sparsly covers the greens and reaches the lamb leg.

Place the pan into the oven; first at very high temperatures for about 15 minutes, then roll the lamb leg over and set the oven to 175 degrees (C). Let the lamb leg and greens roast for about 2-3 hours, depending on the size of the leg. Roll lamb leg over every hour, but leave the greens in the water until last hour; then roll the greens every half hour.

Take it out and let the meat juice gather in the lamb leg. After about 20 minutes, you can cut the meat into pieces to serve with the greens.

To be eaten with bread, couscous, macaroni whatever.

It´s not much work in the kitchen; you can entertain your guests while the lamb is baking in the oven - but the end result is a delicious - lazy style - dinner.

Happy EID

Kul Sana Wa ento Taibeen

(Zmallah, Garieba and Magroud)

Happy Eid dear bloggers, and you may serve yourself ;)

Tabahaj Turki

Tabahage Turki
(5-6 servings)
Can be used as a salad or side dish. Even the most incompetent cook will come out with excellent results!

2 medium sized eggplants sliced
6 tomatoes sliced in halves
5 green peppers (hot)
3 cloves of garlic
Salt
Vinegar
Corn Oil for frying (3-4 Tbs.)

Fry eggplant slices on high heat until they change color. Drain on paper towel. Set aside.
Next fry tomatoes and green peppers for about 5-7 minutes. Drain. On serving platter arrange eggplant slices on the bottom and the tomatoes on top leaving the green peppers for decoration on sides of dish .To rest of oil (should be still warm ) in pan add the garlic / vinegar and immediately pour the liquid on to the vegetables. Salt to taste.

N.B. If preference is of a lighter taste then the frying can be omitted and veggies can be grilled, substituting olive oil (1/2 Tbs. pour over veggies and serve)

*Recipe was passed on to me from my grandmother.

Salads (contd.)

Potato Salad (Arabic version )
Serves 4-5

Potatoes 5-6
Green Onions 1/2 cup (chopped)
Olive Oil 1 Tbs. Salt and pepper to taste
Parsley chopped for garnishing
Olives (black) 1 cup/sliced or whole
1Tbs. vinegar
tomato wedges and lettuce leaves for serving
Boil potatoes untill tender ( be careful to not overcook). Set aside to cool.Cut into2 inch pieces, and place in a bowl. Mix green onions, vineger, salt, pepper,olives together and pour over potatoes. Toss lightly. Place lettuce leaves and tomatoes on serving platter and place the potatoes in the center. Garnish with the chopped parsley.

Ruz bil Khulut

Another favorite recipe which my family enjoys.

Ruz Bil Khulut
(Rice mixed with almonds, raisins, and cut up chicken, liver, lamb and beef)
This is usually served in weddings and festive occasions. I have downsized it to normal portions (5-6 servings)

3 cups of rice (any rice but not Uncle Bens)
Salt 1 tsp.
Saffron (a few threads)

Almonds 1 ½ cups (peeled and washed)
Raisins I cup (soaked in water)

Liver ½ kg cut up in 1 inch pieces (lamb or beef)
Chicken breasts >>>>>>>>>>>
Corn oil ½ cup and 2 Tbs. butter for stir frying
Salt, pepper to taste.
Red hot pepper ½ tsp and paprika ½ tsp
Celery cut up for final touch

Bring water to boil (about 5cups). Add salt, saffron and rice. Leave until boiling (for 1 minute) drain rice and steam.
Warm corn oil in a medium sized frying pan, then add almonds. Stir fry till almonds are of a light golden color. Set aside the almonds.
In the same pan add butter, sauté the cut up meat pieces on high flame until evenly browned on all sides. Add spices. Then cook over low heat until well done.
Next add almonds and raisins (drained from excess water).
Cook all until done aprox.45 minutes (must be cooked slowly)Add celery.
Pour cooked rice in large bowl and stir in the meat mixture. Mix all thoroughly and serve.

N.B. Rice should be less than the khulut mixture to give excellent results.

Quick potato Rolls

This is my favorite roll's filling, just follow the same steps posted in the Quick Rolls Recipe except for the filling part.

Potato Filling

1 large potato, or 2 small ones (cooked in boiling water and mashed)
1 egg
1/2 cup grated Cheddar cheese
salt
pepper

Mix all the above ingredients together.
Then, put some of the filling on the pastry piece and follow the rest of the recipe.

Notes:
If you don't like fried foods, you can try cooking the rolls in the oven which is healthier and lighter.
If you don't like cheddar, you can use any kind of cheese you like!

Quick rolls

This is another favorite recipe of mine. Here is what you´ll need: a bag of spring roll pastry dough - usually for sale in Asian food stores. When you open the pastry, make sure to cover it with a damp cloth or else the pastry pieces will dry out and crumble as you work.

Filling: you´ll also need some minced meat; lamb and cow, not to lean. In addition, chop some onions, green peppers, hot peppers, corn, peas...whatever you want to use with the meat.

Fry everything on a saucepan and leave to cool off (otherwise pastry might soak thru and rip!)

Put some of the filling on the pastry piece - not too much, though, and roll/wrap it tightly up, covering the middle center with the edges. You might also wanna brush the edges with some flour dissolved in water for the pastry piece to stick better and keep the roll closed at all times.

Fry the rolls in hot oil; they need about 4-5 minutes at moderate heat. Once light brown, take them out of the oil and let them drip of the oil on some paper towel.

Serve the rolls together with lotsa green salad to balance the fried oil! You can fill those rolls with anything; not just meat - try white cheese or spinach or chicken or shrimps and chili....or fill the rolls with sugar, chopped nuts and almonds and pour atr (syrup) over them as sweets.

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