The Middle East is the region sandwiched between the three continents of Asia, Africa, and Europe. It is the birthplace of quite a few religions of the world, the most prominent ones being Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. Arabic is the most widely spoken language. This region is generally hot and arid and is home to a large number of expatriates. Think Middle Eastern Cuisine and you are immediately reminded of hummus and falafel. But there are lots more to it than these.
This Cuisine is influenced by the Mediterranean, Asian as well as the African cultures. Olive oil is the most predominantly used oil although other types of oil are also available. Sesame seeds and chickpeas are widely used as are parsley and lemon. Tahini or sesame seed paste is a condiment which serves as the base for a number of middle eastern dishes. Apart from the usual coriander powder, cumin powder and cayenne, zaatar, sumac, and baharat are the other condiments which are popular here.
Though Middle Eastern Cuisine involves the food that relates to this entire region, Turkish, Lebanese and Israeli are more popular. There are quite a few Turkish and Lebanese restaurants here in Qatar. My first Arabic food was the Shawarma, and I instantly fell in love with it. With minimal spices, they churn out lip-smacking recipes, and most of them can be recreated at home.
So here I shall be posting recipes that I came across and tried out. Most of these are very simple. Give them a try, and they will become part of your daily food.
The recipes here are posted in a random manner. Once a sufficient number of recipes come up, I shall post them in an organized way.
Lots more coming up…
