lebanese recipe

Kibbeh is a staple in Middle Eastern cuisine and is made of lamb or beef. They have a blend of flavors of herbs, spices, meat filling, and bulgur wheat. Kibbeh is a delicious appetizer and can be served with Hummus, pita bread, and Labneh.

Ingredients for making kibbeh:

Bulgur – ½ pound

Cold water – 3 cups

For making stuffing:

Onions finely chopped – 2 medium

Lean ground beef – 2 pounds

Kosher salt – 1.5 tsp

Pepper freshly ground – 1.25 tsp

Olive oil – 2 tbsp

Pine nuts toasted – ½ cup

Allspice ground – 1 tsp

Cumin ground – ¼ tsp

Vegetable oil – for frying

Lemon wedges – for garnishing

Method:

Firstly, soak the bulgur in a medium bowl in cold water for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, put the soaked bulgur in a cheesecloth or clean kitchen towel and remove excess water by squeezing it thoroughly.

Then, we will prepare fine dough for kibbeh, for this take a medium bowl, put onion, 1 pound of meat, soaked bulgur, salt 1tsp, pepper 1tsp, and mix them well to combine.

Now, put the mixture into a food processor and process it until turns to a sticky, smooth, dough-like consistency.

After that, prepare the stuffing, for this, heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet on medium heat. Add onions to it and sauté them.

Then, add the remaining meat and pine nuts and break the meat with a wooden spoon until well combined.

After this, add allspice, salt, pepper, and cumin and mix well. When beef turns to a golden brown mixture then, remove from heat and let it cool for 10 minutes.

Now, with damp hands, take a small sized amount of raw and fine meat mixture and form a ball.

Make a hole in the ball with the help of your index finger and fill the stuffing in it and seal the ball by pinching it from the top.

Then, take a deep frying pan, add 4 cups oil, and heat it.

Fry the kibbeh in it batches until turns golden brown and crunchy.

Finally, put them on paper towels to remove excess oil and serve hot.

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Lebanese fatayer is a spinach pastry that is extremely popular in Lebanon. Fatayer is made with a stuffing of spinach. This can also make with different fillings like meat or cheese. Also, we can make it in different shapes. It is a very yummy dish and also has the goodness of spinach in it.

You can also try the Sfiha recipe in a pinched corner pie style, the Manakish recipe (Lebanese flatbread) in an easy way          

Ingredients for making Lebanese fatayer:

For the outer layer:

All-purpose flour – 1.5 cups

Instant yeast – ¾ tsp

Salt – ½ tsp

Sugar – 1 tsp

Olive oil – 1 tbsp

Lukewarm water – 1/3 cup

For the stuffing:

Spinach – 8 oz

Onion – ½

Salt- ¼ tsp

Pepper – ¼ tsp

Sumac – 1 tsp

Lebanese seven spices – ½ tsp

Pomegranate molasses – ½ tbsp

Pine nuts – ½ tbsp

Lemon juice – 1 tbsp

Method:

Firstly, put flour, yeast, salt, and sugar in a bowl and mix well. Add some oil and water and knead a smooth dough. Add more water if needed.

After that, put the dough on a lightly floured surface and then knead again for 3-5 minutes to remove the stickiness.

Then, take a bowl, apply oil around it and place the dough in it. Cover the bowl with a cling wrap. Leave the dough at a warm room temperature for around 2 hours until the dough has risen to double size.

After that, prepare the filling. For this, chop the spinach roughly and add salt to it. Leave spinach for 10 minutes.

Then, squeeze the spinach well to remove the excess water.

Now, put spinach into a bowl, add chopped onion, salt, pepper, sumac, Lebanese seven spice, pomegranate molasses, and pine nuts and mix everything well.

Then, divide the dough into 8 pieces and roll each into a ball.

Preheat the oven to 425F.

Now, roll the dough using a rolling pin, place the stuffing into the middle of it and fold it into a triangular shape.

Put them on the baking sheet and bake for around 12-16 minutes until turn slightly golden.

Finally, serve warm or at room temperature.

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Sfiha is a Lebanese meat pie that is served as pizzas or little triangles of doughy bread with a stuffing of flavourful beef filling or ground lamb. We can eat them as a main meal by making them in large sizes or can be eaten as an appetizer. Sfiha is also known as “sfeehas”; “lahmacun”; “Lahm bi ajeen” which means “meat with dough”. They are a popular item of Levantine cuisine.

You can also try the Manakish recipe (Lebanese flatbread) in an easy way, the Lebanese tabbouleh authentic recipe

Ingredients for making sfiha recipe:

Ground beef – 450 gm

Pomegranate molasses – 2 tbsp

Tomato paste – 2 tbsp

Olive oil – 2 tsp

Jalapeno seeded and minced – 15 gm

Parsley chopped – ¼ cup

Onion minced – ½ small

Greek yogurt or labneh – 1 tbsp

Breadcrumbs – 2 tbsp

Salt – ¾ tsp

Black pepper ground – ½ tsp

Pizza dough – 1 kg

Method:

• Firstly, take a bowl, put ground beef, pomegranate molasses, tomato paste, olive oil, jalapeno, parsley, onion, labneh, breadcrumbs, salt, and pepper in it and mix well.
• Then, divide the pizza dough into 20 equal pieces (50 gm each).
• After that, roll them on a lightly floured surface and then roll them into a circle of about 1/8 inch thickness.
• Now, place the circles onto 2 parchment-lined baking sheets.
• Then, divide the meat into 20 equal pieces and place each piece into the center of each dough circle. Spread the meat on a circle leaving a border of ¼ to ½ inches.
• After that, pinch two opposites’ sides together and stick them together. If the dough is too dry and not sticking then apply some water before pinching.
• Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F/ 245 degrees C while the pies rise for about 15 minutes.
• Then, bake the pies for about 25 minutes until turn golden brown.
• Finally, serve hot.

