Food Middle Eastern Food

I'll start by saying, my stayin Korea 4 years ago really encouraged me to try new foods... the food there was the one shining light in that country for me, and it remains the best i ever had.

had the chance today to sample some middle eastern cuisine, and it was pretty damned tasty! i couldnt tell you what i had, but we will work on that next go round... it was marinated chicken with some vegies and a pita type thing... different kinda seasoning than ive had before, but not to dissimilar from the ingredients in a chicken gyro if u ask me... i did like the seasoning in this better than typical greek food...

anybody have any expertise on this and can maybe suggest some new things to look for next chance i get?

 

Sounds like a donair kebab.

 

Chicken shawarma?

 

i absolutely adore chicken shawarma, we have this amazing place in town I go to a couple of times a month. it's lebanese fast food but sooooo tasty.

 

I love Middle Eastern, of course. Yemenite and Moroccan are high on the list for me. I've always loved that kind of cooking, and it really solidified for me when I lived in Israel. And not just high-class home cooking, but Israeli street food, too. I used to live next to this little falafel joint that had the best hummus in Jerusalem. They used to make a pita sandwich in the style of a falafel-- hummus, tehina, salad, pickles, chips-- except with kubbeh instead of falafel.... OMG it was just incredible!

 

Middle Eastern food? Welcome to the world of mine and Lish. Lots of vegetarian and meat options.

1. Döner Kebab - Turkish version. Much like the Arab Shawarma and Greek Gyros, but at least 9.4 times better (partly because of the Turkish bread they use. Fuck Lebanese bread.). So good, Germans eat 300 tons of it every day.


2. Iskender Kebab. Another Turkish dish and my second-most favorite Middle Eastern food. Delicious.


3. Lahmacun. Turkish pizza. Very nice, when slices of lamb/beef/chicken meat are added and it is then rolled (can add sauce into that as well).


4. Mantu (aka Manto, Manti, Manta). Afghan dish, replicated by regional countries of Iran, Turkey, Russia. My absolute favorite dish in the world, but only an Afghan mother knows how to cook it properly. Good luck on your hunt.


5. Persian kebabs. By far the best kebabs of the entire Middle East. In the below pic from left to right: Kebab-e-Barg | Kebab-e-Kubide | Kebab-e-Djudje (the yellow stuff under the lemon slices... very yum)


6. Hummous. Arab dish and the staple of Middle Eastern cuisine. If you've never had it, you don't know jack about Middle Eastern food. Goes very well with grilled meat and french fries.


7. Hummous bil Lahmeh (Hummous with meat). Awesomesauce.


8. Qabeli Pulaw. Afghan staple dish made out of brown rice, raisins and carrots (some people also throw in dried meat and roasted almonds, but pretty good by itself already). Love it.


9. Tabbouleh. Arab dish, probably originated from Lebanon. People love it. Not my thing.


10. Falafel. Vegetarian deep-fried balls of paste. Hippies love it. Not my thing.


11. Baklava. A dessert that originated from Afghanistan, but was carried into Iran, Turkey and Greece cuisines by Alexander the Great's conquest. Very nice, especially with a Cappuccino.


That's it for now. Will continue later, whenever I find time.

Cheers

 

sweet... education! ill have to bookmark this for future reference!

 

There is a small Turkish diner in my office building. Once a week I have Turkish Pide with a side of fresh hummus. I often switch it up with a Donair Kebab.

 

I'd also recommend Kibbe and meatless stuffed grape leaves.. Mmm

 

Love Pide, hate Dolma.

Reminds me of another Turkish dish (both of the above are Turkish as well): Börek. Apparently a very versatile dish, but oh so yum.

 

just had beef kabob? it was from an estbalished low buck joint that regularly serves americans... but... it did not sit well... tasted great, but now my tilted food has my tummy a lil' tilted... no more arab beef.... ill stick with the chicken...

 

Some great photos and suggestions here.
Putting them on the list for next trip to Manhattan.

 

Mouth watering love the food - pudding's generally too sweet for my savoury tastes

 

Yeah, I've been to Azuri before when I've gone to NY. Good place, good food, and all kosher.

If you're in LA, try Haifa Restaurant on Pico and Shenandoah: great falafel and shawarma, excellent kubbeh, and outstanding Yemenite meat soup; or Sassi restaurant in Sherman Oaks, on Ventura Blvd: awesome shishlik and shawarma; or Eilat Cafe in Studio City, on Burbank: probably the best hummus in the city, and they make lamb like nobody's business.

And if in Chicago, try Taboun grill in Skokie: good hummus, great shawarma, and excellent falafel; or Manghal in West Rogers Park near Evanston: superb kebab, and also good shawarma. And of course, all these places are kosher as well....

 

Man this food just looks so gooood...

 

That qabeli pulaw looks delicious, I am going to have to find a recipe for it.

 

The Afghan Rice dish above is one of my favorite foods. It is typically cooked with broth or bones and is meaty and rich but a little sweet. Phenomenal.

It is also easy to cook at home. You need stock, basmati rice, rasins, a few handfulls of almonds and some carrots. Throw the whole thing into a rice cooker and wait hungrily.

 

Don't ask me for the Arabic name for this because I really have no idea.. I say meatball, he says kofta anyway, it is easy and tasty.

Eggplant with meatballs

1 eggplant sliced
1 green pepper sliced
1 onion sliced
3 cloves garlic
1 can diced tomatoes
1 pound ground lamb (or ground beef)
1/2 tsp salt
1 teaspoon Arabic spice (see below)
oil (I prefer olive personally)

Arabic spice mix:
1/2 cup black pepper
1 cup ground cinnamon
1 cup ground allspice
1 1/4 tsp cardamom
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3 teaspoons nutmeg

Sweat the eggplant in a colander with some salt sprinkled on it, let it drain for a half hour.

Combine the meat with the chopped garlic, salt and spices. Make small patties, 1 inch in diameter and saute them in a little oil. Pour the diced tomatoes over it and simmer for 5 minutes or so.

Dry the eggplants and saute them in oil. Place the sliced onions and green peppers in a deep pan, the eggplants on top and then arrange the meat patties on top of the eggplant. Pour the tomato sauce mixture over the veggies and meat. Bring it to a boil then reduce the heat to medium. Simmer for approximately 20 minutes until the veggies are cooked well.

Serve with rice.