The Arabasque Table: Contemporary Recipes from the Arab World
Mushroom and cashew salad with spaghetti
I followed this recipe from the cookbook, but added the spaghetti to give the dish some volume. Mushrooms are not native to the Arab world and are a new introduction to their cuisine brought about by modern infrastructure. This salad, though, plays with traditional flavours with modern ingredients. The salad is wonderful and light. I chose to use oyster mushrooms; they are now easily available in India, and I love their subtle flavour. They add an earthiness to the salad that is lifted by the...
Halloumi-stuffed kofta meatballs with tomato sauce
Every culture has its own form of meatballs, which are typically soft, juicy, and delicious. Here is a Middle Eastern variation that I...
Moroccan seafood stew with preserved lemon, apricots, and olives
Moroccan tagines are generally made of chicken or red meat, but here is a very different tagine with seafood. Traditionally, Arabs like...
Sudanese peanut butter eggplant mutabal
We are all quite familiar with baba ghanoush, but its cousin, mutabal, is richer and more flavorful. Mutabals, like their cousin,...
Roasted eggplant, tomato and chilli with pita chips
I was looking for a quick appetiser for a few friends who were coming over. This is the recipe I came across. It is super simple, and my guests loved it. This is a modern twist on Middle Eastern flavours, pita bread, eggplant and tahini. Here they are separated more for visual impact than anything else. The appetiser is superb, the pita has crunch, the roasted eggplant adds a sweet, earthy flavour, the tomatoes add freshness, and the tahini-yoghurt is creamy and delightful. These are so easy...
Tomato, cucumber, and peanut butter salad
Cucumbers and tomatoes are the basis for most salads around the world. They are called by different names and have a few added...
Pan-fried fish with tahini-onion sauce
A great dish should capture the essence and flavours of the region. In this case, the flavours of the Arabian Peninsula are showcased...
Watermelon and burrata with pistachios, mint and lime
This is a simple yet refreshing and delicious salad. It is based on the Arab like for the contrasting flavours of sweet watermelon with...
Mushroom shawarma with tahini sauce
Shawarma are generally considered meat-filled, but a wonderful recipe uses earthy mushrooms. Shawarma originated in the Ottoman Empire...
Arab fruit salad with orange blossom water and pistachios
For me, a fruit salad is so much more than a bowl of fruit. The additions feature seasonal fruit from the region, utilise local...
Lentil and vegetable soup with perserved lemon
This is a beautiful lentil soup. Most lentil soups tend to be very thick and goopy, not this one. It is light and fresh. This soup brings...