Vegetarian Iftar Recipe | Lebanese Hummus

Today we feature a special vegetarian iftar recipe from Lebanon called the hummus. There can be nothing better than dipping pita bread into hummus.


Vegetarian Iftar Recipe
Lebanese Hummus





Ingredients

1 25 oz can chick peas (garbanzo beans), drained
1/2 cup tahini paste
1/4 cup water
3-5 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste
2 tbsp olive oil
1-2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
freshly ground black pepper
salt, if needed

Method

Place everything, except the salt, into the bowl of a food processor, and process until smooth. Check for seasoning. Add the salt if needed.

Note: Serve with pita bread or crackers. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil if you wish.

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Iftar Recipe | Egyptian Baked Sambusak

Today, we feature an iftar recipe called the sambusak. This Egyptian recipe for sambusak is a Middle Eastern variation of the Indian samosas. It is made of a light pastry filled with a savory filling like vegetables or meat. It can be served as light snack or an appetizer.

Iftar Recipe
Baked Sambusak from Egypt

Ingredients
DOUGH

1/4 c Margarine
1/2 c Corn Oil
1/2 c Water
1 ts Salt
2 1/2 c Flour

FILLING

2 1/4 lb Lean Ground Beef
1 Onion, Big, Finely Chopped
1 Clove Garlic, Minced
1/3 c Pine Nuts
1 ds Nutmeg
1 ds Allspice
Salt, To Taste
Freshly Ground Black Pepper,
Oil, For Frying
1 Egg Yolk

Method

1) In a small pot, over a small flame, mix all the Dough ingredients - except the flour. Cook until the margarine melts. pour into a bowl

2) Add the flour, one tablespoon at a time. mix well until you get a smooth dough. shape the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic sheet and set aside.

3) In a pan fry the onion and garlic to golden brown, add pine nuts and fry for 2 minutes more. Add the meat and spices, and cook on medium flame, while stirring, until the meat changes color (about 10 min.). It is vital to stir the meat to avoid the formation of big lamps of meat.

4) Heat oven to 180C (350F).

5) Roll out the dough to 3mm (1/8") and cut 10cm (4") circles.

6) Put a tablespoon of filling in the middle of each circle and fold into half a circle. Pinch the edges tightly.

7) Put sambusaks in oiled and floured pan (or just use a cooking parchment). Brush a little egg yolk on each sambusak. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Serving Ideas : Serve with pickles or vegetables salad.

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Iftar Recipe | Samosa Recipe from India

Here are some little known facts about the Indian samosa that even I was not aware about until recently. Apparently there are variations of the samosa in other parts of the world.

Many believe the Samosa originated from Central Asia before the 10th century and made it’s way to India via the ancient trade routes. The Indian Samosa is the most famous from a family of filled pastries or dumplings which were popular from North Africa to West China. Ancient Arab cookery books refer to the Samosa as Sanbusak and this pronunciation is still used in Egypt, Syria and Lebanon. Today, the ease of travel and the cosmopolitan nature of our cities has made the Samosa a popular snack in many parts of the world.
Source:http://www.samosa-recipe.com/Samosa_History.html

Today we feature an iftar recipe called the samosa. Samosas are a light pastry filled with a savory filling like vegetables or meat. Once you have tried the basic samosa recipe have fun creating fillings to suit your taste. This can be served as light snack or an appetizer. It is often served hot with a mint, tomato or tamarind chutney.

Iftar Recipe
Samosa from India




Ingredients

Pastry:
1 1/4 cup plain flour
1/2 tsp Baking Powder (opt)
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons butter or Ghee (clarified butter)
1/2 cup water

Filling:
1/2 lb. Ground meat (either lamb or beef)
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 whole cardamom pods
1 medium onion cut into small dice
2 tablespoons oil or ghee
1 garlic clove, crushed
1-2 tsp ginger paste
1 Tbsp curry powder (see note)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Method

1) Brown the meat and set aside. Heat oil in a skillet or frying pan and add cumin seeds and cardamom pods and cook for one minute. Add the onions and cook until translucent. Reduce the heat and add the garlic and ginger paste. Fry for 2-3 minutes. Add curry powder and 3 more minutes so that the flavors are incorporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

2) Sift the flour, add the salt, baking powder (if you are using it) and work in the butter or Ghee. Add in half the water and mix to make a soft dough. Add the rest if you need to. Kneed the dough until it is soft and pliable. Roll out the dough to about a 1/4 inch and cut out in circles. Moisten the edges with water; put the filling in the center and fold into a triangle.

