CHAPTER FIVE
Beans and Lentils
I haven't had anyone in the Middle East tell me that they're vegetarian, but even so, the Middle Eastern diet typically naturally consists of several vegetarian meals a week. (Of course not when a guest is present though; Meat is usually the most expensive part of a meal and so it is thought that providing a meal containing one, two, or even several meat-based dishes shows your generosity to your guests.) However, a meal comprised of a few different vegetable dishes isn't uncommon for a simple family dinner, and neither is a meal of eggs. In addition to vegetables and eggs, beans and lentils are another vegetarian dietary staple, and they're used in a multitude of dishes. Perhaps the most commonly known Middle Eastern bean-based dishes are Falafel (page 81) and Hummus (Hummous bil Tahina or M'sebaha) (page 79), and Creamy Chickpea and Yogurt Casserole (Tissiyeh or Fetteh bil Hummous) (page 80) is maybe the Middle East's most delicious best-kept secret.
Mashed Fava Beans with Olive Oil, Lemon Juice and Garlic FOUL MUDAMMAS
This dish comes from Egypt and spread across the Middle East. It’s commonly eaten for breakfast, especially on Fridays (which is considered the weekend there), similar to a breakfast of pancakes on Sunday morning in the U.S.
Serves 4
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 5 minutes
One (15 oz) can fava beans (sometimes called broad beans), with liquid
One (15 oz/425 g) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
½ cup (125 ml) water
2 cloves garlic, crushed
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 small tomato, diced
½ small onion, minced
4 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
1 lemon, wedged
1 Bring the fava beans (with liquid), chickpeas, and water to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Turn off heat and use the back of a spoon to mash some of the beans (about ½ cup) against the side of the pot.
2 Stir in the garlic, salt, lemon juice, cumin, and black pepper.
3 transfer the beans to 1 large or 4 small serving dishes; drizzle on the olive oil and arrange the tomato, onion, and parsley on top in a decorative way.
4 Serve with lemon wedges to squeeze on top.
SHORABET ADAS
In Middle Eastern cuisine, there typically are no first courses, although that’s not to say that soups are not eaten. Most soups are heartier and more stew-like, and are spooned over rice and eaten as a main course. Of course there are exceptions to every rule, and the month-long fast of Ramadan is a time for culinary exceptions. After fasting all day, the fast is broken at sundown with a couple of dates and a sip of water; then comes the first course, which is usually some kind of soup. Red lentil is the soup of choice because it’s delicious in its simplicity, and it’s hearty and filling enough to prevent you from over-eating during the rest of the meal. Outside of the month of Ramadan, this soup is more frequently eaten as a light meal rather than a first course.
Serves 4 as a first course or 2 as a meal
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 35 minutes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 cup (180 g) dried lentils
2 chicken-flavored soft bouillon cubes
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons cumin
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3-4 cups (750 ml-1 liter) hot water
1 lemon, wedged (for serving)
Fresh parsley leaves (optional, for garnish)
1 heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat; once hot, add the onion and sauté until softened, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2 Add the lentils, bouillon cubes, bay leaves, cumin, black pepper and 3 cups (750 ml) hot water. Cover the saucepan, turn heat up to high, and bring the soup up to a rolling boil.
3 turn heat down to low and simmer 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding up to 1 cup (250 ml) more water as necessary if the soup becomes too thick.
4 Garnish with parsley, if using, and serve with fresh lemon wedges to squeeze on top.
Hummus with Several Variations
HUMMOUS BIL TAHINA OR M’SEBAHA
There are only two bean-based dishes for which I avoid using canned beans, and this recipe is one of them (the other is Falafel on page 81). Even though cooking dried beans takes much longer, the flavor and texture is well worth it in the end for this dish. But I will say that if you are really pressed for time, canned chickpeas will still work. If you’re using canned, use 2½ cups; be sure to rinse and drain the chickpeas before using, and reduce the amount of salt.
Yields about 3 cups (675 g)
Preparation Time: 10 minutes, plus 12 to 24 hours to soak the chickpeas
Cooking Time: 2 hours
1 cup (½ lb/250 g) dried chickpeas
1/3 cup (80 g) tahini
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 large cloves garlic, crushed
¾ teaspoon salt
4-8 tablespoons water, or more as needed
4 tablespoons olive oil
Pinch ground sumac (optional, for garnish)
Flatbread (for serving)
1 Soak the chickpeas in cold water for 12 to 24 hours; drain. After soaking, add the chickpeas to a medium pot with fresh water; bring to a boil, then turn the heat down slightly and cook until they’re easy to mash with your fingers, about 1 to 2 hours; adding more water as necessary so that they’re always immersed; drain. Pick through the beans to remove any skins you find. Measure out 3 to 4 tablespoons of chickpeas and set aside for topping, if desired.
2 Pulse the chickpeas a few times in a food processor until they are lumpy. Add the tahini, lemon juice, cumin, and garlic, salt, and pulse a few times. Add the water one tablespoon at a time with the food processor on, and continue processing until you achieve your desired consistency.
