Chicken mandi (Fragrant chicken and rice)
Serves 10
Ingredients
3 whole chickens, cut into pieces
750g basmati rice
75g carrot, grated
2.5g mandi spices
80g pine nuts
60g seedless raisins
Pinch of saffron
2 pieces dried lemon d
2 cinnamon sticks
75ml olive oil
100g almonds
1L chicken stock
Salt to taste
50g coriander, chopped
Method
1. Preheat oven to 165°C.
2. Mix the chicken, salt, half of the mandi spices and one piece of the dried lemon. Rub everything in well with your hands and cover with aluminium foil.
3. Bake the chicken in the oven for one hour.
4. Wash and rinse the rice before soaking it for 20 minutes.
5. Pour the chicken stock into a pot and add the grated carrots and the other piece of dried lemon, cinnamon stick and saffron. Bring to the boil.
6. Drain the rice, add the other half of the mandi spices, raisins, pine nuts and salt to taste. Add this to the already boiling water, cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes.
7. Pile the rice onto a large serving dish. Create a “hole” in the centre of the rice for the chicken.
8. Serve warm and garnish with coriander and almonds.
Samkeh harra (Arabic spicy hot fish)
Serves 10
Ingredients
3kg fresh whole red snapper (or fillets if preferred)
100ml olive oil
500ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
10 cloves of garlic
400g tahini paste
750ml water
1-2 tbsp salt (to taste)
10g fresh coriander (or to taste)
2 tbsp cayenne pepper/hot chilli powder
75g pine nuts
Method
1. Grease a cooking tray with a sprinkle of olive oil.
2. Score the fish and lay on the baking tray.
3. Rub a tablespoon of olive oil on to the skin of the fish and sprinkle with a few drops of lemon juice.
4. Bake at 150°C for 20-25 minutes.
For the sauce:
1.Mince the cloves of garlic and mix with the remaining lemon juice.
2. Mix the tahini paste with the water, salt, coriander and cayenne pepper and add to the garlic and lemon juice. The sauce should have a liquid consistency. If the sauce looks too thick, add a cup or two of water.
3. Pour the sauce on top of the fish and bake for a further 10 minutes.
4. Sprinkle with the pine nuts and fresh coriander to serve.
Dajaj bil saynieh (Baked garlic chicken and potatoes)
Serves 10
Ingredients
10 pieces of chicken legs, quarters, or breasts
1kg medium potatoes
8 cloves of garlic
150ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
8 tbsp olive oil
Salt to taste
Pinch of Arabic 7-spices
Vinegar (optional)
Method
1. Soak the chicken pieces in vinegar for 2 minutes, rinse well under cold water and dry with paper towels (optional).
2. Lightly score the chicken so the garlic sauce soaks in and marinates it.
3. Rub the chicken with a tbsp of olive oil, a pinch of salt and a pinch of Arabic 7-spices.
4. Peel the potatoes and cut them into disks of approximately 2cm. Salt lightly.
5. Place the chicken on a baking tray and lie the potatoes on top.
6. Bake at 200°C for 40-50 minutes until the chicken is cooked.
For the sauce:
1. Place the garlic cloves, ½ tsp of salt and 2-3 tbsp of olive oil into a blender/food processor and mix for 4-5 minutes.
2. Add the lemon juice and mix for a further 4-5 minutes.
3. Pour the garlic sauce over the tray of chicken and potatoes and mix well.
4. Bake for 5-10 minutes until the potatoes turn reddish in colour.
5. Serve warm.
Arabic lamb tajine
Serves 10
Ingredients
2kg lamb shoulder, cubed
350g onion, chopped
30g garlic, crushed
25g red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
10g root ginger, finely chopped
5g ground cumin
4g turmeric powder
3g paprika
1g saffron strands
600g tomatoes, peeled,
deseeded and diced
750ml tomato sauce
100g tomato paste
2.5L vegetable stock
250g fennel bulb, cored and quartered
300g turnip, peeled and cubed
300g parsnip, peeled and cubed
300g pumpkin, peeled and cubed
300g carrots, peeled and cubed
2 cans of chick peas
35g coriander, chopped
Salt and white pepper to taste
Method
1. Heat the olive oil in the pan and sear the lamb.
2. Add and sauté the onion, garlic and ginger.
3. Add the ground cumin, turmeric powder, red chilli and paprika.
4. Stir the vegetable stock into the pan with the tomato sauce and paste.
5. Add the carrots, fennel, diced tomato, turnip, parsnip, pumpkin and chick peas.
6. Add salt, white pepper and saffron.
7. Bring it to a boil and cook until meat is tender.
8. Serve with couscous.
Joojeh kebab (Spiced chicken kebab )
Serves 8
Ingredients
2kg skinless, boneless chicken breasts,
cut into small chunks
50ml olive oil
500g onion, grated
Pinch of saffron
Salt to taste
Pinch of white pepper
Pinch of crushed red pepper
Method
1 Rinse the chicken with cold water and dry. Cut into chunks of approximately 2cm.
2 Mix together the remaining ingredients to make a marinade.
3 Marinate the chicken pieces in the refrigerator for 24 hours prior to cooking.
4 Place the chicken pieces on to skewers and cook in the oven until golden brown.
5 Serve with rice and grilled vegetables.
Loubieh bil lahme (Arabic lamb and green bean stew)
Serves 10
Ingredients
2.5kg green beans (fresh or frozen)
1.5kg lamb shoulder, cubed
500g onions, sliced
35g garlic
100ml corn oil
Salt to taste
1.5g Arabic sweet pepper
1.5g cinnamon powder
1L tomato sauce
100g tomato paste
2.5L vegetable stock
Method
1. Sauté the onion with the lamb and garlic.
2. Add the vegetable stock, tomato sauce and paste.
3. Add the Arabic sweet pepper, cinnamon powder and salt to taste and bring to the boil.
4. Cover and turn the heat down. Simmer for 1-2 hours.
5. Add the green beans and simmer covered for an additional hour.
6. Serve with vermicelli rice.
Recipes supplied by Electrolux. Visit electrolux.com