3) Heat oil to 350 and cook the samosas until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve with Mint or Tamarind chutney. If you prefer baking, place the samosas on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake at 400 for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. If you bake, the texture of the outside will not be as crispy as it should.

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Iftar Recipe | Moroccan Seafood (Shrimp) Briouat

Today, we feature an iftar recipe from Morocco. It is good as an appetizer. Briouats are small Moroccan savory pastries which are stuffed with a variety of fillings and then deep-fried. It is like the Indian samosa. These finger foods are good to fill the stomach during iftar.

But in the Moroccan version, a crisp, paper-thin Moroccan pastry called warqa is used. Phyllo (filo) dough or spring roll wrappers can be substituted for the warqa.

Iftar Recipe
Seafood (Shrimp) Briouat from Morocco


Ingredients
1 kg (2 lbs. 3 oz.) fresh medium or small shrimp, shelled and cleaned
1 tablespoon butter
handful dried black mushrooms
125 g (4 1/2 ounces) uncooked rice vermicelli
2 large fresh tomatoes, grated (discard skin)
3 cloves garlic, pressed or chopped very fine
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons chopped, fresh parsley
1 tablespoon hot sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons salt (divided)
1 1/2 teaspoons pepper (divided)
1/2 kg (about 1 1lb.) warqa, fillo dough or large spring roll wrappers
1 egg yolk , slightly beaten (for folding the briouats)
4 tablespoons butter, melted (for folding the briouats)
vegetable oil (for frying the briouats)

Method

1) In separate bowls of water, soak the black mushrooms and rice vermicelli. Set aside for at least 15 minutes.

2) Cook the shrimp. In a skillet over medium-high heat, melt one tablespoon of butter. Add the shrimp, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Sauté for a few minutes, stirring often, just until the shrimp is no longer transparent. Drain the shrimp and reserve the liquids to cook the vermicelli.

3) Make the tomato sauce. In a small pan, combine the grated tomatoes, garlic, vegetable oil, one teaspoon salt and one teaspoon pepper. Simmer uncovered over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes. Mix in the parsley and hot sauce, and set aside.

4) Meanwhile, cook the vermicelli. Drain the rice vermicelli and transfer it to a pot. Add the reserved liquids from the shrimp, the tomato sauce, and the soy sauce. Stir to mix. Simmer the vermicelli uncovered over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, or until the vermicelli is tender and the liquids are mostly absorbed. Remove the vermicelli to a cutting board, and coarsely chop it into two- to three-inch strands.

5) Make the filling. Drain the mushrooms and chop coarsely. Combine them with the vermicelli and shrimp, and stir to mix well.

6) With scissors, cut the pastry dough into strips about two-and-a-half inches wide. Place a single strip of warqa or spring roll wrapper – or two layered strips of phyllo dough – on your work surface. (If the strip of warqa is less than 10 inches long, use two layers.) Lightly brush butter on the bottom two-thirds of the dough. Place a large tablespoon of filling towards the bottom of the strip, and fold the bottom up to enclose the filling.

7) Fold the bottom left corner of the enclosed dough upwards to the right, aligning it with the right edge of the strip. Then flip the bottom right corner upwards to the left, aligning it with the left edge of the dough. You should see a triangle take shape. Continue folding the triangle, flipping right and then left in this manner, until you reach the end of the dough.

8) Trim any excess length off the edge of the dough, dab it with a little egg yolk, and tuck the end of the dough into the "pocket" formed by the open edge of dough on the briouat. You can use the tip of a butter knife or your scissors to help tuck in the flap of dough.

9) Cook or freeze the briouats. Deep fry the briouats in hot oil until light golden brown. Drain and serve. Briouats stay warm for a long time, but if frying them well in advance of serving, you can reheat them in a 350 degree oven for five to 10 minutes.

Note: You may try it baked as well - see a variation of baked spring rolls that might inspire you.

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Shrimp Briouats