Jewelled rice (morasa pulao)
This has to be the most stunning of Iran's famous range of pulaos, or rice dishes. It is the stuff of banquets and weddings – glorious, jewelled, shimmering stripes of fruit and nuts across steaming saffron rice.
Serves 4 as a starter
50g pistachios
50g almonds
100g barberries or cranberries, soaked and drained
100g raisins, soaked and drained
Butter or ghee, for frying
2 medium carrots, peeled and grated
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
75g orange peel
Flavourless oil, for frying
600g basmati rice
½ tsp ground saffron steeped in boiling water
3 tsp 'rice spice' (advieh pulao – usually 2 parts cinnamon to 1 part each ground cardamom, rose petals and nutmeg)
Salt and black pepper
1 Firstly, prepare the nutty, fruity bits. Blanch the nuts separately in boiling water. Fry the barberries and raisins separately in a little butter until puffed. Next, fry the carrot, orange peel and the onion in a little oil until they have softened.
2 Now cook the rice according to packet instructions. Just before it is cooked, stir through the liquid saffron and the rice spice.
3 Turn the rice out on to a dish, and then lay out stripes of each of the "jewels" across the top in pretty little rows, trying to contrast the colours. Some Iranians serve the jewels mixed into the rice, which makes the whole thing easier to prepare, but not everyone likes all of the ingredients. Serving like this is easier, and also looks more sensational.
Veggiestan by Sally Butcher (Pavilion)
Cauliflower and chickpea tagine with harissa and preserved lemon
This hearty tagine is typical of the type of dish cooked in the wooded Middle Atlas region and the lush valleys leading up to the High Atlas. It's a tasty way of preparing cauliflower, broccoli or cabbage, and is often simply served with bread to mop up the sauce.
Serves 4-6
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 onion, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 tsp coriander seeds
1-2 tsp sugar
1 x 400g tin chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 cauliflower, trimmed into small florets
1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
2-3 tsp harissa
A bunch of fresh coriander, roughly chopped
1 preserved lemon, finely chopped
Salt and black pepper
1 Heat the butter and oil in the base of a tagine or in a heavy-based saucepan, add the onion and cook for 2–3 minutes to soften. Add the garlic, coriander seeds and sugar, then cook for a further 2–3 minutes, until the onion and garlic begin to colour, then toss in the chickpeas and cauliflower florets.
2 Add the chopped tomatoes, stir in the harissa and pour in just enough water to cover the cauliflower. Bring the liquid to the boil, reduce the heat, put on the lid, and cook the tagine gently for about 20 minutes, until the cauliflower has become tender.
3 Season the tagine well with salt and pepper, toss in half the coriander and half the preserved lemon, then cook for a further 5–10 minutes. Garnish with the remaining coriander and preserved lemon.
Vegetarian Tagines and Couscous by Ghillie Basan (Ryland, Peters and Small)
Mjaddarah (rice with lentils)
Just about every country and region of the Middle East has its own lentil and rice recipe. It is fantastic comfort food – sweet and earthy, and topped with heaps of caramelised onions. It is a great home-cooked favourite in Lebanese and Syrian families, and is often eaten with a lemony salad, such as fattoush.
Serves 4-6
80ml olive oil
1 medium brown onion, finely diced
185g brown lentils
1.25 litres water
80g long-grain rice, washed well and drained
½ tsp cumin
2 medium onions, sliced
1 Heat half the oil in a pan and fry the diced onion until it turns soft. Add the lentils and half the water, bring to the boil, then turn the heat down, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the lentils are just cooked. Add the rice, mix well and cook for 15 minutes, stirring every now and then, and gradually adding more of the water as it is absorbed.
2 The dish is ready when lentils have broken down almost to a puree and the rice grains have swelled and almost burst – in fact, it looks rather like a khaki brown porridge.
3 Add the cumin and stir well. Heat the remaining oil and cook the sliced onions over a low to medium heat for 5–8 minutes until they have caramelised. Serve at room temperature, garnished with the onions.
Adapted from Arabesque by Greg and Lucy Malouf (Hardie Grant)
Bourekas
Bourekas are baked puff pastries that are traditionally filled with either potatoes, mushrooms, spinach or cheese. Nigella seeds can be found in most supermarkets, but if they're not available, you can substitute white or black sesame seeds.
