Syrian cuisine is diverse, and is a mixture of culinary traditions of the Arab, Mediterranean and Caucasian peoples. It mainly uses eggplant, zucchini, garlic, meat (usually lamb and lamb), sesame seeds, rice, chickpeas, beans, lentils, white and cauliflower, grape leaves, cucumbers, tomatoes, olive oil, lemon juice, mint, pistachios, honey and fruits.
What dishes are used?
Syrian cuisine practices the use of a large set of snacks known as mezze. They are usually served with Arabic bread in front of the main course, followed by coffee with sweets and fruits. The culinary tradition of this country is notable for the fact that many of its recipes date from the Middle Ages. As can be seen from the photo attached to the article, Syrian cuisine is distinguished by a certain aesthetic.
Taboule salad and cream hummus, well known outside of this country, are key elements of the traditional mezze. As the main dish, the most famous is kibbeh. Its main element is small minced meat of lamb or beef, seasoned with plenty and mixed with bulgur.
Syrian dishes usually have a salty, spicy or sour taste. In addition to the generous use of salt in the cooking process, brine cheeses are widely used here. Lemon juice is as popular as in all Mediterranean dishes. Syrian dishes also use sumac, a red spice that adds a lemon flavor to salads and meat.
This article provides some interesting Syrian recipes that you can repeat at home. These dishes have long been known internationally and are served in restaurants around the world.
Tabule
This is one of the most popular dishes of Syrian cuisine. Its main ingredients are parsley and bulgur. Tabula can be served with hummus, on sandwiches or as an independent snack. This Mezze variety can be easily made at home in about thirty minutes. It can be said that this is a visiting card of Syrian cuisine. The recipe with the photo is presented below, and for it you will need:
- 1/4 cup bulgur;
- 4 cups parsley, finely chopped;
- half a glass of mint, chopped;
- 6 bunches of green onions, chopped finely;
- 3/4-1 glass of lemon juice;
- half a glass of olive oil;
- chopped garlic (optional);
- 4 tomatoes, hard and ripe, diced;
- 1 teaspoon of salt (optional);
- 1 teaspoon black pepper.
Cooking a popular snack
Wash parsley well under running water to remove dirt or fertilizer residue. Shake the greens lightly to remove excess water.
Soak bulgur in water for approximately 20 minutes. Then add the cereal and one cup of boiling water in a small bowl. Cover it with a dishcloth and let the cereal swell until it is soft. It takes another 20 minutes.
While the bulgur is soaked, prepare the vegetables by washing and chopping them. Grind parsley, mint and onions. Set aside these ingredients. If you wish, you can complement this national Syrian dish and add broccoli or cucumbers.
Using a strainer, drain the water from the bulgur. Squeeze the cereal with a paper towel to remove excess fluid.
Combine bulgur, parsley, mint and green onions in a large bowl. Squeeze and strain into the mixture about ¾ cup of lemon juice. Try and adjust the acid of the dish to your taste.
Add olive oil, salt and black pepper to taste. Using a garlic press, add a few cloves of fresh garlic in a tabula. Put in a mixture of four diced tomatoes, gently mix with the rest of the ingredients. Then cover the bowl and let the tabula cool for half an hour. Serve cold.
Famous hummus
This is a very popular and traditional food in Syrian cuisine. The recipe with the photo is presented below, and it is amazingly simple. You can serve it with any dish, as well as use as a spread for bread. To cook this mezze, you will need:
- 250 grams of chickpea;
- 150 ml of tahini;
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice;
- 1 liter of water;
- salt;
- 1/2 teaspoon of caraway seeds;
- 1/2 teaspoon of paprika;
- 3 tablespoons olive oil;
- 1 tablespoon parsley (chopped);
- juice from one lemon;
- 1/2 green chilli (chopped).
How to cook a classic hummus?
This Syrian dish is prepared like this. Take a large bowl and put chickpeas in it. Then pour enough water to cover it 2 centimeters. Leave it overnight. In the morning, the grains will look chubby and soft.
Place the pot on the stove and add chickpeas with water to it. Add a little more water and heat it to a high temperature. When the contents begin to boil, a thick foam begins to rise. Remove it with a spoon and discard. Then reduce the heat to very small, cover the pan with a lid not completely, leaving a small hole. Boil for an hour and a half, adding more water during cooking, if necessary. When ready, chickpeas should be very soft and tender. You should be able to crush it with a spoon.
Place two tablespoons of chickpeas in a bowl and set aside. Then place the remaining grains in a blender. Close the lid and grind it in mashed potatoes until it becomes a fairly uniform paste. Add paprika and then caraway seeds, chopped chili peppers and parsley.
