Shulbato is made of coarse bulgur, eggplants, tomato and green pepper cooked all together. It’s usually served as a side dish, but also can be a good main-dish option especially for vegetarians.

Everyone has their own version of shulbato. Some replace eggplants with zucchini, or use rice instead of bulgur, others add cooked chicken or minced beef on the top, so it absolutely depends on one’s taste buds.

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Aleppo (Halab)  is famous for the diversity of food and love of eating. Tourists come from everywhere in the world to taste and experience the Aleppine Food. The cuisine has gained its fame long time ago, hundreds years earlier, when the city was part of the historical network (Silk Road) that connected cities of Afro-Eurasia together.

Originated in Aleppo; kibbeh (or kubbeh as called in Palestine) is popular in other areas of Levant. It is made of minced lean meat, minced onions and bulgur. There are more than fourteen types of kibbeh; the most famous type is fried balls stuffed with meat and nuts. Other types have different shapes and different stuffing, kibbeh can be baked, fried, cooked in tomato soup, in yogurt sauces, or in chicken broth.

I’m very pleased that I’ve learned secrets of  kibbeh from Mrs. Sally Zo’by who has learned  everything about kibbeh from her Aleppine grandmother. I’ve got the chance two weeks ago to be part of what she calls it “Kibbeh Day” that takes place once every two to three months. Obviously, in this day she prepares many types of kibbeh in large quantities and then she keeps them in the freezer.  So kibbeh would be always available whenever anyone in the family craves it…

Among different types of Kibbeh, I chose to start with kibbeh rolls stuffed with pistachio. Why? Simply, it is the tastiest.

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Maftoul or Palestinian couscous is a traditional staple food in Palestine, typically made and served in occasions and holidays. Couscous is originated in Morocco and brought by Moroccan migrants to Palestine where it has been modified to what’s called maftoul.  Although maftoul is considered as a special type of couscous but its made from different ingredients and it also has a different shape.

Maftoul is an Arabic word derived from the root “fa-ta-la” which means to roll or to twist, which is exactly describing the used method to make maftoul by hand rolling bulgur  with wheat flour. Palestinian high quality handmade maftoul products are available widely online with good prices comparing to the effort and time needed for making them.

Maftoul from Scratch:

I’ve never made maftoul from scratch before preparing this post, nor watched someone making it. It’s more common nowadays to buy ready-made maftoul from stores. However, I thought it’s very important to know and learn how it’s done the old way like Palestinian grandmothers used to do it. And here I’m sharing the process with you along with directions and photos… Many thanks go to my 70 years old aunt, Itaf, who volunteered to teach me making maftoul from scratch knowing that the last time she made it was more than ten years ago.

Ingredients of maftoul are: 1 ½ cups bulgur, 2 cups white flour, 4 cups wheat flour, and 2 teaspoon salt. Before starting the process of making maftoul, she added 3 cups of boiling water to the soft bulgur and left it to be soaked for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile she mixed white flour with wheat flour and salt, and placed a large empty tray on the table where the process of making maftoul took place.

She started by adding a pinch of soaked bulgur to the tray, a pinch of mixed flour, and then she mixed them together by moving her fingers in a twisting motion until bulgur small pieces got  coated by flour (the more you add flour, the bigger size of maftoul you get). She kept adding pinch of bulgur, pinch of flour and water in some cases (when flour is not sticking to bulgur pieces) while mixing them continuously using her most fingers. She put the perfectly shaped pieces of maftoul in an olive-oil greased colander (heat-proof one). She continued to do this process until flour is finished.

After that she placed the colander (that’s full of maftoul ) over a boiling water pot for 5 to 10 minutes. Then she sealed pot edges by dough to prevent steam escaping, it was very interesting to learn this creative technique. Maftoul partially cooking is an important and necessary step in order to keep it in good condition for several days before using it. Another way of keeping maftoul for several months is to dry it by lying it on a warm and shaded surface.

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Mainly made of rice and lentils, mjaddara can be also made of coarse bulgur instead of rice as in nothern area of Palestine, Syria and Lebanon. The easy recipe and the delicious taste of mjaddara are what make it very popular as a main or a side dish. A plate of mjaddara cannot be complete without crispy fried onions on the top, served with fresh yogurt or fresh salad of tomatoes and cucumber.

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