Lebanese Chef's Recipes

Slice the chicken into long pieces. Mix all the ingredients of the marinade in a bowl. Add sliced chicken and keep aside for at least 4 hours or more in the fridge. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan/skillet, add chicken along with the marinade. Stir fry for 4-5... - 43.0206

Grind all the ingredients in a small mixer to a powder or crush with a pestle and mortar to a powder. Store in a jar with a tight fitting lid and use as required. It lasts upto six months easily. - 24.7316

Place the bulgur in a large bowl and pour in enough hot water to cover generously. Let it stand until the grains soften, about 15 minutes. Drain well in a fine mesh strainer, pressing out excess water. Set aside. In a frying pan, heat 2 tbsp oil over medium... - 39.8683

Combine 1 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice, nutmeg, cinnamon, pepper and salt. Mix in the chicken pieces and marinate, refrigerated, for 4 hours or overnight. Heat 6 tbsp oil in a wok. Add onions and cook till light golden. Add chicken and cook over a medium heat,... - 37.2006

Marinate paneer/tofu with all the ingredients of the marinade for about 1/2 hour. You can keep it longer if you feel like. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan, add paneer/tofu fingers and stir fry for 3-4 minutes or till slightly golden brown from some sides. Remove... - 37.9968

Mix together 1/2 cup lukewarm water & sugar till the sugar is dissolved. Sprinkle the yeast on top. Mix the yeast into the warm sugar water mixture. Cover & keep in a warm place undisturbed, allowing it to dissolve. After 5 or 10 minutes, the yeast should... - 38.9416

Place the chicken, water, carrot, onion, garlic, parsley, bay leaf, peppercorns and salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes or until the chicken is tender. Let the chicken cool in the broth. Strain. Pick up the chicken pieces... - 39.6628

Put 2 hot falafel cutlets and 2 hot samosas in the centre of the platter. Put hummus dip on the right side and arrange salads on the other side of the platter. Arrange pickle on a cabbage or lettuce leaf. Warm pita bread on a hot griddle, turning sides. Cut... - 26.6448

Mix 1 cup water, vinegar, salt, and sugar in a pan. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Add all the vegetables and olive oil. Mix and keep aside for 2 hours. Store in an air tight glass ]ar. It lasts upto a month in the fridge. Use as required. - 39.5559

Place bulgur or dalia in a bowl and cover with water. Soak for 20 minutes. Drain bulgur or dalia in a strainer, pressing to extract the excess liquid. In a bowl mix together ground mutton, onions, Lebanese spice powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Place in a... - 39.1304

Crush cinnamon, clove and coriander seeds in a mortar and pestle. Heat 3 tbsp oil in a frying pan. Add the mushrooms and 1 tsp of freshly ground spices. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Store the remaining spice mixture). Stir in lemon juice, the... - 35.2096

Mix together 1/2 cup lukewarm water and sugar till the sugar is dissolved. Sprinkle the yeast on top. Mix the yeast into the warm sugar water mixture. Cover and keep in a warm place undisturbed, allowing it to dissolve. After 5 or 10 minutes, the yeast should... - 41.5663

In a medium pot, combine the lentils and water. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover and simmer until lentils are almost done but still firm, 15 to 20 minutes. Add the bulgur and 1/2 tsp salt. Remove from heat and cover. Let it sit until the bulgur is... - 37.5162

Soak the chickpeas overnight. Boil them with enough water to cover till cooked. Do not make them too soft and mushy. Drain well. Dry them on a kitchen towel. Heat oil in a wok & deep fry the chickpeas in batches on medium heat, till they turn crisp. Drain... - 32.0417

Soak apricots in warm water for 2 hours to soften. Drain. Cut each apricot with a sharp knife into 2 pieces. In a saucepan mix sugar, lemon juice and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil and cook until sugar mixture is syrupy for about 5 minutes Add the apricots and... - 35.7574

Combine all the marinade ingredients. Mix all vegetables except cauliflower to the marinade. Set aside. Boil water in a saucepan. Add the cauliflower and boil for 3-4 minutes or till crisp tender. Remove cauliflower from hot water and drain through a... - 42.2209

Mix all the ingredients of the marinade in a bowl. Add chicken pieces and onion. Keep aside covered for at least 4 hours in the fridge. Preheat the oven at 180°C/350°F for 10 minutes. Grease the wire rack with oil. Place the chicken pieces on it. Bake at... - 37.2316

Preheat the oven to 180°C /350°F Split the bread in half through the centre and bake on a baking tray for 15 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Break the pita bread into pieces. To make the dressing, whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl, until it... - 35.7022

Using a peeler, take off the peel from the brinjals, leaving alternate strips of peel on the vegetable. Lay the fried brinjals side by side in a flat pan with a lid. Add pomegranate juice, tomato puree, salt, pepper, sugar, cinnamon and water. Keep on low... - 32.526