3 transfer to a shallow serving bowl and drizzle the olive oil on top. Sprinkle the sumac and reserved chickpeas on top, if using. Serve with flatbread for dipping.
VARIATION 1
Hummus with Pine Nuts
1 batch Hummus
4 tablespoons pine nuts
Prepare the hummus but instead of drizzling the oil on top of the hummus, add it to a small skillet over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and cook until golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Cool slightly, then pour on top of the hummus; sprinkle the sumac on top, if using.
VARIATION 2
Hummus with Ground Meat
1 batch Hummus (reduce olive oil to 2 tablespoons; omit sumac)
1 small onion, finely diced
¼ lb (100 g) lean ground lamb or beef
¼ teaspoon salt
Pinch each of ground cinnamon, ground allspice, ground clove, and ground nutmeg
Pinch freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons pine nuts
Prepare the hummus according to the recipe. Heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat; add the onion and sauté until starting to soften, about 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the ground meat, salt, Syrian Spice Mix, and black pepper; turn heat up to high and cook until the meat is fully browned and the onion is tender, about 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the pine nuts and cook 2 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly, then pour on top of the hummus.
Creamy Chickpea and Yogurt Casserole
TISSIYEH
This dish is truly a Damascene delight. People in and around Damascus send their children with a bowl (traditionally a deep glass dish) to a hummus shop and the shopkeeper fills it with bread, chickpeas, and yogurt. Payment is based on the bowl’s size, and child returns home with a hot meal for the family.
Serves 4 to 6
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
3 large (or 6 small) flatbreads
Two (16 oz/450 g) cans chickpeas
2 cups (500 ml) water
2 teaspoons ground cumin, divided
3½ cups (850 g) plain yogurt
½ cup (125 g) tahini
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons olive oil or clarified butter
4 tablespoons pine nuts
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves (optional, for garnish)
1 Preheat oven to 250˚F (120˚C). Put the whole bread directly onto the oven rack and bake until brittle but not burned, about 15 minutes, flipping once. Cool the bread completely, and then break into bite-sized pieces. Line the bottom of 1 large serving bowl (or 4 individual bowls) with the bread and set aside.
2 Pour the chickpeas (along with their liquid), water, and 1 teaspoon of cumin into a medium saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium heat. Ladle a bit (about 1 to 1½ cups/250 to 375 ml) of the chickpea cooking liquid onto the dried bread to make it moist, but not soggy, pressing down with a spoon to help the bread absorb the liquid. If you add too much liquid, just drain off any excess. Remove 4 tablespoons of chickpeas to a small bowl and set aside, and spoon the remainder of the chickpeas onto the moistened bread.
3 whisk together the yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, salt, ½ cup chickpea cooking liquid, and the remaining 1 teaspoon of cumin in a medium bowl. Pour the yogurt mixture onto the chickpeas and sprinkle the remaining 4 tablespoons of chickpeas on top.
4 heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat; add the pine nuts and cook until golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly; set aside. Drizzle the pine nuts and their oil on top, and sprinkle on the parsley, if using. Serve immediately.
There’s so much to love about Falafel, even beyond its delicious flavor. Its crunchy exterior and soft, pillow-y interior is a fantastic combination, plus, it’s a wonderful vegetarian meal that’s full of fiber and protein. It can be eaten as part of a maza platter with hummus, olives, salad, and flatbread, or made into a sandwich. In Damascus, my favorite falafel shop makes a to-die-for falafel sandwich; they use very thin bread (almost as thin as crepes) and add tahini, pomegranate molasses, pickled vegetables, fresh vegetables, and fresh herbs (mint is the main one!). It might not sound like anything special but it keeps me coming back for more when i’m in Damascus…and craving Falafel when i’m across the world.
I like my Falafel a bit heavy on the garlic, so I use three (or four) large cloves; adjust this to suit your tastes. Also, regarding the fresh parsley leaves in the batter, you can substitute fresh cilantro leaves (or use half and half) if you prefer. In the recipe below I instruct you to stir in the parsley after pulsing the batter in a food processor; however, if you want your Falafel to be light green inside, pulse the minced herb into the batter a couple times while it’s still in the food processor, and then proceed with the recipe as written.
As for shaping the Falafel, there are special falafel molds you can buy, but I prefer a simpler method: scoop up a bit of batter with one spoon, then pick up another spoon with your other hand; gently scrape the spoons against each other to form oblong-shaped Falafels.
Serves 4 to 6
Preparation Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes, plus 12 to 24 hours to soak the chickpeas
Cooking Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes
1 cup (½ lb/250 g) dried chickpeas
1 onion, finely diced
3-4 large cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
¼ bunch fresh parsley leaves, minced
½ teaspoon baking powder
4-6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Oil, for frying
Sesame Sauce (page 25) (optional, for serving)
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves (optional, for serving)
1 Prepare the Sesame Sauce.
2 Soak the chickpeas in cold water for 12 to 24 hours; drain. After soaking, add them to a medium pot with fresh water; bring up to a boil, then turn the heat down slightly and cook until they’re easy to mash with your fingers, about 1 to 2 hours; adding more water as necessary so that they’re always immersed; drain. Pick through the beans to remove any skins you find.