Makes 10 pieces
For the caramelised onions
4 tbsp butter
2 medium onions, thinly and evenly sliced
1 tbsp salt
For the bourekas
225g mild goat's cheese
375g ricotta
4 dried apricots, cut into very small cubes
2 tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
A pinch of grated nutmeg
A pinch of black pepper
1 tbsp salt
500g puff pastry
Plain flour, for sprinkling
1 large egg, beaten
Nigella seeds, to decorate
1 To make the caramelised onions, heat a large frying pan over a medium heat and melt the butter in it. Add half of the onions and sprinkle 1½ tsp salt over them. Add the remaining onions and the remaining salt. Resist the urge to stir the onions during the first 15 minutes of cooking, because leaving them alone will help them caramelise. Then reduce the heat to low and stir occasionally to prevent the onions from burning. Cook until a deep, rich brown colour has developed. Remove from the heat and cool completely. (The onions can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a day.)
2 To make the bourekas, line a baking sheet with baking paper. Mix the goat's cheese, ricotta, dried apricots, caramelised onions, thyme, nutmeg, pepper, and salt.
3 Cut the puff pastry in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll one piece out until it's a 5mm-thick sheet. Take half the cheese mixture and spread a thick horizontal line across the sheet on the end closest to you. Tightly roll the pastry around the cheese into a large log. Repeat this step with the second piece of pastry. Transfer both rolls to the lined baking sheet and chill for 30 minutes.
4 Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5. Remove the rolls from the fridge and brush the tops with the egg, then sprinkle with the nigella seeds. Make slices into the top of each roll to make five evenly spaced 5mm-deep slits, using a very sharp knife. Bake until golden brown, which takes about 35 minutes.
5 Remove the bourekas from the oven and cut all the way through the slits, then serve.
Balaboosta by Einat Admony (Artisan Press)
Pistachio baklava
Baklava is probably the most famous of all the Middle Eastern sweets. Traditionally there should be 20 layers of pastry above and below the filling, symbolising 40 days of Lent.
Makes 24-30 pieces
450g filo pastry
225g unsalted butter, melted and with the froth removed
225g pistachios, chopped or coarsely ground
For the syrup
350g sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
350ml water
2 tbsp rosewater
1 First prepare the syrup. Place the sugar, lemon juice and water into a saucepan over a high heat and bring them to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the syrup leaves a slightly sticky film on the back of a spoon. Add the rosewater, then set aside to cool.
2 Most packets of filo pastry have 53x28cm sheets, but it is not easy to find a baking tin that matches this size, so it's often best to use a 30x20cm tin and trim the sheets to make them fit. The one important point is that the tin should be at least 25mm deep. Grease the baking tin with a little of the melted butter.
3 Open out the sheets of pastry and cover with a tea towel. Lay two sheets of the pastry on top of each other in the tin, keeping those not in use covered, so they do not dry out. Brush 1 tbsp melted butter over the second sheet. Repeat this process, two sheets at a time, until you have 6-8 sheets in the tin. Spread half the chopped nuts over the pastry.
4 Continue adding layers of pastry and spoonfuls of butter until you have laid down a further 6-8 sheets. Spread the remaining nuts over the last sheet. Continue layering the pastry with the melted butter brushed over alternate sheets until you have used up all the pastry. Spoon any remaining butter over the last sheet, discarding the milky residue at the bottom of the pan. Lightly brush the butter all over the last sheet so that every bit is covered.
5 Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Cut the baklava into lozenge shapes using a sharp knife and taking care to press as little as possible on the pastry. Cook for 30 minutes, then lower the temperature to 150C/300F/gas mark 2 and cook for 1 hour, or until golden.
6 Set aside until the baklava is warm and then pour the cold syrup all along the gaps. Set aside until completely cold. To serve, run a sharp knife along the gaps to make sure that all the layers have been completely separated, then remove from the tin.
Sweets and Desserts from the Middle East by Arto der Haroutunian (Grub Street)
Classic Turkish menemen
If there is an iconic food that Istanbulites would swear by, it is menemen; scrambled eggs cooked with tomatoes and green peppers and traditionally served in a copper pan.
Serves 4
8 tbsp olive oil
2 long green peppers, halved, deseeded and finely chopped
2 large tomatoes, peeled and finely diced
4 large eggs, lightly whisked
A pinch of salt
A pinch of red pepper flakes
A pinch dry thyme
Crusty white bread, to serve
1 Warm up the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan. Add the chopped green peppers and cook over a medium heat for about 3 minutes, or until the peppers start softening. Stir in the diced tomatoes and simmer for about 5-7 minutes, or until most of the moisture has evaporated.
