Part 21 (1/2)

1 medium-sized white Dutch or Savoy cabbage 1 cups rice cup yellow split peas 1 large onion, finely chopped Vegetable oil 1 pound ground beef teaspoon turmeric Salt and pepper tablespoon tomato paste cup chopped flat-leaf parsley cup wine vinegar 2 tablespoons sugar To detach the cabbage leaves, cut a deep cone into the core at the stem end with a pointed knife and plunge the whole cabbage into boiling salted water. This will soften and loosen 1 or 2 layers of leaves. Detach these, and plunge again into boiling water to detach more leaves, and continue until all of the leaves are separated. Cut very large leaves in half, but leave small ones whole.

Prepare the filling. Wash the rice and cook in boiling water until it is almost tender- about 10 minutes-then drain. Boil the split peas separately until tender. Fry the onion in 3 tablespoons oil until soft and transparent. Add the meat and turmeric and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the meat changes color, then remove from the heat and add the rice and split peas, tomato paste, parsley, and more salt and pepper. Mix well. Lay the cabbage leaves on a plate one at a time. Shave off the thickest part of the hard rib if necessary. Put a heaping tablespoon of the mixture at the bottom of each leaf, bring the sides up over it, and roll up into a bundle. Put a little oil at the bottom of a heavy pan, cover with a few broken leaves to protect the others from burning, then arrange over them rows and layers of stuffed cabbage rolls.

Mix the vinegar with an equal quant.i.ty of water, stir in the sugar, and pour over the rolls.

Put a plate over them, cover the pan, and cook gently on a very low flame for -1 hour, until rolls are very tender and the liquid has been absorbed, adding water if necessary. Serve hot or cold. hour, until rolls are very tender and the liquid has been absorbed, adding water if necessary. Serve hot or cold.

Mahs.h.i.+ Coromb Stuffed Cabbage Leaves Serves 6 1 medium-sized white Dutch or Savoy cabbage Salt Meat-and-rice filling (page 306) Juice of 1 lemon Pepper Cut a deep cone into the core at the stem end with a pointed knife and plunge the whole cabbage into boiling salted water to soften and loosen 1 or 2 layers of leaves. Detach these and plunge again into boiling water to detach more leaves. Continue until all of the leaves are separated. Cut very large leaves in half, but leave small ones whole.

Prepare the filling, leaving it uncooked.

Lay the cabbage leaves on a plate, one at a time. Shave off the thickest part of the hard rib flat with a knife. Put a heaping tablespoon of filling on each leaf, near the stem end, and roll up loosely, tucking in both sides to enclose the filling. The parcel must be loose, to leave room for the rice to expand without tearing the leaves.

Line a large saucepan with torn or unused leaves to prevent the stuffed leaves from sticking to the bottom. Set the stuffed leaves on top of them in layers, packing them tightly. Cover with water and lemon juice mixed with a little salt and pepper. Cover the pan and cook very gently for -l hour. Serve hot.

Variations Cover with tomato juice instead of the water.

Tuck 6 or 7 whole garlic cloves in between the stuffed leaves.

Add 1 tablespoon dried mint or 3 of chopped fresh dill to the sauce at the end.

Mahs.h.i.+ Korrat Stuffed Leek Rolls with Tamarind Makes about 22 This version with tamarind is from Aleppo. Serve hot or cold, as a first course or part of a buffet meal. This version with tamarind is from Aleppo. Serve hot or cold, as a first course or part of a buffet meal.

4 very fat leeks Salt and pepper 1 pound ground beef 1 teaspoon cinnamon teaspoon allspice cup vegetable oil 1 tablespoons tamarind paste (see page 46) 1 tablespoons sugar Cut the hard green ends off the leeks, so that you have white cylinders about 6 inches long. With a sharp knife, make a slit very carefully along one side of each leek, through to the center but no farther. Boil the leeks in salted water till softened. Drain and cut a slice off the root end, freeing the layers from each other. You will have wide rectangular strips.

Season the ground meat with salt, pepper, cinnamon, and allspice and work to a soft paste with your hands. Put about 1 heaping tablespoon filling in a line along the larger side of a rectangle, leaving about 1 inch at each end, and roll up like a long thin cigar. Continue with all the leaves. When they get too narrow, put 2 together to make a roll.

Heat the oil in 2 large skillets. Put in the rolls, side by side, and saute gently for a few minutes, until lightly colored all over, turning them over once. Dilute the tamarind paste and sugar in a little hot water and pour over the rolls. Add more water-enough to cover them.

Cook, covered, over very low heat for - hour. Remove the lids towards the end to reduce the sauce if necessary. hour. Remove the lids towards the end to reduce the sauce if necessary.

Mahs.h.i.+ Qarah Stuffed Pumpkin Serves 6-8 The round, sweet orange-fleshed pumpkins are the ones to use for this dish. The amount of stuffing you need depends on the size of the pumpkin. If you wish to make it without meat, increase the quant.i.ty of rice. The round, sweet orange-fleshed pumpkins are the ones to use for this dish. The amount of stuffing you need depends on the size of the pumpkin. If you wish to make it without meat, increase the quant.i.ty of rice.

