Classic Hummus Chickpea Purée Hummus
This very tasty and healthy appetizer has spread from the Greater Syria region to around the world. Known simply as “hummus” in the West (hummus means “chickpeas”), the same dish is known in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Palestine as hummus bi-tahini or “hummus with tahini.” The Arab Gulf version is unique due to the addition […]
Roasted Eggplant Purée Baba Ghanouj
In Arabic, the name of this dish means “spoiled old daddy.” As the story goes, the woman who first prepared Baba Ghanouj made it to pamper her old and toothless father. This vegetarian dish from the Greater Syria region is a must when serving mazza in the Arab Gulf—so much so that any appetizer table […]
Azerbaijani Yogurt Soup DOVGA
You can turn this soup into a summery dish by omitting the meatballs and chilling the soup once it has cooled down. When served cold, dovga is usually offered at the end of a rich meal, a little like a palate cleanser. And when served hot, it is usually offered as a first course, or […]
Yogurt and Cucumber Dip MAST O KHIYAR
Here is the cucumber variation of the Yogurt and Elephant Garlic Dip. SERVES 4 TO 6 INGREDIENTS 2 cups (500 g) goat or Greek yogurt 1 clove garlic, minced to a fine paste 3 tablespoons dried mint, plus more for garnish 3 Armenian cucumbers, coarsely grated and drained Sea salt INSTRUCTIONS Mix the […]
Yogurt and Elephant Garlic Dip MAST O MUSIR
Yogurt is always served as a refreshing side with curries, kebabs, rice, or baked kibbeh, either plain or with a garnish. Here it is mixed with rehydrated dried elephant garlic (known as musir in Farsi) to produce a rather pungent side to serve with kebabs. In kebab restaurants in Iran, you just order the kebab […]
Eggplant and Yogurt Spread BORANI E BÂDENJÂN
This is a wonderful dip with a subtle flavor of caramelized onion and saffron and a silky texture offset by the lovely crunch of the walnut garnish. SERVES 4 INGREDIENTS 2 large eggplants (1 pound 2 ounces/500 g) ¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil 1 medium onion (5 ounces/150 g), halved lengthwise and […]
Labneh and Tarragon Dip LABNEH BIL TARKHUN
Labneh is very easy to make. Just spoon your choice of yogurt—I alternate between sheep and goat yogurt—into a double layer of cheesecloth and let it drain for a few hours. The whey will drain off the yogurt and you will be left with creamy labneh, which you can have plain drizzled with very good […]
Spinach and Yogurt Spread SPINACH BORANI
It is said that the word borani comes from the name of Poorandokht, the daughter of a Sassanian king who was the first woman to rule Persia more than thirteen hundred years ago. She was apparently so keen on yogurt that various dishes using yogurt were created for her, and called poorani after her. Later, […]
Fresh Almonds in Yogurt Sauce YOĞURTLU ÇAĞLA AŞI
The recipe below comes from Filiz Hosukoglu, my great friend and guru for all things culinary in the Turkish city of Gaziantep. One day, after she’d seen my post online on fresh green almonds that can be eaten whole, she commented on how they cook them in yogurt in Turkey and when the nut inside […]
Turkish Dumplings with Garlicky Yogurt MANTI
The main difference between manti and shish barak is in the shape of the dumplings—tiny and square for manti and just small and round for shish barak—and the yogurt sauce, which is only warmed up and seasoned for manti but cooked for shish barak. These two differences result in very distinct dishes, even if the […]