Kubba Haleb
Kubba Haleb makes the best after school snack, no? At least my 10 year old (and current) self would think so. Crispy fried rice on the outside, fluffy rice on the inside, and a lightly spiced meat within – that is Kubba Haleb in a …
Old School Middle Eastern Recipes with Some Modern Day Twists
Kubba Haleb makes the best after school snack, no? At least my 10 year old (and current) self would think so. Crispy fried rice on the outside, fluffy rice on the inside, and a lightly spiced meat within – that is Kubba Haleb in a …
It’s finally here – the Mother of Middle-Eastern Mains – Dolma. This post was originally intended to be published right before Thanksgiving as Dolma is always present right along side our Turkey. However, as we mentioned in our last post, we were grieving the loss …
Mujadara is definitely a comfort food. Who would have thought the words comfort food and vegan could enter the same sentence, but mujadara achieves this mighty feat. Lentils and rice are simmered together, and then and have bits of caramelized onions throughout…and a lil’ garnish of crispy onions on top. Let’s just say its a happy marriage of flavors, and is hearty and nutritious to boot.
Making this dish is not difficult. It just helps to get the timing down. You start by cooking the lentils first, then adding the rice to the pot shortly after. In a separate pan you caramelize some onions and add it to the lentils and rice. Last, but not least, you light fry up some onions for garnish. It kinda perfection, no? You got a beautiful dish sitting before you, with just some pantry ingredients. I’m here for it.
That’s why when I wanted to confirm with my mom some of the proportions she uses in this recipe at 7am in the morning, I found her suddenly with the ingredients in her hands, pot on the stove and making it. Soon enough, the dish was made, recipe was verified, and I got to eat mujadara for breakfast. Although a tad nontraditional, I’d call that a win.
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If you make Mujadara, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! And of course, tag us on Instagram at ThreeTeasKitchen! We love seeing what you’re cooking up!
The following guest blog post was written by no other than the hubs, Auddie, (or All Day, Auddie -if you recall). I think he did a pretty good job – maybe even good enough to quit his day job?? Just kidding! This recipe is delish …
Happy Easter and new beginnings to you all. We hope everyone is staying positive and well during these times. As you may be able to tell, some of us at Three Teas Kitchen have been spending our time at home cooking away. We hope you’ve …
There is nothing better on an early spring day than coming home to a dinner of Fasoolia Kuthra. Consisting mostly of green beans and tomato broth, it is a light, yet warm and comforting stew perfect for an evening when the sun is setting around dinnertime (and not before 5pm) , but there is still a chill in the air.
Given its easy to make nature, it was often on Nana and Mom’s list of options for dinner. I have to admit, it wasn’t my first choice of “timin and marakah” (rice and stew) dishes as a kid. I would have much rather gone with Basalia or Ras Asfour. But it’s funny how your palate changes throughout your life. Now, it is one of my favorites as it is not quite as heavy as some of the others. I just feel better eating it.
This dish is the perfect one to end our “Medley of Marakah.” We hope you’ve enjoyed this series and hope you will love kicking of your spring with Fasoolia Kuthra.
White beans braised in a tomato based sauce is Fasoolia Baytha. Fasoolia means “bean” and baytha means “white” in Arabic. Thus, this is a white bean stew. This dish could not get any simpler. You can use canned or dried beans for this recipe, whichever …
Cauliflower, eggplant and cabbage braised in a tomato based sauce is the basis of Akil Majnoon. The warm spices of bahar, make this such a cozy winter meal. Naturally vegan, it is just as much considered comfort food like Basalia and Bamia and is recipe …
Rice with hikaka is a staple in our house. But, what is hikaka (pronounced hick-ka-ka in Arabic) you may ask? Hikaka is the delicious, crispy rice that forms at the bottom of a pot of cooked rice. When ready to serve the pot is flipped upside down revealing a beautiful golden cake with a perfectly crispy out layer and fluffy interior of rice. What’s not to love?
The basic premise of making hikaka is that by adding extra cooking fat (olive oil in the recipe below) the bottom layer of the rice gets fried, while the rest of the rice gets steamed. Hikaka can be made on any type of rice. Below is the concept of how to make it with white basmati rice, which is the most common rice to eat with different Arabic Stews/sauces (known as Marakah), such as basalia and ras asfour.
Persian rice often has hikaka, which they call it tahdig. Tahdig translates to “the bottom of the pot.” Very fitting, no? The best food is always at the bottom of the pot, rice included. It is no wonder that the Persian cookbook by Naz Deravian, “Bottom of the Pot” was given such a name.
If you have the time, forming hikaka on rice should not be a question. It is “the best part” of the rice and has been fought over at many, a Middle-Eastern table.
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 …