Add the spinach. Cook, stirring, till the spinach turns soft and the water dries. Add chickpeas and some of the cooking liquid, to make some gravy. Mix well. Add the tomatoes. Cook for 10-15 minutes. Check salt and remove from heat. - 38.0288

Grease a 7" baking tin. Mix together semolina, flour, turmeric and baking powder in a bowl. Set aside. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F Grease a 7" baking tin. In a big bowl combine milk and sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Add flour mixture & oil to the... - 40.1649

In a mixer blend together all the ingredients for the seasoned flour. Remove to a plate. Roll the fish fillets in seasoned flour to coat both sides, shaking to remove any excess flour. In a nonstick frying pan/skillet, heat 4 tbsp oil. Add fish to the hot oil... - 41.1123

Place semolina in a large bowl, stir in salt and 2 tbsp of olive oil. Gradually add water and knead into a soft dough. Keep it aside covered for 15-20 minutes. If the dough becomes firm then add little water and knead again to get a soft dough. Divide into 8... - 29.243

Whisk together yogurt, sugar, vanilla and cardamom in a small bowl until sugar is dissolved. In a small vessel, put 1/4 cup water. Sprinkle gelatine on it and leave to soak for 5 minutes. Keep on very low heat and stir till gelatine dissolves. Whisk a little... - 42.562

Wash and scrub the potatoes well to remove all dirt. Dry and rub with oil. Prick the potatoes on all sides a few times with a fork. Boil the potatoes till just done. While the boiled potatoes are still warm, halve them lengthwise. Scoop out the inner portion... - 42.39

Heat the ghee in a pan and lightly brown the pine nuts. Remove and set aside. Add the meat to the ghee and fry for a few minutes until the raw look disappears. Before the meat browns, mix in the chopped onions, salt, pepper, mixed spices and cinnamon. Cover,... - 31.3635

Remove the neck bone and stuff the turkey, including the neck skin, with the rice stuffing. Sew up the opening with coarse white thread. Place the turkey in a large pot with enough water to barely cover. Add the salt, bring to the boil and skim. Cover and... - 30.5818

Place the lentils in a saucepan with 7 cups of water and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer until tender. Brown the onions in oil. Add the chopped spinach and the garlic crushed with salt, and mix well. Saute slowly until the spinach becomes soft. Bring the... - 37.6366

Break or cut the cauliflower into flowerettes and wash. Place in a pot of water, bring to the boil and simmer for 3 minutes. Drain well and place in sterilised pickling jars. Wash and peel the beetroot, cut into quarters and add to the cauliflower. Cover with... - 21.8044

Wash the tomatoes and cut a thin slice off the top of each one. Scoop out the pulp and set aside. Fill the tomatoes with the filling, replace the tops and arrange close together on a baking dish. Sieve the tomato pulp and mix in the tomato paste, salt and... - 29.7618

Wash the eggplants and discard stems. Place the eggplants in a pot of boiling water and bring back to the boil. Cover and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from the water and leave to drain for approx half an hour. Crush the garlic and salt to a paste. Chop up one... - 33.8799

Peel and cube the eggplant, and prepare for cooking as directed on page 16. Fry the chopped onion in the oil until soft and golden. Add the crushed garlic, then the eggplant and saute until tender. Beat the eggs, season with salt and pepper, and stir into the... - 27.7771

Peel the turnips and beetroot, wash very well and slice into quarters. Place in a sterilised glass jar with the hot pepper. Cover with pickling solution, seal with an air- tight lid and set aside for at least 10 days before eating. - 18.9534

Bone the chicken and cut the meat into cubes suitable for skewering. Blend the onion and garlic into the lemon juice and olive oil. Add salt and marinate the chicken pieces in this mixture for 2—4 hours, turning occasionally. Remove the chicken from... - 29.8202

Prepare fish. Rub fish well with olive or nut oil. Place on a layer of lemon rings in a baking dish. Cook in a moderate oven for 30 minutes, turn over and continue cooking for a further 10 minutes or until flesh is white. Serve garnished with chopped parsley... - 24.2797

Sprinkle the sliced brains with salt and pepper. Beat the eggs and season with salt and pepper. Mix in the spring onions. Gently heat the oil in a frying pan and pour in the egg and onion mixture. Spread the sliced brains evenly over the top and cook over a... - 25.8415

Wash and chop the endive leaves, then boil in a large pot of boiling water until tender — approx 1/2—1 hour. Lightly drain and place in a bowl. Add the chopped raw onion, salt, pepper, lemon juice and olive oil. Toss, cool and refrigerate before... - 23.3761

Beat eggs and combine with dry ingredients. Spoon into hot oil to make small omelettes and cook. Repeat this procedure until all the mixture is used - 22.3451