1 pumpkin, about 9 inches in diameter 1 medium onion, finely chopped 2 tablespoons vegetable oil pound ground meat-lamb, beef, or veal cup short- or medium-grain rice, cooked 2-3 tablespoons pine nuts 2-3 tablespoons black or golden raisins Salt and pepper 1 teaspoon cinnamon or teaspoon allspice Wash the pumpkin and, with a strong sharp knife, cut out a round lid around the stalk end of the pumpkin and lift it out. Sc.r.a.pe inside and remove the seeds and loose fibers.

Make the filling. Fry the onion in the oil till soft. Add the meat and continue to cook, crus.h.i.+ng it with a fork and stirring until it changes color. Add the rest of the ingredients (the pine nuts may be toasted or fried till lightly colored) and fill the pumpkin. Put the lid on, place it on a baking sheet, and bake for at least an hour in a 375F oven, until it feels soft when you press.

Bring to the table and serve hot, cut into generous slices, each topped with stuffing.

Variations Replace the rice filling with bulgur pilaf with raisins and pine nuts (page 368).

Sprinkle a little sugar inside to sweeten the flesh before filling the pumpkin.

Mahs.h.i.+ Safargel Stuffed Quinces Serves 4 This is exquisite and also very easy. The quinces are hard and take a long time to cook before you can even cut them up and stuff them, but you can bake them hours- even a day-in advance. I use very large quinces, weighing a pound each. Serve as a hot first course. This is exquisite and also very easy. The quinces are hard and take a long time to cook before you can even cut them up and stuff them, but you can bake them hours- even a day-in advance. I use very large quinces, weighing a pound each. Serve as a hot first course.

2 large quinces (1 pound each) 1 medium onion, chopped 1 tablespoons vegetable oil 3 tablespoons pine nuts 7 ounces lean ground lamb or beef Salt and pepper 1 teaspoon cinnamon teaspoon allspice Wash the quinces and rub off the light down that covers their skin in patches. Put them on a piece of foil on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 325F oven for 1 -2 hours, until they feel soft when you press.

For the stuffing, fry the onion in the oil until soft. Add the pine nuts and stir, turning them over, until golden. Put the raw ground meat in a bowl and add salt, pepper, cinnamon, and allspice. Mix and work well to a smooth paste with your hand. Add the fried onion and pine nuts and work them into the paste.

When the quinces are cool enough to handle, cut them open lengthwise. Remove the cores with a pointed knife and discard them. With a pointed spoon, scoop out about a third of the pulp and mix it into the meat stuffing. Heap a quarter of this mixture into each quince half and press it down.

Put the 4 stuffed quince halves on the baking sheet and bake at 350F for another hour. Serve hot.

Beans, Chickpeas, Lentils, and Other Legumes Since ancient times, dishes based on legumes such as chickpeas, beans, and lentils have been looked down on as the food of the poor. In literature, proverbs, and songs they are constantly referred to as the food of the poor or the food of the mean. They have even been included as such in the Kitab al Bukhala (Book of Misers) Kitab al Bukhala (Book of Misers) by the writer al-Jahiz (775-868). But regardless of the stigma, these usually peasant dishes are nevertheless loved by everybody. Numerous jokes are told about Arab dignitaries who, when served with French by the writer al-Jahiz (775-868). But regardless of the stigma, these usually peasant dishes are nevertheless loved by everybody. Numerous jokes are told about Arab dignitaries who, when served with French haute cuisine haute cuisine or cosmopolitan food in hotels or at banquets, long for the or cosmopolitan food in hotels or at banquets, long for the ful medames ful medames (page 328) or chickpeas and spinach which they can tell that the servants are eating from the aromas wafting up from the kitchens. (page 328) or chickpeas and spinach which they can tell that the servants are eating from the aromas wafting up from the kitchens.

A little dull at times, but more often used in exciting combinations with other ingredients and deliciously flavored with spices, garlic, onions, and herbs, legumes are also important for their nutritive value. By themselves, they can be eaten cold as mezze or salads, or hot as vegetable side dishes. Cooked with meat, vegetables, rice, and pasta, they add body and texture to many wonderful winter stews.

Many vegetarian dishes which use legumes are known as the Lenten dishes of the Christian communities and are a.s.sociated with the austerity month, which falls at the end of winter. For Muslims, they are the substantial winter foods on which people survive.

EGYPTIAN PROVERB:.

The man of good breeding eats beans and returns to his breeding.

Zeytinyagli Barbunya Borlotti Beans with Onions and Tomatoes in Olive Oil Serves 6 Beans cooked in olive oil and eaten at room temperature are a Turkish staple. The mottled pink borlotti beans (they are called Beans cooked in olive oil and eaten at room temperature are a Turkish staple. The mottled pink borlotti beans (they are called barbunya barbunya, which is also the name for red mullets) are a special treat. The Turkish ones obtainable here need to be picked over for foreign matter. There are also good-quality canned varieties which you can use.

