Ramadan food traditions from Canadian chefs: La mousse, fattoush, halva and more (part 2)
HALVA
Halva is a simple Iranian dessert that is enjoyed during Ramadan.
Recipe courtesy of Fereshteh Keshavarz, Sugar Miracles.
for syrup:
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1/3 cup rose water
1 tsp saffron
for paste:
1 cup flour
3/4 cup oil
for decoration:
pistachio and almond slivers, to taste
1. To make the syrup, combine all ingredients for the syrup together and heat slowly in a saucepan until all the sugar is dissolved.
2. To make the paste, stir together flour and oil in a separate saucepan over medium heat; stir constantly until the colour changes to golden brown.
3. Take the saucepan off the heat and mix in the syrup.
4. Return the mixture to the heat and stir for at least 5 to 10 minutes, or until the liquid has completely evaporated leaving a shiny paste.
5. Put the halva on a plate and decorate with pistachio and almond slivers.
NA'AMA'S FATTOUSH
Chef Haifa Zeitoun likes to serve her fattoush with sumac and fried pita bread. This recipe is Palestinian chef Sami Tamimi's from Jerusalem: A Cookbook (read our interview with Tamimi and co-author Ottolenghi) - it's also garnished with sumac but is served with a buttermilk dressing and the bread isn't fried.
Zeitoun uses the following ingredients, if you'd like to try more of a freestyle fattoush: purslane, onion, mint, parsley (all chopped); radish, tomato, cucumber, red and green pepper (all diced), lettuce (shredded); pita bread (toasted or fried in olive oil); black or green olives, pomegranate seeds, salt, olive oil, lemon juice, and sumac.
Excerpted from Jerusalem. Copyright (c) 2012 Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi. Published by Appetite by Random House, a division of Random House of Canada Limited a Penguin Random House Company. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.
scant 1 cup (200 g) Greek yogurt and 3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp (200 ml) whole milk, or 1 2/3 cups (400 ml) buttermilk (replacing both yogurt and milk)
2 large stale Turkish flatbread or naan (9 oz / 250 g in total)
3 large tomatoes (13 oz / 380 g in total), cut into 2/3-inch (1.5-cm) dice
3 1/2 oz (100 g) radishes, thinly sliced
3 Lebanese or mini cucumbers (9 oz / 250 g in total), peeled and chopped into 2/3-inch (1.5-cm) dice
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 oz (15 g) fresh mint
scant 1 oz (25 g) flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
1 tbsp dried mint
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
2 tbsp cider or white wine vinegar
3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp sumac or more to taste, to garnish
1. Try to get small cucumbers for this as for any other fresh salad. They are worlds apart from the large ones we normally get in most supermarkets. You can skip the fermentation stage and use only buttermilk instead of the combination of milk and yogurt.
2. If using yogurt and milk, start at least 3 hours and up to a day in advance by placing both in a bowl. Whisk well and leave in a cool place or in the fridge until bubbles form on the surface. What you get is a kind of homemade buttermilk, but less sour.
3. Tear the bread into bite-size pieces and place in a large mixing bowl. Add your fermented yogurt mixture or commercial buttermilk, followed by the rest of the ingredients, mix well, and leave for 10 minutes for all the flavours to combine.
4. Spoon the fattoush into serving bowls, drizzle with some olive oil, and garnish generously with sumac.
FALOODA BUBBLE TEA
Recipe courtesy of Salima Jivraj, Halal Foodie.
1/2 cup of strong masala tea with cardamom (black, cold) or cardamom green tea
2 tsp tukmalanga (sweet basil) seeds
1 cup bubble tea tapioca pearls (available at many Asian grocers)
1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
1/3 cup dry vermicelli (specifically for falooda, cut in small pieces)
1 1/2 cups vanilla almond milk or regular milk
1/4 cup Rooh Afza (concentrate syrup)
1/2 tin sweetened condensed milk (optional)
Splash of rose water
4 scoops kulfi or ice cream
pistachios, finely chopped, to taste (1/2 - 1 cup)
almonds, finely chopped, to taste (1/2 - 1 cup)
ice (as required)
1. Make strong masala tea with cardamom or cardamom green tea. Set aside.
2. Soak the tukmalanga seeds in a full cup of water.
3. Cook tapioca pearls according to instructions on the package. Strain and add honey or maple syrup to keep pearls from sticking together. Set aside.
4. In another sauce pan, boil 2 cups of water and add vermicelli. Cook until soft, strain and add a splash of milk and a teaspoon of Rooh Afza (to give colour); set aside.
5. In a blender, add tea, condensed milk (if using), Rooh Afza, rose water, kulfi or ice cream, pistachios and/or almonds, and ice and blend.
6. Add milk or almond milk to achieve desired thickness (Jivraj prefers it very thick and typically doesn't add more than 1 cup).
7. Scoop 1-2 tablespoons of each in each glass: vermicelli, tukmalanga seeds and tapioca pearls.
8. Pour mixture from blender into each glass.
9. Add a scoop of kulfi or ice cream to top it off (optional) and garnish with chopped pistachios and/or almonds, and a drizzle of Rooh Afza syrup.
makes 4 servings
PISANG GORENG
(Indonesian banana fritters)
Recipe excerpted from Halal Foodie Magazine Summer 2015.
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla powder (essence)
1 egg
2 tbsp butter, melted
4 ripe bananas, sliced on an angle (1/2" thick or as desired)
2 cups oil (for frying)
1. In a large bowl, combine flour and sugar.
2. In a separate bowl, mix milk, vanilla powder, egg and melted butter.
3. Slowly add dry ingredients into the milk mixture and mix until smooth.
4. Fold in banana slices until evenly coated.
5. Heat oil in a pot over medium-high heat.
6. Drop in coated banana slices, being careful not to splash. Fry until golden brown and crispy.
7. Remove bananas from oil, and drain on paper towels. Serve hot.
BATATA HARRA
(Lebanese spiced potatoes)
Recipe excerpted from Halal Foodie Magazine Summer 2015.
2 cups oil (for deep frying)
3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp cooking onions, finely chopped
1 tsp garlic, minced or paste
1/2 tsp red chile powder (or to taste)
1/8-1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1 tsp lime or lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1. Heat oil in a pot over medium-high heat and deep fry potatoes until golden and crispy.
2. Using a slotted spoon, remove potatoes, drain excess oil and set aside.
3. In another pan, heat olive oil over medium heat and saute onion until translucent. Add garlic, red chile powder, ground coriander and cilantro and continue cooking. Add potatoes and mix well. Add salt, ground black pepper and lemon juice. Mix again to coat evenly.
4. Serve warm alongside grilled meat.
Source : windsorstar.com
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