Squeeze the juice from the lemon while continuing to mix. Then add the tahini there, season with salt and continue whisking. Pour in some water to moisten the mixture. Whisk again until all the ingredients begin to blend well. Make sure the amount of salt and lemon juice is to your liking. After that, the dish is ready.
Place two large tablespoons of hummus on a serving plate. Then, using the back of the spoon, distribute it so as to make a depression in the middle. Place the reserved two tablespoons of chickpea there.
Mezze from nuts and red paprika
This Syrian recipe is a great way to get a range of flavors. In addition, the more different plants and vegetables you eat, the healthier your digestion works. For this healthy snack you will need:
- 2 red paprika cut into cubes;
- 3 tbsp. l extra virgin olive oil;
- 150 grams of fried walnuts;
- a bunch of coriander or parsley;
- salt and pepper.
How to do it?
Preheat the oven to 200 ° C. Place slices of paprika on a baking sheet and pour over olive oil. Bake them at the top of the oven for 30 minutes, then place in a blender with the rest of the ingredients and chop. Add more walnuts if you want a very thick mass. Serve mezze with slices of fresh crispy vegetables such as carrots, celery, cabbage or young zucchini. If desired, this snack can be spread on tortillas or crackers.
Kibbeh
An overview of Syrian cuisine would not be complete without a recipe for a main meat dish. As noted above, kibbeh is a minced meat dish with spices and cereals. Various types of meat can be used for it, from beef to goat meat and camel meat. One of the best options is a combination of ground beef and lamb. So, you need the following:
- 500 grams of minced beef;
- 500 grams of minced lamb;
- half onion, finely chopped;
- 1 large handful of leaf parsley, strongly chopped with a sharp knife;
- 3 tsp dry bulgur;
- 1 tsp freshly ground white pepper;
- 1 tablespoon mixed spices;
- 1 tsp pepper orange flakes;
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil;
- hummus and taboo for serving.
How to cook it?
This Syrian dish is prepared like this. Place the minced meat in a medium bowl and mix with onions, parsley, salt, white pepper, seasonings and pepper flakes. Stir until all the components form into a homogeneous mass.
To make kibbeh on skewers, pour olive oil into a shallow bowl and moisten your hands in it to avoid sticking meat to them.
Take the skewer in your left hand (if you're right-handed, and vice versa - if you're left-handed). Scoop out part of the mixture for kibbeh with your hand, blind into the ball and pierce it in the center with the sharp tip of the skewer until the stuffing is 3 cm from the puncture point. Using the same hand, form a kibbeh into the sausage so that it remains evenly wrapped around the skewer. You should leave another 3 cm at the bottom of the skewer free. Do not make the meat layer too thick. Otherwise, the kibbeh may simply not fry inside. Repeat the same process with the remaining mixture to fill 15-20 skewers.
Preheat the grill or prepare the barbecue. Prepare kibbeh on three sides (i.e. turning twice) for 3-4 minutes on each side or until brown. If you turn the meat more times, you risk drying it. Serve the finished dish immediately, along with hummus and tabula. In the absence of a grill, kibbeh can be prepared both in the oven and in a pan.
Baklava
This is a sweet dessert cookie made from layers of thin dough filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with syrup or honey. To make this sweet Syrian dish, you need the following:
- 2-3 cups of walnuts or pistachios;
- 2 tablespoons sugar;
- 2 teaspoons teas of orange;
- 1 teaspoon of rose water;
- 350 grams of melted butter or butter.
For syrup:
- 440 grams of sugar;
- 250 ml of water;
- lemon juice from one fruit;
- ½ tsp orange syrup;
- ½ tsp rose water.
Cooking Syrian Dessert
Crush nuts lightly in a food processor. Transfer them to a bowl and mix with sugar, orange zest and rose water.
Preheat the oven to 180 ° C. Lubricate a 20 x 30 cm baking sheet with melted or melted butter. Spread a layer of nut paste on it and spread a large amount of oil on it. Continue to lay these ingredients in layers until you have used up all the pasta, grease the top with oil.
Carefully cut the baklava into slices. Pour more melted butter on top and bake for about 55 minutes or until golden brown.
Meanwhile, prepare the syrup. Combine sugar, water and lemon juice in a saucepan over low heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Bring to a boil, then cook for 15 minutes until the mixture is slightly thickened. Remove from heat and add orange syrup and rose water. Pour the cooked syrup over the hot dough. This delicacy becomes especially delicious the next day, when well soaked in syrup. However, you can serve it warm.