Ma Niche : The New Middle Eastern Vegetarian

7.9.13

Muraba-e-Murch-e-Surkh wa Piaz

I had made this Onion Marmalade a while ago and had intended to post it earlier. but then other things came up and it got buried in the files. but today while looking for an appropriate image for Priya's Color me Pink Challenge, i bumped into it and thought its time to share the recipe with you.

for all its perkiness and awesomeness.. I think this recipe should be filed under "girl-friend recipes." it is the kind of marmalade you'll like to spread on a tiny toast, load it with some fresh veggies and cheese and lay out for your girl friends for a perfect tartine with their afternoon tea. goat cheese and feta pair wonderfully with this marmalade. recently i even sampled the combo of feta and this onion marmalade as a filling in Rugelach and husband and i agreed that it was best of the lot. I adapted the recipe from the book The New Middle Eastern Vegetarian, the same one from where i cooked the Spinach Fatayer.

Muraba-e-Murch-e-Surkh wa Piaz Recipe Source : The New Middle Eastern Vegetarian
ingredients 1 cup water 3/4 cup sugar 3/4 inch knob fresh ginger, peeled and grated a big handful of fresh mint leaves, washed and roughly shredded juice and zest of 1 lime(i used lemon) 1 large red onion, peeled 1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar a handful of assorted chilies, washed, beheaded and chopped 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar oil for the frying the onions - the method put water and sugar in a non-reactive pan and bring to boil. add ginger and set to simmer. as the syrup starts to thicken, take it off heat and add the mint, lemon/lime juice and rind. meanwhile, slice the onion finely and heat them in a frying pan together with the brown sugar and chilies stirring regularly so that they do not burn or stick. after about 15-20 minutes when the vegetables begin to caramelize, add the balsamic vinegar, simmer for a few minutes more and switch off the heat. stir the onion mixture to the sugar syrup and mix really well. then spoon in into sterilized jars while it is still fairly warm.

Muraba-e-Murch-e-Surkh wa Piaz
Recipe Source : The New Middle Eastern Vegetarian

ingredients

1 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 inch knob fresh ginger, peeled and grated
a big handful of fresh mint leaves, washed and roughly shredded
juice and zest of 1 lime(i used lemon)
1 large red onion, peeled
1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
a handful of assorted chilies, washed, beheaded and chopped
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
oil for the frying the onions

the method

put water and sugar in a non-reactive pan and bring to boil.
add ginger and set to simmer.
as the syrup starts to thicken, take it off heat and add the mint, lemon/lime juice and rind.
meanwhile, slice the onion finely and heat them in a frying pan together with the brown sugar and chilies stirring regularly so that they do not burn or stick.
after about 15-20 minutes when the vegetables begin to caramelize, add the balsamic vinegar, simmer for a few minutes more and switch off the heat.
stir the onion mixture to the sugar syrup and mix really well.
then spoon in into sterilized jars while it is still fairly warm.

Sending the first photograph, which I chose to call "Girl-Friend Tartine" to "The Colour Me Photography Challenge Series" ~ Colour Me Pink , a photography event at Priya's place The Humpty Dumpty Kitchen.

Also sharing this with the following food events...

Monday Food : Made with Love Mondays, Marvelous Mondays @ This Gal Cooks, Melt in your Mouth Mondays, Inspiration MOnday Party, Sharing Monday, Inspire Me Monday, Clever Chicks Blog Hop, Maniac Monday Linky Party,Mix it up Monday, The Scoop

Tuesday Food: Totally Tasty Tuesday @ Mandy's Recipe Box, Tasteful Tuesday Party @ Nap Time Creations, Show Me What You Got @ Our Delightful Home, Hand Made Tuesday @ Ladybug Blessings, Share it Link Party @ Winthrop Chronicles, Tasty Tuesday, Hearth and Soul blog Hop