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Manakish is also known as Lebanese flatbread. They are available so commonly in Lebanese bakeries. Manakish has an amazing smell of freshly baked za’atar. It is a quick and simple recipe. Also, we can say it is a kind of Middle Eastern pizza.

You can also try the Labneh recipe (Lebanese cream cheese recipe), a Chicken shawarma homemade recipe

Ingredients for making manakish:

1. Active dry yeast – 1 tsp
2. Water warm – 150 ml
3. Flour – 250 gm
4. Salt – 1 tsp
5. Sugar – 1 tsp
6. Olive oil – 6 tbsp
7. Za’atar – 3 tbsp
8. Halloumi lemon – 150 gm

Method –

1. Firstly, take a small bowl and dissolve yeast in lukewarm water.
2. Then, take a bowl put flour, salt, sugar, dry yeast, water olive oil and knead for five minutes. The dough should become elastic.
3. After that, make a ball of dough and put in a large bowl, apply oil on the top and cover it with plastic wrap. Put it aside for one hour in a warm condition.
4. Then, once the dough has risen, roll it out and divide it into 4 equal parts. Put them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and press them lightly into flatbread.
5. After that, cover them with a clean kitchen towel and let them rise again.
6. Now, prepare the topping, for this mix the za’atar with the remaining oil. Grate halloumi and add to the za’atar mixture and mix well.
7. Then, preheat the oven to 200 degrees C /400 degree F. Stretch out the flatbreads and press the surfaces with your fingertips.
8. After that, add za; atar halloumi mixture and drizzle more olive oil if required on top of each flatbread.
9. Transfer to oven and bake for approx 8 minutes and serve hot with lemon wedges.

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Labneh is a Lebanese version of cream cheese which is very tasty and also lower in calories. You can eat it as spread-over pita bread or also as a cheese dip. It is a ubiquitous Lebanese dish prepared in their houses as a staple. Labneh is served with a dressing of olive oil which makes it tastier. You can also store this in the refrigerator for a longer time.

Labneh is also good for health. It is rich in protein and also great probiotic food. Also, it boosts your immunity by keeping a large range of healthy bacteria in it.

You can also try the Carrot Hummus recipe at home in an effortless way, Chicken shawarma homemade recipe

Ingredients for making labneh:

Plain yogurt – 16cups

Salt – 1 tsp or as per taste

Olive oil – ¼ cup

Method:

Firstly, cover a large colander with cheesecloth.

Then, mix salt into the yogurt and put yogurt into the cheesecloth.

Leave it for 24 hours to drain the liquid.

After that, put the cheese formed into a bowl and mix some olive oil.

Finally, your dip is ready, put it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

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Chicken shawarma is a Lebanese gourmet sandwich that is gaining popularity these days. It is a flavourful chicken dish that can be easily made at home. You can enjoy this sandwich for lunch or dinner. Chicken shawarma has high protein content.

You can also try Fattoush salad: an authentic Lebanese salad, HOW TO MAKE CLASSIC VEGAN FALAFEL?

Ingredients for making Chicken shawarma –

• Boneless chicken breast or thighs – 1 kg

Marinade ingredients-

• Lemon juice – ½ cup
• Tomato sauce – 2 tbsp
• Plain yogurt – 4tbsp
• White vinegar -3 tbsp
• Garlic peeled and crushed – 1 head
• Olive oil – 2 tbsp
• Sat – 1 tsp
• Oregano – ½ tsp
• Paprika – 1 tsp
• Ginger powder – ½ tsp
• Nutmeg powder – ¼ tsp

Sandwich wrap ingredients –

• Pita bread – 6 loafs
• Tomatoes grilled – 4
• Garlic paste Lebanese – 6tsp
• Cucumber pickles – 200 gm
• French fries – 2cups

Method –

1. Firstly, cut the chicken into slices and put them in a big bowl.
2. Then we will make the marinade, for this, put lemon juice, tomato sauce, plain yogurt, white vinegar, garlic, olive oil, salt, oregano, paprika, ginger powder, and nutmeg powder in a blender and blend for 2-3 minutes.
3. After that, pour the marinade over the chicken and mix well. Keep it in the fridge overnight.
4. Then, the next morning grill the marinated chicken for about 15 minutes over medium heat.
5. Now, shred the cooked chicken thinly and keep it aside.
6. After that, take pita bread, spread 1tsp Lebanese garlic paste over it, put 2-3 tbsp chicken, cucumber pickle, French fries, grilled tomatoes and roll it and serve.

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