أطعمة شرقية
RAMADAN RECIPES
If you try any of my recipes, please leave feedback at skindraya2@hotmail.com. If you would like the recipe to any dish please email me and I will try and get it put on the site for you. Many thanks and enjoy. Remember, these recipes are very simple, so give them a try. You will amaze your friends and family. Please, click on the required recipe to read it. Ramadan Kareem.  Bamia (okra and meat stew) 4-6
Besella (pea and meat stew) 4-6 Kofta Mlebissa (battered meatballs) 4-6 Fasulia (green bean and meat stew) 4-6 Shorbit Ads (Lentil Soup) 10-12 Kofta bil salsa (meatballs in tomato sauce) 4-6 Ruz (Rice) 4 Ruz Sharaya (Rice with vermicelli) 4 Salata Masri (Egyptian salad) 4-6 Mollokhia 4-6 Basbousa (Semolina cake) Mahshi Waraq Enab (Stuffed vine leaves) approx 50 Mahshi Kousa (stuffed zucchini) courgettes Batatas fil forn (potatoes in sauce baked in the oven) 6-8 Falafel Koshery 4-6 Cardamom baked chicken 6 Ruz bil basal (onion rice) 4 Samak fil forn (baked fish)
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Bamia (Meat and Okra Stew)
Serves 4 people
500g stewing steak beef or lamb cut into bite size cubes
1 tablespoon sunflower or vegetable oil
1 onion finely chopped
3 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 tablespoons tomato purée or paste
1 bag frozen bamia (okra)
500g pasatta sauce or 2 tins chopped tomatoes
1 beef stock cube
4 mugs water
Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan.
- Add meat and brown for a few minutes stirring well.
- Add onion and garlic and heat through for a further 2 minutes.
- Add cumin, coriander and tomato purée (paste) and stir well.
- Place pasatta or tinned tomatoes into the saucepan and add salt and pepper to taste. Crumble or stir in your beef stock cube.
- Add bag of frozen bamia (okra) and stir well.
- Add 4 mugs of water and mix well.
- Bring to the boil and then lower heat and simmer for 2 hours. Sauce will thicken.
Serve hot with basmati rice, mixed salad, hot pitta bread and hummus
Note: This dish is much tastier if it is cooked for a very long time on a very low heat stirring occasionally.
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Kofta bil salsa (meatballs in tomato sauce)
This one is an amazing favourite for children. They can’t seem to get enough. It’s also a big talking point when you have guests for dinner. They all seem to love it. This can be served in the traditional Egyptian way with rice and salad, or made into a swish Italian meal by serving it with long spaghetti pasta and garlic bread. Brilliant.
Kofta recipe:
1lb Minced beef (lean if watching weight or health). Room temp makes it easier to mix and mould
1 onion chopped finely
2 cloves garlic crushed or chopped finely
1 teaspoon each cumin, coriander, cinnamon and salt
Handful of fresh parsley chopped (makes the kofta really juicy)
Salsa recipe:
700g pasatta sauce (sieved tomatoes) or 2 tins chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon vinegar
Method:
- Mix all kofta ingredients together in a large mixing bowl and leave to stand.
- In a large saucepan, heat vegetable oil and add onions and garlic. Heat through for 2 mins. Add pasatta sauce or tinned toms. Add salt, pepper, sugar and vinegar and stir well. Turn heat to very low and set aside.
- Take your kofta mixture. Form into bite size balls and set aside on a large tray until all the mixture has been used.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan. Add a few balls at a time and brown them all over. Remove from pan and leave to drain on kitchen absorbent paper. This will get rid of a lot of the saturated fat from the mince.
- When all the balls have been browned, add them to the salsa and mix gently. Cover saucepan and leave on low heat for 30 mins.
Best served in a large bowl, piping hot with a big spoon and let your friends or family tuck in. They will love them. Serve Egyptian style with ruz sharaya, salata masry and pitta bread. Delicious. Serve Italian way with long spaghetti pasta and garlic bread.
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Shorbit Ads (Lentil Soup)
This is an Egyptian favorite and it’s so easy to cook. Everyone will just love it.
500g Red lentils
1 large onion diced
3 cloves of garlic chopped
2 large carrots grated
2 medium potatoes diced
1 teaspoon cumin, coriander
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 pints water
2 chicken stock cubes
Fresh lemon wedges
Method:
- Heat oil in a large saucepan, add onion, garlic, carrot and potato and heat for 3 mins stirring well.
- Add cumin, coriander, cinnamon, salt and black pepper and mix well.
- Add lentils to your saucepan and mix well with spices.
- Boil your water and add your 2 chicken stock cubes, add to saucepan and mix well. Make sure there is about 2 inches of water above the lentils as they will swell and your soup will be too thick. Although you can add more water later if you need to thin it a little.
- Bring to the boil then turn down and simmer gently for about 30 minutes.
