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Stuffed Cabbage
emointhekitchen A cabbage roll is an Eastern European dish with minced meat or vegetable dumplings wrapped in cabbage leaves. Varieties exist with different fillings. It is widely popular in Azerbaijan, Armenia, the Balkans, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Turkey, and Central Asia. It is originating in Jewish cuisine around 2000 years ago. I made this veggie version. You will need: 1 large head of cabbage 5 cup onions 1 cup rice 1/2 cup olive oil 1/3 cup tomato paste 1 parsley 1/2 cup lemon juice 1/4 cup fresh chopped mint 2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill ¼ teaspoon paprika 1/4 cup pine nuts 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper Procedure: To prepare this…
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İmam bayıldı
emointhekitchen Oh my goodness, have you ever heard of “İmam Bayıldı”?And the best part? It’s super easy to make! İmam bayıldı (“the imam fainted”) is a dish in Ottoman cuisine consisting of whole aubergines stuffed with onions, garlic and tomatoes and stewed in olive oil. Aubergines were introduced into Turkish cuisine during the Seljuk period by the Arabs and within a few years became one of the most beloved vegetables of Ottoman cuisine. The first recipe for the olive oil-based dish was published in “Melceü’t Tabbahin” by Mehmet Kamil in 1844. It is no surprise that the meatless dish became popular throughout the region and even reached Greece. The name…
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Hummus
emointhekitchen This Levantine dip is very simple to make. Hummus can be found at almost any Middle East table. These days the popularity of this simple meal extends beyond its region of origin and it is enjoyed all over the world. During my study stay in Israel, I was surprised, at how much of this spread the locals are able to consume. The recipe below is traditional but you can also experiment with different flavours and different spices. Spices such as cumin, coriander seeds, sweet pepper, dried chilli or zaatar (this spice mixture is frequently used in Israeli and Palestinian cuisine) could be used. You may also stumble upon hummus…
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Baba Ghanoush
emointhekitchen Baba Ghanoush is a dish of mashed baked eggplant mixed with tahini (sesame paste), olive or sesame oil, and various kinds of spices. We can find slightly differing versions of this dish in the traditional cuisines of Turkey, Lebanon, Israel, Armenia, Greece and even Iraq. We serve it either alone as a starter of pita bread, in Armenia with their traditional Lavash, or as a side dish to accompany various vegetables. This eggplant dip was one of the first dishes that I prepared for my husband. By then, his diet consisted of bread with mustard, sausages and other culinary specialities of a single man. It has been a few…
