Ma'amoul

Ma'amoul 

Ma'amoul are small shortbread pastries filled with dates, figs, pistachios or walnuts. They are made in the shape of balls or flattened cookies. They can either be decorated by hand or be made in special wooden moulds. Ma'amoul with date fillings are often known as menenas.

They are very popular in Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, and other Levantine countries, and highly demanded in the Persian Gulf States. Many households keep a stock of them all year round, but they are particularly made during festivals and celebrations... 

Information from Net ....

There are different ways of making it.. 

If we don't have Ma'amoul mould then we can use any mould which is available.

For the Dough

Ingredients 

1 cup  Fine Semolina

1 1/2 cup  All Purpose Flour 

1/2 cup Powder Sugar 

1/2 cup Milk powder 

1 tsp Dry Yeast 

1/4 tsp Salt 

2/3 cup Butter Room temperature 

1/4 cup Oil 

1/4 cup Lukewarm Water 

1 tsp Orange essence or 1 tbsp Orange Blossom Water 

Method 

Take yeast and lukewarm water. Mix it in a cup and keep it aside. In another mixing bowl, add the butter and oil. Beat it till  fluffy. Add the sugar and beat it. Add yeast water and orange essence. Beat it again. Add all purpose flour, semolina, milk powder and salt. Mix it to form a dough. Keep it aside.

For the Stuffing 

Ingredients 

1 cup Dried Figs ground 

1/4 cup Walnut ground

½ cup Pistachios ground 

¼ cup Brown Sugar

Method 

Take fig and walnut in a bowl, mix it together. Similarly mix pistachio and brown sugar, mix it together. This will make 2 different stuffings.

For the Cookies 

Method 

Divide the dough into equal small size balls. The portion should be the size of the mould. Take a dough ball. Flatten the  ball using your palm and create a hollow in the centre. Place any stuffing desired in the centre. Press the stuffing and close the edges of the dough.  Press the edges and seal well. Press it into the mould. Gently  remove the cookie from the mould. Prepare the rest of the cookies in the same manner. Place the cookies in a rows, on a greased baking tray. Bake it at 180 degrees celcius for 20 minutes till brown in colour. Remove from the oven and let it cool.

Moroccan Bread (Khobz)

Moroccan Bread (Khobz)

It's a flat bread and made in every household and is had with soups, vegetables and gravy dishes. It can be made with All Purpose Flour or Whole Wheat Flour and Semolina. Very easy to make and healthy too when made at home. 

Moroccan Bread 

Ingredients 

2 1/2 cups Whole Wheat Flour

1/2 cup Fine Semolina 

1 cup  + 1/4 cup Lukewarm Water

2 tsp  Dry Yeast

2 tsp Honey

1 tbsp Sesame seeds roasted 

Salt to taste 

4 tbsp Olive oil

Method 

Combine 1/2 cup warm water, yeast, honey in a cup. Let it stand till it rises. Take a mixing bowl. Add the flour, semolina and salt. Mix it together. Add yeast mixture, 2 tablespoons oil and 1/2 cup of lukewarm water. Mix it. If required add the rest of the water little at a time and form a soft dough. Turn the dough out on a flat surface. Apply oil in between kneading on the palms and knead the dough for 10 minutes or until smooth. Grease a baking tray. Divide dough into 2 equal portions.  Knead for a minute. Roll each piece of dough into a round thick disc. Place it on the tray. Sprinkle sesame seeds. Press it lightly. Cover the tray and let it stand 40 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Bake for 15 minutes. Take the tray out of  the oven and drizzle rest of the remaining oil on top of the breads. Put the tray back in the oven and back for another 10 minutes or until golden brown on top.  Take it out of the oven and serve warm.

Ingredients 

2 1/2 cups Whole Wheat Flour

1/2 cup Fine Semolina 

1 cup  + 1/4 cup Lukewarm Water

2 tsp  Dry Yeast

2 tsp Honey

1 tbsp Sesame seeds roasted 

Salt to taste 

4 tbsp Olive oil

Method 

Combine 1/2 cup warm water, yeast, honey in a cup. Let it stand till it rises. Take a mixing bowl. Add the flour, semolina and salt. Mix it together. Add yeast mixture, 2 tablespoons oil and 1/2 cup of lukewarm water. Mix it. If required add the rest of the water little at a time and form a soft dough. Turn the dough out on a flat surface. Apply oil in between kneading on the palms and knead the dough for 10 minutes or until smooth. Grease a baking tray. Divide dough into 2 equal portions.  Knead for a minute. Roll each piece of dough into a round thick disc. Place it on the tray. Sprinkle sesame seeds. Press it lightly. Cover the tray and let it stand 40 minutes. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Bake for 15 minutes. Take the tray out of  the oven and drizzle rest of the remaining oil on top of the breads. Put the tray back in the oven and back for another 10 minutes or until golden brown on top.  Take it out of the oven and serve warm.

Moroccan style Lemon Butter Chicken Chickpea Soup..

Moroccan style Lemon Butter Chicken Chickpea Soup..

It is very easy to make and taste great. It's a wholesome meal made with vegetables, chicken and chickpeas and served with Moroccan  Bread...

