Chicken Karahi - a divine Middle Eastern meal

Given how much I've discovered that I love cooking Middle Eastern flavours, it struck me that I've not been to many restaurants to try some authentic meals.  We went to a local restaurant which specialises in Afghani food but includes a few recipes from some other middle eastern countries and I was. In. Love.  There was literally no one else there which was both odd and a shame, and there were no visible wait staff so we had to say "hello?" loudly a couple of times to get the attention of the waitress.

We ordered a Bulani  (a beautiful savory potato pastry with herbs and spices) to share as our entre and I want to learn to make it.  Then we shared a tekka kebab meal (zomg the spices blew me away - I have yet to figure out what they were) and a Chicken Karahi. (NB - Karahi, not Koshari - these are very different recipes).

Karahi was soooo good.  Now to make it for real you need to use a bunch of ghee (clarified butter) and given that I am trying to lose weight for my wedding I was keen to find out if I could make a tasty version of this without all of the excess fat.  The restaurant we visited served it with eggs on top, but none of the recipes online that I have encountered do so.  I wanted to try to re-create our restaurant meal, so I've included them for funs :)

Here is what I came up with after much research. And Zomg. Yum. Messy fun, like my Spiced Lamb with Quinoa Tabbouli recipe.  Gotta say I love a share-meal with pita bread.  There's something bonding about the experience of eating together this way. Yum yum yum.

Spiced Lamb with Hummus and Tabouleh

I discovered that I really quite like baharat.  It is flavourful but not spicy.  In looking for uses for this spice, I stumbled across an idea: a Pakistani-style savoury mince served with some common Middle Eastern additions - hummus (yum), tabouleh (yum), shared from one big plate with flat bread.  Sounds like a fun idea, right?  Well it was pretty simple and made for a different dinner experience.  It also helped me find another use for my baharat spice mix.  Sharing the meal together from one plate rather than having individual dishes made for some good connection and conversation time.  It was fun.

This meal is simple and quick if you use pre-made hummus and tabouleh from the shops.  Or you can make both from scratch and go all out.  I elected to purchase the hummus but make the tabbouleh.  I used my quinoa tabouleh recipe which you can find here.  It makes way more than is needed for this meal, but you can use the leftovers in a bunch of different ways.  You can find heaps of hummus recipes online if you want to make it from scratch.

Quinoa Tabouleh

Tabouleh is a traditional Levenite vegetarian grain, herb, onion and tomato salad.  Ratios of herbs to grains varies, with traditional Lebanese tabbouleh having more greens and less grains than what we often see here in Australian made versions of the dish.

It is incredibly healthy and just bursting with nutrients.  It is high in fibre, and contains good amounts of Vitamin C, iron, magnezium and zinc. I'm sure that there are other goodies in there too, but (not being a dietician/nutritionist) that's all I'm aware of.

Tabouleh is commonly served as an appetiser, part of a mezze (Middle Eastern tappas), as a salad, as a dip or served in a lettuce leaf.  We often see it as potential ingredients in kebab stores, and it can taste lovely as a component of a wrap for lunch.  I elected to use quinoa rather than the traditional burghul, given that I already had some in the pantry.  I'm all for using up what you already have if possible, rather than shopping for more.  Quinoa also provides a gluten free alternative.  If you want to be more traditional, stick with burghul.  While using quinoa rather than burghul, I tried to be a bit more traditional by making the herbs and tomato the primary ingredients, with the quinoia taking more of a backseat.

Koshari - My take on an Egyptian national dish

Koshari - Egyptian bliss

It is always fun to experiment with completely different flavours from what you usually eat. I used to make Koshari (an Egyptian vegan dish) years ago but forgot all about it until I stumbled upon an old recipe.  I've spun this so it is a little less traditional but should be delicious nonetheless. Traditional Koshari (aka Kushari, Koshary) is a combination of rice, lentils and macaroni topped with a spicy tomato-garlic-vinegar sauce and caramelised onions, with or without chickpeas.  Sounds odd I know, but trust me it is delicious and a  fun departure from flavours you may be used to.  In my recipe below, I've added persian feta  as well. Leave it  out if you want a more traditional vegan version of this meal.  Since we don't have any macaroni I've used up some risoni I had leftover from another meal instead.

Koshari is a staple in Egypt - you can purchase it from vendors on the street who serve it from huge metal cauldrons, from restaurants, and it is eaten in homes around the country. The dish purportedly originated in the mid-1800s.  Some think that koshari originates from khichri - a rice and lentil mix.  The ingredients reflect its multi-cultural origins and it can be made a few different ways, so I feel free to take a few liberties and personalise it a bit.   Reportedly rice, lentils and macaroni were easily acquired and kept in bulk in most pantries around the country.  Mixing them together was a way to use up food.  The British troops occupying Egypt found that this was a budget friendly and safe option to consume and the locals took a strong liking to it.  Its popularity only grew and Egypt has never looked back.  It is also commonly consumed by Coptic Christians during lent and meat/dairy fasts.

This meal makes for good comfort food. It takes a few pots and pans on the go at once but I think it is worth it.  It is a weekend recipe because the onions take a long time to cook. I recommend using a nicer dicer or the like if you have one to make the slicing easier on the old eyes. I realised that I could have done so about 3/4 through chopping and face palmed it. Oh well - next time!  Despite the longer cooking time, it is quite simple to make and we had fun cooking something different.