Wednesday Food : What's Cooking Wednesday @ Buns in my Oven, Cast Party Wednesday @ Lady Behind the Curtain , Show and Share @ Semi Homemade Mom, Wonderful Food Wednesdays at @ Home Take 2

Thursday Food: Link it Up Thursday @ Seven Alive, Creative Thursday @ Michelle's Tasty Creations, Fantastic Thursday @ Three Little Chiefs, Thriving on Thursdays @ Domesblissity, Freedom Friday @ My Turn, Full Plate Thursday @ Miz Helen's Country Cottage

Friday Food: Foodie Friday @ Home Maid Simple, Friday Favorite (DYI too) @ Simple Sweet Home, Foodie Friday @ Not Your Ordinary Recipes, Foodie Friday @ Rattlebridge Farm , Weekend Wonders @ The Thriftiness Miss, Friday Food Frenzy @ Mostly Food and Crafts , Weekend Potluck @ Sunflower Supper Club, The Weekend re-Treat @The Best Blog Recipes

9.7.13

Spinach Fatayer

Off late I have been cooking a lot of Middle eastern food. All from Sally Butcher's book The New Middle Eastern Vegetarian, the: Modern Recipes from Veggiestan. I borrowed it from the library a month ago and have been meaning to tell you about it but didn't know where to start. The book is divided into ten broad sections. bread, salads, soup, rice, vegetables, pickles and so on.. and i have been religiously cooking my way through them throughout the month. while the rice dishes and the street food sections are our favorites, we also fell for this stuffed bread last night. Spinach Fatayer.

In the book Butcher credits the recipe to Mrs Haddad who is her Lebanese bread supplier. Apparently it is Mrs Haddad's family recipe. While the original recipe with sumac and pomegranate paste must be brilliant, I had to make do with substitutes like capers and chana masala in my version. Nevertheless we loved it. It made a happy meal along with a bowl of Mediterranean Chickpea Salad and yogurt seasoned with mustard and green chillies. Think Mr MN liked them much for he even took some for lunch today. I suppose the little one also liked them for he kept juggling between his kichudi and the Fatayer throughout dinner last night.

Spinach Fatayer Adapted from New Middle Eastern Vegetarian, the: Modern Recipes from Veggiestan
ingredients for the dough 1 1/8 tsp bread machine yeast 1/2 tsp sugar 2/3 cups warm water 1 cup all-purpose flour 2/3 cups whole wheat flour 1/2 tsp salt 3 tbsp, olive oil 2 tsp lemon juice for the filling 10 oz spinach(i used frozen) oil for frying 1 medium onion chopped 1/4 cup pine nuts, chopped 1 tbsp capers, chopped 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 1/2 tsp chana masala salt and pepper to taste for glazing 1/2 tbsp lemon juice 1/2 tbsp olive oil salt to taste - what i did for the dough, i stirred in the yeast and sugar in 1/3 cup of warm water and set it aside for 10 minutes. once the yeast solution became foamy, i sifted the flours and salt into a big bowl, added the yeast solution and 1 tbsp of oil to it and tried kneading with my hand. at this point the flour mixture flour mixture felt very dry. so i added the remaining water and oil to the bread machine pan along with the flour mixture and set the machine on dough cycle. 15 minutes later, when the dough looked smooth and felt soft, i switched off the bread machine and turned the dough into a lightly oiled bowl. then covering the dough with a plastic cling wrap i put the bowl in a warm corner of the kitchen and let it double itself. it took the dough about an hour and quarter to double. in the meantime, i made the filling. for the filling, i heated the oil in a saucepan and added the onions to it. once the onions softened, i added the spinach (thawed and drained), capers and the nuts to the pan and cooked for about 4-5 minutes. i then added the chana masala and lemon juice to the spinach, seasoned it to taste and let it cook for a few minutes more till the spinach was well cooked. switching off the heat, i then set it aside. once the dough doubled, i preheated the oven to 375 degrees F, lined 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and working with little portions of it at a time, i rolled it into a 1/8 inch thick ovals. the dough was soft. so to ease the rolling process i dabbed it with enough flour before rolling. then using an upturned glass i cut out 7 cm circles off the dough, placed 1 tbsp of the filling in each of them and folded the sides to meet in the center like a pyramid pastry. then placing the pyramids in the lined baking trays i baked my first batch of small Fatayers for 22-25 minutes, until they were lightly browned. the Fatayers did not grow too much in size after baking, so using a upturned bowl, i cut out 10 cm circles out of the remaining dough, placed 2-3 tbsp of the filling in each of them, then folding them as before and glazed them with the solution of lemon juice-oil and salt and baked them for 28-30 minutes, until they were lightly golden. then transferring the Fatayers to a bread basket, i covered them with a cloth and left it that way till dinner time.