Place fresh, fully ripe black mulberries, together with a few red ones, in a muslin bag. Wearing rubber gloves, press the juice from the mulberries through the bag and into an earthenware or enamel container. Measure the juice into an enamel or ceramic... - 26.3224

Mix all the ingredients together and knead into a smooth dough. Gradually add enough water to form a thin batter. Heat a heavy griddle over a low heat and pour the batter onto it, passing it first through a k'naafeh strainer. The batter will come through the... - 20.7528

Remove meat from broth and set aside. Mould the kibbi into small balls and flatten into patties 1 in (2.5 cm) in diameter. Fry them in half the ghee, drain and set aside. Brown the chopped onion in the remainder of the ghee, add the celery and garlic. Simmer... - 37.5818

Clean and wash the tamarind pods. Place them in a large bowl, add the water and soak overnight. Drain the liquid into another bowl and reserve. Extract the pulp from the pods by pressing them with a wooden spoon through a fine strainer. Strain the extracted... - 29.4936

Measure the water into a rakweh or small saucepan. Add the sugar and dissolve it by bringing the water to the boil and stirring. Remove from the heat, stir in the coffee, and very slowly bring to the boil again. As soon as the coffee begins to rise, take it... - 29.0863

Wash the zucchini and cut off the tops, just below the stems. Scoop out the pulp being careful not to break the skin: the other end must remain closed. Rinse and drain the hollow zucchini. Three-quarters fill each one with stuffing, allowing for rice... - 39.5948

Remove the green from around the neck of the eggplant, but leave the stem. Place in a hot oven until soft — approx 15—20 minutes — or hold onto stem and place over open grill or hotplate, turning from time to time until eggplant has... - 31.9682

Place the tongues in a saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Drain off water, skin tongues and chop into pieces. Place in saucepan with carrots, onion, spring onions, salt and water. Bring to the... - 37.5914

With a little of the ghee, thoroughly grease a 12 in (30 cm) square baking tray. With wet hands smooth half the kibbi mixture into the tray, covering the bottom completely with a 1/2 in (1.5 cm) thickness. Spread the filling evenly over the kibbi on the tray,... - 23.9852

Cream together the butter, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Beat in the egg thoroughly, then add the milk. Stir in the flour and knead for a few seconds. Taking walnut size pieces of dough, roll into long nar- row strips, 4 in (10 cm) long and 1/2 in (1.25... - 31.628

Lightly stuff the chicken (including the skin of the neck cavity), allowing for rice expansion — approx 1 1/2 cups stuffing. Sew up the openings with coarse white cotton thread. Brown the chicken all over in ghee. Place the browned chicken in a large... - 37.4504

Wash the giblets, then saute in hot ghee until brown and nearly cooked through — approx 15 minutes. Add the chopped onions and garlic and continue to saute until the onions are soft. Mix in the salt pepper and mixed spices, then the lemon juice and... - 31.5388

Cut the lamb's fry into 1 in (2.S cm) strips, discarding the gristle. Fry in hot oil to brown the outside and light- ly cook inside. Chop into cubes and serve warm or cold sprinkled with lemon juice and garnished with parsley. - 21.7594

Dissolve the yeast in 1/4 cup of the lukewarm water, add sugar and set aside in a warm place until it rises and foams — approx 10—I5 minutes. Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl and place in a warm oven for a few minutes to warm... - 36.5717

Wash the olives well in lukewarm water. Split each olive two or three times with a sharp fine knife or leave intact. Place in a sterilised glass or earthenware container and cover with salted water, using 1/2 cup salt to every 4 pints (2.5 litres) of... - 31.2441

String and slice the beans lengthwise. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and fry the onions until they are reddish-brown. Mix in the beans, salt and pepper. Saute for 10 minutes. Stir in the water, cover and simmer very slowly, adding more water if necessary,... - 32.1624

Slice the cheese. Place the water in a saucepan and bring it to the boil. Gently stir in the sliced cheese until it melts (only a few seconds), then drain off all but 1 or 2 table- spoons of the water. Return the cheese to the heat and stir with a wooden... - 31.6193

Peel and seed the pumpkin, then grate or grind the flesh and measure by cups. Measure 1 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of water for every cup of pumpkin flesh. Place the sugar and water in a saucepan and stir over a low heat until dissolved. Bring to the boil, add... - 33.6222

Skin the fish fillets and cut into small pieces. Finely grind them in a mincer. Add the ground onions, salt, pepper, coriander, grat- ed orange peel and chopped parsley. Mix well. Gradually knead in the bur'ghul, adding a little rice during the process to... - 39.8613

Wash the olives well in lukewarm water. Place in a sterilised glass or earthenware container and cover with water. Place a small plate on top to prevent olives float- ing on top of the water. Cover and leave to soak for 6 days, changing the water every... - 24.9681

