Kibbeh is one of the the most famous of all Syrian dishes… I’ve been told that there are over 20 kinds in Damascus alone! These traditional small fried kibbehs, little football-shaped fritters of bulgur dough with flavourful stuffings, together with warm yellow lentil soup is a classic combination. Kibbeh Maklieh bil Lahmeh كبة مقلية باللحمة […]
Mahashi Flefleh محاشي فليفلة Stuffed vegetables were cherished by the former Ottoman Empire, and they made them popular from the Balkans to the Levant. Small zucchinis or eggplants are perhaps the most common, but almost any vegetable can be Mahashi (stuffed). Today it’s a combination of colourful peppers (flefleh), stuffed with a mix of ground […]
Maqluba مقلوبة Maqluba is a traditional dish from the Levant that includes meat, rice, and fried vegetables layered in a pot, which is then tipped over before serving, hence the name which translates literally as “upside-down”. This Syrian version of the recipe includes tomatoes, eggplant, poached halal chicken and spiced ground beef, with a garnish […]
This week we’re featuring a selection of some the many kinds of fatayer found in Syrian cuisine… Tender, homemade flour dough is rolled out and either topped or stuffed with a variety of fillings before being baked. The meat meal includes 1 beef + 1 cheese fatayer; the vegetarian meal has 1 muhammara + 1 […]
Kebab Hindi كباب هندي Levantine cuisine has no shortage of kebabs – as Islamic culture spread across the world it brought with it many dishes, and brought back many inspirations and influences. So it comes as no surprise that there are countless kebab dishes in India, nor that Indian culinary ideas have also filtered back […]
Burgul Behommos with Chicken برغل بحمص Burgul (aka bulgur wheat), is a dried cracked wheat that is an ancient staple of the Middle and Near East. It is typically made from whole grain durum wheat that has been coarsely ground, soaked, steamed and dried, a process that enhances its shelf life and nutritional profile. Compared […]
Musakhan مسخن Over the last 60 years, many people from the Palestinian diaspora have found their way to Syria, bringing elements of their food and culture with them. Musakhan is a traditional Palestinian dish that has become very popular in Syria, especially in the South. Very thin sheets of “taboon” flat bread are filled with […]
Ramadan is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting to commemorate the first revelation of the Quran to Muhammad; an annual event regarded as one of the Five Pillars of Islam. During Ramadan, fasting begins immediately after the pre-dawn meal of Suhur and continues during the daylight hours, ending with the evening meal […]
Mosakett Batinjan bil Lahmeh مسقعة باذنجان باللحمة Eggplants and tomatoes are at the heart of many wonderful Levantine dishes. This dish, a flavourful eggplant stew with green peppers, chickpeas and beef meatballs is a relative of Greek Moussaka or Lebanese Maghmour. The vegetarian version of this dish is equally popular throughout Syria and Lebanon. […]
Eid Mubarak to everyone from Newcomer Kitchen! Kabsa كبسة Kabsa is a family of rice dishes believed to have originated in Saudi Arabia, where it is commonly regarded as a national dish. It can be found in most Arab states of the Persian Gulf (where it is also known as makbūs مكبوس), and also in […]
Shamborak شمبورك by Dilsha, in the style of Al Kamishli City Probably the ancestor of every meat pie in the Western world. Thin, yeasted wheat flour dough is stuffed with a mixture of cooked onions and halal ground beef spiced with black pepper, and then baked (or sometimes fried). It comes with a traditional accompaniment, […]
What better way to celebrate Canada Day Holiday Monday than with immersive, all-day cooking workshop with Newcomer Kitchen on the delights of Syrian brunch? In late 2016, The Depanneur & Butler's Pantry teamed up with the fabulous cooks from Newcomer Kitchen to host Canada's first Syrian Brunch Pop-Up, a sold-out event that reached as far […]
Yabrak يبرق Stuffed grape vine leaves can be found on tables all around the Eastern Mediterranean. This Syrian recipe, by Khadija El Ebrahim from the city of Kamishli, features a ground lamb and rice filling seasoned generously with garlic, mint, Aleppo pepper, black pepper, with a bit of pepper paste. The carefully stuffed and rolled […]
Molokhia ملوخية Molokhia is dish that goes by many names; I’ve come across at least half a dozen English spellings alone. While a popular dish throughout the Middle East, it is virtually unknown in North America. It’s based on the leaves of the jute plant (the same one that produces jute fibre for rope & […]
Maldoum ملضوم When researching this dish, I found a lovely description of it on the blog of Tony Tahhan, a Fulbright scholar who has spent time studying the food culture in Aleppo. “One thing I learned about Syrian cuisine is that it is resourceful. Recipes were never exact; more like simple instructions that vary between […]
