Egyptian fattah

Egyptian fattah

Ingredients :

3 tbsp Garlic - minced

2 tbsp Tomato Paste Knorr

2 kg Lamb - cubes (or beef or veal cubes)

7 tbsp Margarine Ganna

 2 Arabic Gum

3 Cardamom

4 1/2 cups Water

1 cup Vinegar

3 cups Rice

Salt and Pepper

8 loaves

Egyptian Bread

Directions

Preparing meat:

• Wash meat under running water. Soak meat in a bowl with cold water, ½ cup salt and ½ cup vinegar for 10-15 minutes then wash again well under running water.
• In a deep pan boil meat until tender. Strain and reserve 5 cups of meat broth

 Preparing rice:

• Wash rice well under running water and drain.
• In a deep pan melt 2 ½ tbsp margarine. Add Arabic gum and cardamoms, and stir for 2 minutes. Add rice and stir for another 2 minutes.
• Add salt and 4 cups water and cook until water is absorbed. Cover and move to low heat and cook for 25 minutes.

Preparing sauce:

• In a small saucepan heat and stir 2 tbsp margarine and garlic until golden.
• Add tomato paste and stir. Add ½ cup water and ½ cup vinegar. Heat until boiling.

                                                                     Preparing bread:

• Cut bread into bite size squares and put in a large metal baking dish. Add 3 tbsp margarine, heat and stir until light brown.
• Add gradually 5 cups meat broth and ¾ cup sauce and stir until bread is very soft.

                                                                     Preparing fattah:

• Spread rice over bread layer in baking dish to make another layer (4 cm thin). Sprinkle some of sauce over rice then place in oven at medium heat (180 C) for 10 minutes.
• Remove from oven and add meat cubes. Serve in the same baking dish. Serve remaining sauce in a seperate bowl.

                                                                             Tips

You can make fattah using left over rice and boiled meat. You can also use beef or veal instead of lamb.



                                          


                                                                           

    Falafel

Ingredients :
 

1 cup chickpeas, fava beans or both

1 medium onion, chopped

1/3 cup parsley

2 tbsp. cilantro

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. kosher salt

3/4 cup cumin

1 pinch crushed red pepper

3 tbsp. spring or distilled water

Olive or canola oil

1 large jar tahini

Directions

 

Soak the chickpeas or beans overnight. Drain and rinse them the next day.

Put the chickpeas in a blender. Add the onion, parsley, cilantro, garlic, baking powder, salt, cumin and crushed red pepper. Push the "Pulse" button several times to combine the ingredients into a paste.

Add the three tablespoons of water and continue processing until the mixture is smooth but slightly gritty, with a light greenish color. Use a spoon to scoop the falafel paste from the blender into a bowl.

Heat olive oil or canola oil, two inches deep, in a medium saucepan until it reaches 350 degrees. Use two spoons to form small, rounded tablespoons of the falafel mixture and place them into the hot oil.

Fry the falafel balls until they become crispy and turn a golden brown color. This process will take about two minutes.

Remove the falafel balls from the frying pan. Drain excess oil on paper towels. Serve the falafel hot with the tahini sauce. This recipe makes up to two dozen falafel balls.