For some time now I have been wanting to post a recipe for a dish which from the Gaza region because I’ve never posted any in the blog before.  So I decided to contact my friend for her recommendation of the most popular Gazan dishes, and of which she nominated three, Rummaneyye, Summaqeyye, and Duqqa. It was strange enough that I haven’t tried any of them.

Since we are already in pomegranate season, Rummaneyye (which means pomegranate-ish) was the obvious choice, I was already familiar with the name but was pleasantly surprised to learn that besides the pomegranate being the main ingredient, the dish also consists of eggplant, lentils and garlic. Pretty interesting combination that you won’t imagine how would it tastes until you try it.

After some further research though, I learned that Rummaneyye is not originally a Gazan dish, but is in fact a dish that was brought to Gaza by natives of Lud and Jaffa who had been displaced following the events of 1948.

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Lentil is main ingredient for many authentic Levantine dishes. It’s believed to be one of the oldest cultivated legumes in the region. Having a quick look at its nutritional facts, lentils are rich in fiber, protein, and vitamin C and low in calories which makes it a super healthy and veggie friendly option.

The recipe I’m posting is the basic one. It brings out the flavor of lentils combined with sour taste of lemon. I use cumin to spice things up, while turmeric to give a richer color to the soup. Roasting onion with olive oil is a must to give it the Mediterranean pleasant taste.

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Fattet hummus (also called “tis-iyeh” as in Syria) is typically served as breakfast, mostly on Friday’s breakfasts. Also it’s served as a side dish in occasional dinners.

There are many recipes of fattet hummus, but I’m going to share with you the best of them all.  It consists of four  layers: Fried pita bread, Tahini sauce, tahini paste (hummus dip) and topping of pine nuts, olive oil, parsley and cumin.

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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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Have you ever heard of Besara before? No? That’s expected! Although it is a Palestinian dish, most of Palestinians don’t know Besara nowadays. I personally have tried it for the first time only two weeks ago when my friend’s mother (Muna) has introduced me to this delicious dish – and I was like how on Earth I haven’t met you before?! “Well, it’s never too late” I told myself. Muna (who was born and raised in Qalqilya, north Palestine) did not only invite me to try a ready cooked meal, but also she made sure to teach me step by step with a lot of patience and love how to make Besara the right way. I, in my turn, have hardly managed to listen, watch, write and take photos of Besara preparations all in the same time. The recipe, direction and photos below are the result, in addition to the meal of course…

Besara or Busara (as known in Egypt) is originally a dish from Egyptian cuisine. It is very authentic that it’s believed to belong to Pharaonic time, more than four thousand years ago. The main ingredient of Besara is broad beans which is widely used in Egyptian food. Other ingredients of green leaves like coriander, parsley, and dill are used in Egyption version of Besara, while mloukhieh (which is widely associated with Palestinian culinary identity) is used in the Palestinian version. Seasoning of lemon juice, red chili pepper and olive oil is not optional – it is actually a must with every single bite mopped up with hot pita or taboun bread.

In case you don’t know where you can get besara ingredients from, check out this online store that sells and ships across Europe both dried mlokhieh and dried broad/ fava beans.

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