I love learning new recipes and watching people cook. It's fascinating. Some people are so knowledgeable about cooking; the methods, the ingredients, the background. It's amazing. I just feel bad that I stand there like a reporter, pointing my camera at every little thing.
I know nothing about why I cook the way I do, or what goes with what. I've grown up to cook whatever's in the fridge. And I still do. I cannot shop for a recipe. I just shop for the fridge. I cannot chop anything without my trusted Chinese chopper and chopping board and I cannot cook rice without the rice cooker. I use an excessive amount of onion, garlic and ginger in everything. And if in any doubt about the taste, I just add a little more soy sauce. Wish that I had a little bit more method behind my cooking.
But, I love that way that I can cook with my mum. We will open the fridge together and think of the same combinations to make. It's great. I make something, she does something else. She washes and cooks the rice (puts it in the rice cooker!)...before the rice is cooked, dinner is ready.
Ghadah is one amazing lady. She knows so much. In terms of food and cooking, she can make so many different dishes. Yesterday, she made 'maftoul' and 'yakhni'; in essence they are two separate dishes, but they are usually eaten together. I think that it's a pretty classic Middle Eastern dish, may be more Palestinian, Lebanese, or Moroccan. It's not made that often as it takes quite a while to make and needs lots of preparation, so it's usually eaten at celebrations, Eid, weddings; more so in the past than nowerdays.
Since it is quite complicated, I cannot remember all of the steps or the ingredients, but I will attempt to record what I recall!
RECIPE for MAFTOUL
STEP 1: Take some bulgar wheat (or couscous) and soak in enough hot water to cover. Leave for about 5-10 minutes.
STEP 2: Put some of the soaked bulgar onto a large tray/plate. Add some flour and gently mix together. The flour should coat the grains to make them bigger.
STEP 3: Add a little cold water and continue to mix well.
STEP 4: Put the mixture into a food processor and mix for about a minute to make smaller.
STEP 5: Steam for about 20 minutes in a steamer with holes.
STEP 6: While the bulgar wheat is steaming, prepare the flavourings. Put some onion, garlic, ground cumin, ground fennel, salt and stock powder into the food processor and mix till well mixed.
Tip: freshly ground spices are so much better than the pre-ground ones
STEP 7: Add the onion mixture to the steamed bulgar, together with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, ground fennel. mix well.
TIP: If the grains are too large, blend again in the food processor.
STEP 8: Serve hot with yakhni!
Watch this space for the yakhni recipe! You can't eat maftoul without it!
I know nothing about why I cook the way I do, or what goes with what. I've grown up to cook whatever's in the fridge. And I still do. I cannot shop for a recipe. I just shop for the fridge. I cannot chop anything without my trusted Chinese chopper and chopping board and I cannot cook rice without the rice cooker. I use an excessive amount of onion, garlic and ginger in everything. And if in any doubt about the taste, I just add a little more soy sauce. Wish that I had a little bit more method behind my cooking.
But, I love that way that I can cook with my mum. We will open the fridge together and think of the same combinations to make. It's great. I make something, she does something else. She washes and cooks the rice (puts it in the rice cooker!)...before the rice is cooked, dinner is ready.
Ghadah is one amazing lady. She knows so much. In terms of food and cooking, she can make so many different dishes. Yesterday, she made 'maftoul' and 'yakhni'; in essence they are two separate dishes, but they are usually eaten together. I think that it's a pretty classic Middle Eastern dish, may be more Palestinian, Lebanese, or Moroccan. It's not made that often as it takes quite a while to make and needs lots of preparation, so it's usually eaten at celebrations, Eid, weddings; more so in the past than nowerdays.
Since it is quite complicated, I cannot remember all of the steps or the ingredients, but I will attempt to record what I recall!
RECIPE for MAFTOUL
STEP 1: Take some bulgar wheat (or couscous) and soak in enough hot water to cover. Leave for about 5-10 minutes.
STEP 2: Put some of the soaked bulgar onto a large tray/plate. Add some flour and gently mix together. The flour should coat the grains to make them bigger.
STEP 3: Add a little cold water and continue to mix well.
STEP 4: Put the mixture into a food processor and mix for about a minute to make smaller.
STEP 5: Steam for about 20 minutes in a steamer with holes.
STEP 6: While the bulgar wheat is steaming, prepare the flavourings. Put some onion, garlic, ground cumin, ground fennel, salt and stock powder into the food processor and mix till well mixed.
Tip: freshly ground spices are so much better than the pre-ground ones
STEP 7: Add the onion mixture to the steamed bulgar, together with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, ground fennel. mix well.
TIP: If the grains are too large, blend again in the food processor.
STEP 8: Serve hot with yakhni!
Watch this space for the yakhni recipe! You can't eat maftoul without it!
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