Ingredients

1 bowl Boneless Chicken breast pieces 

1/2 cup Boiled Chickpeas 

1 small size Onion finely chopped 

1 small size Potato diced 

1 small size Carrot diced 

2 Bay leaves 

3 tbsp Cilantro / Coriander leaves chopped 

1/4 cup Spinach chopped 

1 tsp Garlic chopped 

1 cup Chicken stock

5 cups of Water 

1 tbsp Lime juice 

2 tbsp + 1/2 tsp Butter Or Olive oil 

Salt to taste 

1 tsp Pepper powder 

1 tsp Cumin powder 

1 small stick Cinnamon 

1 Star Anise

Method 

Take a pot, add 2 tbsp butter / Olive oil. Let it melt. Add onion, cinnamon stick, star anise, garlic and bay leaves. Saute it for 2 minutes.  Add carrot, chickpea  and  potato.  Sauté for 1 minute. Add chicken pieces, stir it for 2 minutes. Add the salt, cumin powder and pepper. Stir it for a minute. Add chicken stock and water. Stir it, cook for 10-12 minutes on low flame. Add the spinach and cilantro. Cook for 3 minutes. Add lime juice and 1/2 tsp butter/ Olive oil.  Serve with Moroccan Bread.

Morracan Bread....

Please click on the link for the recipe. . . 

http://suskitchenbysumitra.blogspot.com/2016/07/moroccan-bread-khobz.html

Potato and Rice Flour Latkes..

Potato and Rice Flour Latkes....

 Latkes are potato pancakes that are prepared by Ashkenazi Jews as a part of the Hanukkah festival since the mid-1800s, but the connection actually goes back to at least the Middle Ages.

Latkes need not necessarily be made from potatoes. Earlier day before the potatoes were introduced, latkes were, and in some places still are, made from a variety of other vegetables, cheeses, legumes, or starches, depending on the availability of the local ingredients.  Numerous modern recipes call for the addition of ingredients such as onions and carrots. The word latke itself has derived from the Russian word 'ladka', 'oladka',"small pancake". The word leviva, the Hebrew name for latke, refers in the Book of Samuel to a dumpling made from kneaded dough, as part of the story of Amnon and Tamar. Some interpreters have noted that the homonym levav means "heart".

Net source... 

I have adopted this recipe for the net... 

Very quick and easy to make and ingredients are easily available in the kitchen. Taste good with garlic and mustard flavoured yogurt sauce. 

Ingredients

1 large potato peeled and grated and excess water squeezed out ( Here instead of the raw potato, I have used half boiled potato)

1 large onion chopped finely 

2 Eggs

1 cup Rice Flour

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Pepper powder 

Oil for frying

Method 

Take a mixing bowl, Add potato, onion, eggs, flour, salt and pepper. Mix well. Heat a skillet. Add a tbsp of oil. On a low flame, heat the oil. Place 1 large tablespoon of the batter on the skillet. Press and flatten the batter. Fry it until golden brown from both the sides. Drizzle more oil if required.  Remove it from the skillet and place on paper towels to drain excess oil. Continue with remaining batter until done. Serve it with garlic and dejon mustard Yogurt sauce...

Ingredients 

1/4 cup Yogurt 

1/4 tsp Garlic paste

1 tsp Dejon Mustard paste

Salt to taste

1/4 tsp Pepper powder 

Method 

Mix all the above ingredients well. 

Crab Masala Crispy Fry

Crab Masala Crispy Fry.....

Today the lady who works for me got me few land crabs (Gauti Crabs) available during the rainy season. They were medium in size. Since it is raining, I though why not fry it, instead of making curry... It goes well with steam hot rice and dal. 

For Cleaning the Crab....

Ingredients 

6 Medium whole Crabs

Salt to taste 

Boiled hot Water 

Method

Take boiled hot water, add salt. Deep the crabs in the water for 2 minutes. Remove it. Turn the crab and remove the soft shell. Crack open the crab from the centre.

For Marinating the Crab

Ingredients 

Crabs

Juice of 1 Lime

1 tbsp Garlic paste

1/2 tbsp Ginger paste

1/2 tbsp Chilli paste

Salt to taste

1 tbsp Curry powder

1 tsp Chilli powder 

Method

Take the crabs, add lime juice, salt, curry powder, chilli powder, ginger paste, garlic paste and chilli paste. Rub all the spices well into the crab and in between the cracked shell. Keep it for 30 minutes. 

For Frying the Crab

Ingredients 

Marinated Crabs

1/2 cup All Purpose flour

1/4 cup Fine Semolina 

3 tbsp Rice Flour

1/4 tsp Baking soda 

1/4 tsp Chilli Powder 

Salt to taste

Oil to fry 

Method 

Take a mixing bowl, add All Purpose flour, Semolina, Rice flour, salt, chilli powder and  Baking soda. Mix it well. Add little water at a time to make dropping consistency batter. Heat oil in a wok.  Take a crab, coat it well with the batter. Gently put the crab in the oil, fry on low medium heat till golden brown on both the sides. Serve it with lime and onions...