2 Fold in the lightly whisked eggs. If you like menemen on the runnier side, just stir the eggs 2-3 times and remove the pan from the heat, otherwise continue cooking for about 1-2 minutes, gently stirring. You don't want to overcook your menemen to a dry crumble; it's traditional and utterly delicious when slightly runny. Serve with plenty of crusty white bread.
Recipe supplied by Olga Irez, deliciousistanbul.com
Muhamara with flatbread triangles
The Arabic title of this pesto-like dip, muhammara, means reddened or crimsoned. This recipe is traditionally made using sun‑dried Aleppo peppers, finely chopped to a coarse paste. It's lovely spread on flatbreads, stirred into hearty stews, or tossed with pasta or potatoes.
Serves 4
500g roasted red peppers
75g walnut halves, roughly chopped
55g fine breadcrumbs
2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp Aleppo pepper flakes (optional)
2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
Mint leaves, finely chopped, for sprinkling
Salt
For the flatbread triangles
2 medium-large Arabic flatbreads, each about 30cm in diameter, cut into small triangles
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt
1 To make the flatbread triangles, preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Put the bread on a baking tray, add the oil and season to taste with salt, then toss well. Bake in the oven for about 7 minutes, or until they are crisp and lightly golden, shaking the baking tray halfway through the cooking time. Remove the tray from the oven and set aside.
2 Slice off the tops of the roasted peppers, discarding any seeds. Chop the flesh finely and put it in a mixing bowl. Add the walnuts, breadcrumbs, pomegranate molasses, cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, Aleppo pepper flakes, if using, and oil. Then season to taste with salt. Mix well, then set aside for about 1 hour to allow the flavours to develop.
4 Put the dip into a serving dish, drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with mint. Serve the muhammara at room temperature alongside the flatbread triangles.
The Jewelled Kitchen by Bethany Kehdy (Duncan Baird)
Persian tas kebab
Every country, province, village and household makes this differently, but the principles are the same: meat layered with vegetables and fruit and baked in a fragrant tomato sauce.
Serves 4–6
2 onions, sliced
1 leek, roughly chopped
3 sticks celery, cut into fat chunks
1 chicken, skinned and cut into 8 pieces
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp lime powder
Salt and black pepper
2 carrots, cut into fat sticks
1 green pepper, cut into chunks
6–8 mushrooms, wiped
3 medium waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into slabs
½ small butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks
1 large aubergine, cut into 2cm cubes
200g prunes, soaked if necessary
2 tbsp good tomato paste
1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp olive oil, for cooking
A glass of cold water
1 Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5. Layer the onions, leek and celery in the bottom of a fairly deep baking tray. Arrange the chicken on top and sprinkle it with the spices and seasoning. Dot the rest of the vegetables and the prunes evenly around and on top of the chicken.
2 Mix the tomato paste, tomatoes and olive oil together, and add the water. Pour the liquid over the chicken and vegetables, cover the tray properly with foil and bake for around 1 hour 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender. Serve with warm bread.
Snackistan by Sally Butcher (Pavilion)
Ottoman lamb
According to legend, this lamb dish was rustled up by a resourceful cook to feed a sultan who had become lost in the forest. Needless to say, the sultan liked it.
Serves 4-6
1 x 1.8kg leg of lamb
For the marinade
200g plain yoghurt
30ml tomato puree
60ml red wine
60ml olive oil
4 garlic cloves, crushed
3 bay leaves, crushed
1 tsp caster sugar
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 tsp cayenne
To serve
Watercress or fresh coriander
Olive oil
Cayenne
1 Remove the skin and fat from the lamb, exposing as much flesh as possible. Make incisions all over the leg with a small sharp knife. Mix the marinade ingredients and pour it over the lamb, rubbing it into the cuts. Leave the lamb to marinate for 24 hours if you can, or for at least an hour.
2 Drain the lamb from its marinade, but don't wipe it clean. Roast the leg for 1 hour 15 minutes at 190C/375F/gas mark 5 (for pink lamb). Cover it with foil to keep it warm and let it rest for 15 minutes.
3 Carve the lamb and serve scattered with some chopped fresh coriander, tomato and cucumber salad, warm pitta breads and baba ganoush, if you like.
Crazy Water, Pickled Lemons by Diana Henry (Mitchell Beazley)