Grind or blend all the ingredients together into a paste. - 16.1216

String the beans. Slice down the centre or leave whole. Lightly brown the meat, bones and onions in the ghee, using the pot in which the stew is to be cooked. Mix in the beans and fry for a few minutes. Add the salt, pepper and mixed spices, then pour in the... - 40.2443

Mix ground meat with salt, pepper and mixed spices. Shape into balls the size of marbles.Brown in hot ghee. Bring the Basic Meat Broth to the boil, add the meat balls, tomato juice and rice and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through —... - 31.5273

Peel the onions and place in a sterilised glass jar with the hot pepper. Cover with pickling solution, seal with an air- tight lid and set aside for at least 7—10 days before eating. - 16.0356

In a saucepan beat together yoghurt and beaten egg white. Bring to the boil slowly, stirring constantly in the same direction (important, avoids burning or curdling). When the yoghurt comes to the boil add the crushed garlic cloves, salt and dried mint or... - 24.1417

Cut the chicken in half or quarters. Mix the remaining ingredients together to make a marinade sauce. Reserve 1/4 cup of this sauce and rub the remainder into the chicken. Leave to marinate for 2-4 hours. Barbecue or grill the chicken, basting it frequently... - 28.4065

Peel and mash the avocado and blend in the Tahini Sauce until smooth. Adjust lemon and salt to taste, if necessary. Serve with salad vegetables or as a dip for mezza - 16.3361

Prepare the fish as directed on opposite page. Brown fish lightly in olive oil — do not cook through. Remove fish and place in saucepan. Brown the onions in the same oil and drain well. Mix the onions, salt, saffron and lemon juice, and add to the fish... - 33.4185

Bring the milk and sugar to the boil. Add the rice, mixed with the water, and stir until it comes to the boil again. Turn down the heat to a low simmer and cook gently until the mixture becomes very creamy — approx 45 minutes. (Add a little more milk... - 27.6628

Scrape the surface of the oranges with a fork, then peel from the top to bottom with a sharp knife to make six segment strips. Scrape off some of the excess pith from the peel, then boil the peel until soft — approx 30 min- utes. Drain well and soak in... - 30.5723

Core the cabbage and remove any tough outer leaves. Shred the cabbage leaves finely and sprinkle with salt. Rub the salt well into the leaves. Place the salted leaves in a colander, cover with a weighted plate to extract excess moisture and set aside for half... - 22.5392

Place chicken, giblets, celery, leeks, garlic and water in a pot and bring to the boil. Skim off the top. Add salt, pepper, cinnamon and the juice of 1 lemon to the soup broth. Cover and simmer until chicken is very tender. Remove bones, leaving only chicken... - 39.9188

In a large saucepan, brown the chicken in 1/4 cup of the ghee. Add 8 cups of water, half the chopped onions, the garlic, cinnamon stick and 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to the boil, cover and continue to cook until chicken is tender enough for the meat to fall off... - 40.9856

Remove stems from the fresh okra. Wash and dry the okra, then fry in the oil in a sauce- pan until lightly brown. Remove and set aside on absor- bent paper. Fry the onions and garlic in the same oil until slightly brown. Return the okra to the saucepan and... - 38.902

Mix the powdered milk into the fresh milk in a saucepan and heat until it comes to the boil. When boiled, imme- diately remove from the heat and leave to cool until lukewarm. The mixture should be just warm enough for the yoghurt germ to spread... - 29.9984

Wash, peel and quarter the tomatoes. Simmer them gen- tly in the water in a covered pan until soft. Pour into a baking dish. Beat eggs well and mix in salt, pepper, cinnamon, parsley and spring onions. Pour this mixture over the tomatoes. Cook over a low... - 31.9411

Heat milk until it is just slightly warm. Stir in the dissolved junket tablet and the salt. Leave it to stand uncovered in a warm place until set — approximately 20 minutes. Break up curds with a large spoon and pour into a colander lined with cheese... - 27.0025

Heat the ghee in a pan and lightly brown the pine nuts. Remove and set aside. Add the meat to the ghee and fry for a few minutes until the raw look disappears. Before the meat browns, mix in the chopped onions, salt pepper, mixed spices and cinnamon. Cover,... - 30.8391

Place the Meat and Nut Filling in a bowl and mix in the lemon juice and vinegar. Roll out the pastry to about1/8 in (3 mm) thickness. Cut into small rounds about 3 in 7.5 cm) in diameter. Place 1 1/2 teaspoons of filling on each pastry round and fold the... - 27.1968

Place all the ingredients in a bowl and toss well. Add the dressing and toss again. Adjust salt and lemon juice to taste. - 27.9896

Wash and drain the bur'ghul by squeezing with cupped hands. Set aside for at least half an hour. In a frying pan fry the onions in half the ghee until soft, add the meat and fry for a few minutes until lightly browned. Season with salt, pepper and... - 37.4358