3 Add the chickpeas, onion, garlic, salt, cumin, and red pepper flakes to a food processor and pulse until it forms a chunky paste (do not purée it; alternatively, this can be done by hand using a large mortar and pestle). Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the parsley. Sprinkle in the baking powder and gradually add enough flour to form a dough, being careful not to over-mix. Cover the bowl and refrigerate 1 hour.
4 Add about 3 inches (7.5 cm) of oil to a medium saucepan; heat the oil to between 350 to 375˚F (175 to 190˚C). As the oil heats, shape the fritters with a Falafel mold or with 2 spoons, gently scraping them against each other to form oblong shaped falafels.
5 Fry the Falafel in batches so the pan doesn’t get overcrowded. Fry each batch until golden brown outside and fully cooked inside, about 4 to 6 minutes, and then transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain any excess oil. Repeat this process until all the batter is fried.
6 Serve immediately, with a drizzle of Sesame Sauce and a sprinkle of parsley on top, if using.
Lentil and Bulgur Pilaf with Caramelized Onion
MUJADDARA BURGHUL
This hearty pilaf is commonly eaten as a vegetarian meal, with little else besides a bowl of plain yogurt and maybe some sliced tomato, cucumber, and/or onion to accompany it. It’s eaten in many Middle Eastern countries and my husband remembers children singing a song about it in middle school while growing up in Syria.
For an easy variation on this dish, use white or brown rice instead of bulgur wheat.
Serves 4 to 6
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 50 minutes, plus 10 minutes to let the bulgur sit after cooking
1 1/3 cups (275 g) dried brown lentils (or 2 cans brown lentils, rinsed and drained)
6 cups (1.5 liters) water
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 large onions, quartered and thinly sliced
1 bay leaf
2 pods cardamom, cracked open
2 cloves
2 teaspoons ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1½ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup (185 g) coarse-ground bulgur wheat
1½ cups (300 ml) boiling water
Plain yogurt (optional, for serving)
1 Sort through the lentils to remove any small stones or pieces of dirt, and then rinse with cold water in a colander. Bring the rinsed lentils and the water to a boil in a lidded medium saucepan. Cover the saucepan, turn the heat down to a simmer, and cook until the lentils are tender but not mushy, about 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding more water as necessary so that they’re always immersed; strain.
2 while the lentils cook, heat the oil and the butter in a large skillet over moderately-high heat; add the onion and sauté until completely softened but not yet browned, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer half the onion to a small bowl and set aside. Continue cooking the remaining onion until deep caramel in color, about 5 to
10 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding a splash of water as necessary if the onion starts to get too dark. Set aside.
3 Put half a kettle of water on to boil. Transfer the sautéed onion (not the caramelized onion) to a medium saucepan. Add the bay leaf, cardamom, clove, cumin, cinnamon, salt, and pepper and cook 1 minute. Add the bulgur and cook 1 minute more, stirring constantly. Add the boiling water, turn the heat up to high, and bring to a rolling boil.
4 Give the bulgur a stir, then cover the saucepan, turn the heat down to very low, and cook until tender, about 10 minutes (do not open the lid during this time). Turn the heat off and let the bulgur sit
10 minutes, then fluff with a fork and gently stir in the lentils.
taste and add additional salt, pepper, and olive oil if desired.
5 transfer to a serving dish and top with the caramelized onion. Serve with plain yogurt to spoon on top, if using.
Lentil Stew with Swiss Chard and Lemon Juice
ADAS BIL HAMUD
Although there are a few minor differences, I like to think of this as the soup version of Sautéed Greens and Cilantro (page 58). This sort of soup is most commonly served as a first course during Ramadan, but it really is hearty enough to stand as a meal in its own right, especially if served with bread and a salad. The name of this dish literally means “lentils with something sour;” the “something sour” here is lemon, which adds a pleasant tart flavor.
Serves 4 as a first course or 2 as a meal
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes
1 cup (200 g) dried brown lentils
5 cups (1.25 liters) water
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
5 large cloves garlic, crushed
½ bunch fresh coriander leaves (cilantro), minced
1 lb (500 g) Swiss chard, stems removed and leaves chopped
2 chicken-flavored soft bouillon cubes
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 lemon, wedged (for serving)
1 Sort through the lentils to remove any small stones or pieces of dirt, and then rinse with cold water in a colander. Bring the rinsed lentils and the water up to a boil in a lidded medium saucepan. Cover the saucepan, turn the heat down to a simmer, and cook until the lentils are tender, about 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2 while the lentils cook, heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat; add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and fresh coriander leaves and cook 1 minute more, stirring constantly, then set aside.
3 Once the lentils are tender add the Swiss chard, bouillon cubes, salt and pepper. Turn the heat up to medium, cover the saucepan, and cook until the chard is tender, about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the onion mixture and cook uncovered until the soup is thickened, about 5 minutes; turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice.
4 Serve with the lemon wedges to squeeze on top.