- Allow your soup to cool, and then blend with an electric blender until smooth. Adding a little water if to thick (lentil soup is quit thick and creamy but you don’t want your spoon to stand up on its own). Reheat soup until piping hot.
- Serve in pretty bowls, if you want it to look fancy then add a tiny swirl of cream in the middle and then a tiny pinch or fresh parsley or coriander.
This is a very warm and filling soup, and absolutely delicious. Best served on cold days and great to break your fast with. Don’t forget to serve with fresh lemon wedges.
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Fasulia (green bean and meat stew)
500g stewing steak or lamb cut into bite size pieces
1 tablespoon sunflower or vegetable oil
1 onion chopped finely
3 garlic cloves cut finely
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons tomato purée
½ teaspoon malt vinegar
2 tins chopped tomatoes or 500g pasatta sauce
1 stock cube (Lamb or Beef)
4/5 mugs water
1 bag frozen runner beans or green beans chopped. Fresh may be used, about 3 large handfuls chopped.
Salt and pepper to taste
This recipe is very similar to the besella recipe, but the different vegetables make a huge change in the taste. Delicious.
Method:
- Heat oil in large saucepan. Add meat and brown for 3 mins. Add onion and garlic and soften for 2 mins stirring continuously.
- Add cumin, coriander, tomato purée and stir well. Add chopped tomatoes or pasatta and vinegar and stir in well.
- Add 4 mugs water to kettle and boil. Pour into jug and add stock cube and when dissolved add to saucepan. Stir well. Now is a good time to add your salt and pepper. ½ teaspoon of salt is enough and a pinch of pepper. (if watching your salt, do not add your ½ teaspoon as stock already contains a high amount of salt).
- Add your green beans to the saucepan and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 2 hours stirring occasionally. The sauce will thicken and the meat will become very tender.
Serve hot with ruz sharaya, Egyptian salad and warm pitta bread. Olives, and mixed pickles go well with all Middle Eastern food and jars of these can be found in most ethnic food shops.
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Kofta Mlebissa (Battered Meatballs)
This is actually a Saudi recipe but when ever I make them at parties, they are the first thing to clear the table. They are delicious and look yummy, they are also very easy to make.
1 lb. minced beef
2 onions, finely chopped
4 tablespoons rice (Long grain or basmati)
Large handful finely chopped parsley
1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon each of ground black pepper, cinnamon, ground coriander.
4 eggs
4 oz (approx 8 tablespoons) plain or self raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
oil for deep frying
Method:
- Wash the rice and add to the mince with the parsley, onion, mint, spices and salt. Mix thoroughly.
- Take some mince mixture and roll into bite size balls. Arrange is a large pan or deep based frying pan with lid.
- When all the mixture is used up and you have arranged them all in the pan, add some water to the pan so that it covers just the bottom of the balls. Turn on the heat very very low and cover. Leave to simmer for 20 mins. Turn off the heat and let cool thoroughly.
- Whisk your eggs. Add baking powder to flour then Mix the eggs in. Slowly add enough water (whilst stirring) to make a smooth batter mix. It should coat the back of the spoon. Add a good pinch of salt for seasoning.
- Heat enough oil in a saucepan or deep fat fryer to deep fry your kofta. When oil is hot enough, dip your meat balls into the batter mix then pop them carefully into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown. Remove from oil and leave on kitchen paper to drain excess oil.
Serve hot. These kofta’s are delicious with a hot tomato sauce to dip them in. Check out Basic tomato sauce recipe. You can make your koftas and leave them to cool in your fridge up to a day before you need them. Then batter and fry just before you want to eat them. Nice and easy if you have guests.
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Bessela (Meat and pea stew)
Serves 4 people
500g stewing steak or lamb cut into bite size pieces
1 tablespoon sunflower or vegetable oil
1 onion chopped finely
3 garlic cloves cut finely
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons tomato purée
½ teaspoon malt vinegar
2 tins chopped tomatoes or 500g pasatta sauce
1 stock cube (Lamb or Beef)
4 mugs water
1 bag frozen peas
Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
Method:
- Heat oil in large saucepan. Add meat and brown for 3 mins. Add onion and garlic and soften for 2 mins stirring continuously.
- Add cumin, coriander, tomato purée and stir well. Add chopped tomatoes or pasatta and vinegar and stir in well.
- Add 4 mugs water to kettle and boil. Pour into jug and add stock cube and when dissolved add to saucepan. Stir well. Now is a good time to add your salt and pepper. ½ teaspoon of salt is enough and a pinch of pepper. (if watching your salt, do not add your ½ teaspoon as stock already contains a high amount of salt).
- Add your frozen peas to the saucepan and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 2 hours stirring occasionally. The sauce will thicken and the meat will become very tender.
Serve with basmati rice, Egyptian salad, pitta bread and mixed pickles.
This dish can easily become a vegetarian one by removing the meat and using vegetable stock instead of meat stock. Replace oil with 2fl oz water for healthier option and use trim cuts of meat.
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