3 mouth-watering middle eastern cuisines that will delight your palate

Middle Eastern cuisine is renowned for its bold flavours, tantalizing aromas, and colourful ingredients. From savoury stews and fragrant rice dishes to delectable desserts and refreshing beverages, Middle Eastern cuisine offers a wide range of culinary delights that everyone should experience. Whether you’re a fan of meat dishes, vegetarian fare, or sweet treats, Middle Eastern cuisine has something to suit every palate. In this article, we’ll explore some of the most delicious Middle Eastern cuisines that everyone should try at least once in their lifetime. So, grab a napkin and get ready to salivate as we take you on a culinary journey through the Middle East. (Also read: Cold soups to conquer warm days ahead )

Chef Anees Khan, founder of Star Anise Patisserie, shared with HT Lifestyle, three delicious middle eastern cuisines everyone should try.

Must-try middle eastern recipes:

1. Thecha hummus

Ingredients:

Red Chilli Thecha:

Thecha.

Green chilly 50gm

Red chilly 50gm

Salted peanuts 15 gm

Coriander seeds 5gm

Cumin seeds 5gm

20ml oil

Salt 5 gm

Black pepper 3 gm

Dry roast the salted peanuts, coriander seeds and cumin seeds

Add all ingredients and blend in a food processor until chunky. Check for salt. Store covered in a refrigerator

Hummus:

250 grams cooked chickpea

60 ml fresh lemon juice, 1 large lemon

60 ml well-stirred tahini

1 small garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Salt to taste

2 to 3 tablespoons (30 to 45 ml) cold water

Method:

1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the tahini and lemon juice and process for 1 minute, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl then process for 30 seconds more.

2. Add the olive oil, minced garlic, cumin, and a 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the tahini and lemon juice. Process for 30 seconds, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl then process another 30 seconds or until well blended.

3. Add half of the chickpeas to the food processor and process for 1 minute. Scrape sides and bottom of the bowl, then add remaining chickpeas and process until thick and quite smooth

4. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water if the hummus is too thick

5. Taste for salt and adjust as needed. Serve hummus with a dollop of red chilli thecha and drizzle of olive oil and dash of chilli powder.

2. Falafel

Ingredients:

First, soak the chickpeas in water before beginning.

2 cups (400g) dried chickpeas, don’t use canned

1 small Onion

3-5 garlic cloves

1/3 bunch Parsley

1/2 bunch Cilantro

4 tablespoons (30g) Flour/breadcrumbs or chickpea flour for gluten-free version

1¼ teaspoon Salt

1/4 teaspoon Pepper

1 teaspoon Cumin

1 teaspoon Paprika

2 teaspoons baking soda

Oil for frying

For serving: pita bread, tahini sauce, salad.

Method:

1. Fill a big dish with cold water so that the chickpeas are covered by about 2-3 inches. After soaking for the night, wash and drain.

2. Add the rinsed, drained chickpeas, onion, parsley, cilantro, baking soda, and spices to a food processor. Process till crumbly but still smooth.

3. Transfer to a big bowl, then stir in the breadcrumbs. For one hour, cover and chill.

4. Bring oil to 360 °F (180 °C).

5. Take the falafel mixture out of the fridge and roll into 1-inch balls with damp palms.

6. Fried 4-6 falafels at a time in batches. 3–4 minutes, or until crispy and golden. Onto a paper towel, transfer.

7. Serve the dish either as is or in a pita with a salad and tahini sauce.

3. Tabouli salad

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 cup Water

1/2 cup Bulgur Wheat

1 Cucumber (diced)

1 Tomato (diced)

1 Onion (diced)

1/2 cup Coriander Leaves (roughly chopped)

1/2 cup Parsley (roughly chopped)

1 and 1/2 tbsp Olive Oil

1 cup of lemon juice

1/2 cup Mint Leaves

Pomegranate Seed (for garnish)

1/2 Cumin Seeds Powder

Salt (as per taste)

Method:

1. Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper to make the dressing.

2. Add the bulgur wheat to the dressing at this time. So that it can absorb the flavours, set away.

3. Chop the tomato, mint, onion, and parsley next. Please be careful to chop everything as finely as you can in this area.

4. The salad mixture will now have the dressing added. Toss properly

5. For one hour, refrigerate.

6. Optional: If you’d like, you can wrap the salad in a lettuce leaf.

7. Serve with pita, shawarma, or kebabs.