Makes about 8–10 pancakes using a 6 inch frying pan
These strange pancakes resemble an English crumpet but they are thinner, more savory and a real Yemeni staple, usually served with a soup or stew to sponge up the juices. At the restaurant we serve lahooh with meatballs on top, letting the savory sauce soak through. I love them for breakfast with some zehug and curd cheese, or with butter and good honey, but anything goes really. Try them as part of a fry-up for an English–Yemeni fusion, or with smoked salmon and crème fraîche for something different altogether.
½ stale pitta (40g)
250g all-purpose flour
10g fresh yeast or 1 tsp dried yeast
1 tsp table salt
1 tbsp granulated sugar
350g/ml water
about 50g/ml vegetable oil for frying
2 large bunches of cilantro (about 100g)
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
1 green chile, sliced (leave the seeds in)
1 tomato, diced
¼ tsp ground cardamom pods
¼ tsp table salt
2 tbsp olive oil
Place the pitta in enough cold water to cover and soak until it is soft, then remove from the water and blitz to a purée in a food processor or with a stick blender. Transfer the purée to a large bowl (or a mixer with a paddle attachment), add all the other batter ingredients and mix to a loose consistency. (If you are using dried yeast, dissolve it first in the water.) Cover with cling film and leave to bubble up. This will take about 30 minutes in a warm room and a little longer in a cold one. Once bubbles have appeared, the dough is ready to fry.
Set a good non-stick frying pan on a medium heat. Place some oil in a little dish, dip a piece of paper towel or a heat-resistant brush in it and lightly coat the surface of the pan. Pour a ladleful of the batter into the pan and spread it around with the ladle to cover the base. Reduce the heat to minimum and cook until bubbles appear all over the surface. Use a lid (or plate) to cover for 1 minute, then remove the pancake from the pan without flipping. It should stay a very pale creamy-white color. Repeat with the rest of the batter. You may need to cool the pan in between pancakes if they start to take on too much color. Stack the pancakes on a plate and cover with a clean cloth until you are ready to eat. When you are, spoon some zehug over your lahooh and munch away. These taste great with yogurt too.
To make the zehug, discard the cilantro stems and wash the leafy parts well; no need to pick the leaves off separately. Place the washed cilantro, garlic, chile and tomato in a food processor and pulse to a rough-chopped salsa. Remove to a small bowl, add the cardamom, salt and olive oil and mix well. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for a couple of days and use to add a little kick to all your food.