Spinach Fatayer
Adapted from New Middle Eastern Vegetarian, the: Modern Recipes from Veggiestan

ingredients

for the dough

1 1/8 tsp bread machine yeast
1/2 tsp sugar
2/3 cups warm water
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp, olive oil
2 tsp lemon juice

for the filling

10 oz spinach(i used frozen)
oil for frying
1 medium onion chopped
1/4 cup pine nuts, chopped
1 tbsp capers, chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp chana masala
salt and pepper to taste

for glazing

1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tbsp olive oil
salt to taste

what i did

for the dough,

i stirred in the yeast and sugar in 1/3 cup of warm water and set it aside for 10 minutes.
once the yeast solution became foamy, i sifted the flours and salt into a big bowl, added the yeast solution and 1 tbsp of oil to it and tried kneading with my hand.
at this point the flour mixture flour mixture felt very dry. so i added the remaining water and oil to the bread machine pan along with the flour mixture and set the machine on dough cycle.
15 minutes later, when the dough looked smooth and felt soft, i switched off the bread machine and turned the dough into a lightly oiled bowl. then covering the dough with a plastic cling wrap i put the bowl in a warm corner of the kitchen and let it double itself.
it took the dough about an hour and quarter to double. in the meantime, i made the filling.

for the filling,

i heated the oil in a saucepan and added the onions to it.
once the onions softened, i added the spinach (thawed and drained), capers and the nuts to the pan and cooked for about 4-5 minutes.
i then added the chana masala and lemon juice to the spinach, seasoned it to taste and let it cook for a few minutes more till the spinach was well cooked. switching off the heat, i then set it aside.

once the dough doubled, i preheated the oven to 375 degrees F, lined 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and working with little portions of it at a time, i rolled it into a 1/8 inch thick ovals. the dough was soft. so to ease the rolling process i dabbed it with enough flour before rolling.
then using an upturned glass i cut out 7 cm circles off the dough, placed 1 tbsp of the filling in each of them and folded the sides to meet in the center like a pyramid pastry. then placing the pyramids in the lined baking trays i baked my first batch of small Fatayers for 22-25 minutes, until they were lightly browned.
the Fatayers did not grow too much in size after baking, so using a upturned bowl, i cut out 10 cm circles out of the remaining dough, placed 2-3 tbsp of the filling in each of them, then folding them as before and glazed them with the solution of lemon juice-oil and salt and baked them for 28-30 minutes, until they were lightly golden.
then transferring the Fatayers to a bread basket, i covered them with a cloth and left it that way till dinner time.

Though this recipe was fairly simple to work through, I kept longing for the ladies in the house while i was stuffing the dough. because, somehow even a tedious task as stuffing the dough becomes fun when you do it midst your sisters and friends..

I am sharing the Fatayers with Bread Baking Day #61. Bread Baking Day is a monthly event created by Zorra of 1x umrühren bitte aka kochtopf and Anusha of Tomato Blues is hosting it this month and she has chosen Stuffed Breads. as the theme for the month.

Also Yeastspotting this and sharing it at the following weekly food events

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