1 cups borlotti beans, soaked overnight cups borlotti beans, soaked overnight 1 large onion, sliced 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 3 cloves garlic, chopped 1 pound tomatoes, peeled and chopped 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1-2 teaspoons sugar Good pinch of ground chili pepper or flakes Salt Bunch of dill, chopped cup chopped flat-leaf parsley Drain the beans, and boil them in fresh, un-salted water for 30 minutes.

Fry the onion in 2 tablespoons of the oil until soft and golden, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and stir for a minute or so. Then add the tomatoes and cook gently until reduced to a pulp. Stir in the tomato paste, sugar, and chili pepper or flakes. Put in the drained beans and cover with about 2 cups water. Cook, covered, for 1 hour, or until the beans are tender (the time varies quite a bit), adding salt when they begin to soften, and more water as the mixture becomes dry. Add dill and the remaining oil, and cook for a few minutes more.

Stir in the parsley and leave to cool in the pan.

Variation Use haricot or b.u.t.ter beans instead of borlotti beans. At a pinch, for an instant dish, you may use good-quality canned beans.

Ful Medames Egyptian Brown Fava Beans Serves 6 The traditional Egyptian breakfast of dried fava beans is also the national dish, eaten at all times of the day, in the fields, in village mud-houses, and in the cities. Restaurants serve it as a mezze, and it is sold in the streets. Vendors put the beans in large, round, narrow-necked vessels, which they bury through the night in the dying embers of the public baths. The traditional Egyptian breakfast of dried fava beans is also the national dish, eaten at all times of the day, in the fields, in village mud-houses, and in the cities. Restaurants serve it as a mezze, and it is sold in the streets. Vendors put the beans in large, round, narrow-necked vessels, which they bury through the night in the dying embers of the public baths.

Ful medames is pre-Ottoman and pre-Islamic. It is probably as old as the Pharaohs. According to an Arab saying: ”Beans have satisfied even the Pharaohs.” Egyptians gleefully tell you that the little brown beans have been found in pharaonic tombs and have been made to germinate. There are fields of them, and promotional explanations on fake papyrus by the Ministry of Agriculture. Of course, they could have been put there by tomb robbers. is pre-Ottoman and pre-Islamic. It is probably as old as the Pharaohs. According to an Arab saying: ”Beans have satisfied even the Pharaohs.” Egyptians gleefully tell you that the little brown beans have been found in pharaonic tombs and have been made to germinate. There are fields of them, and promotional explanations on fake papyrus by the Ministry of Agriculture. Of course, they could have been put there by tomb robbers.

There are many types of dried fava beans- small, middle-sized, and large, all of which can be used-and there are very good-quality canned ones. Most expatriates are happy with canned ones, which they improve on with flavorings and tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs. These need to be turned into a pan with their juice and cooked for 15 minutes.

2 cups small Egyptian fava beans (ful medames), soaked overnight (and left unpeeled) soaked overnight (and left unpeeled) Salt cup chopped flat-leaf parsley Extra-virgin olive oil 3 lemons, quartered Salt and pepper 4-6 cloves garlic, crushed Chili-pepper flakes c.u.min As the cooking time varies depending on the quality and age of the beans, it is good to cook them in advance and to reheat them when you are ready to serve. Cook the drained beans in a fresh portion of unsalted water in a large saucepan with the lid on until tender, adding water to keep them covered, and salt when the beans have softened. They take 2-2 hours of gentle simmering. When the beans are soft, let the liquid reduce. It is usual to take out a ladle or two of the beans and to mash them with some of the cooking liquid, then stir this back into the beans. This is to thicken the sauce.

Serve the beans in soup bowls sprinkled with chopped parsley and accompanied by Arab bread.

Pa.s.s round the dressing ingredients for everyone to help themselves: a bottle of extra-virgin olive oil, the quartered lemons, salt and pepper, a little saucer with the crushed garlic, one with chili-pepper flakes, and one with ground c.u.min.

The beans are eaten gently crushed with the fork, so that they absorb the dressing.

Optional Garnishes Peel hard-boiled eggs-1 per person-to cut up in the bowl with the beans.

Top the beans with a chopped cuc.u.mber-and-tomato salad and thinly sliced mild onions or scallions. Otherwise, pa.s.s round a good bunch of scallions and quartered tomatoes and cuc.u.mbers cut into sticks.

Serve with tahina cream sauce (page 65) or salad (page 67), with pickles and sliced onions soaked in vinegar for 30 minutes.

Another way of serving ful medames ful medames is smothered in a garlicky tomato sauce (see page 464). is smothered in a garlicky tomato sauce (see page 464).

In Syria and Lebanon, they eat ful medames eat ful medames with yogurt or feta cheese, olives, and small cuc.u.mbers. with yogurt or feta cheese, olives, and small cuc.u.mbers.

Variations A traditional way of thickening the sauce is to throw a handful of red lentils ( cup) into the water at the start of the cooking.