Welcome to the first of a series of posts entitled “Medley of Marakah.” Marakah (accent on the first syllable) is an Arabic word for a tomato-based stew/sauce and there many different kinds of Marakah. Arguably the most popular Marakah in our family is Basalia and for good reason. Basalia (peas in Arabic) is the main ingredient in this stew and gives it a slight sweetness that is balanced by the acidity of the tomato sauce. The ground meat adds a hearty protein that rounds out the dish. Pour it over a bed of a rice and your meal is complete.

Timin (Arabic for “rice”) and Marakah is a weekly dinner staple in our family. The varieties of Marakah are fairly easy and quick to make. They can even be made ahead of time and frozen for even easier meals during the work week. I remember my Mom asking us every so often especially before big milestones (like the first day of school or our birthdays) which Timin and Marakah we would like to have. Basalia was a clear front runner in answering this question. The coming weeks, however, will reveal a few more varieties you can try for yourself and then decide. Stay tuned ….