Kousa Mahashi كوسا محشي Stuffed zucchinis are a dish cherished by the former Ottoman Empire, and popular from the Balkans to the Levant. The small, young pale green zucchini known as white marrows or balady are the most popular. They are hollowed out with a special tool known as a hafara حفّارة or mankara منقرة, […]
Auzi أوزة A decadent and luxurious meat pie from Damascus, auzy combines a filling of spiced ground beef (halal), rice and green peas, mixed with almonds and pines nuts that have been fried in butter. This filling is wrapped in a delicate, crispy phyllo pastry shell, and brushed with butter and eggs that give it […]
Burgul behommos 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 to white […]
Tabakh Rohoo روحو طباخ The cold winter months are the time to break out the luscious, slow-cooked comfort foods like this delicious tomato-based eggplant stew with zucchini, potato and small cubes of lamb, garnished with coriander. Tabakh Rohoo is one of the most popular dish in Syria and originally comes from Damascus city. Similar to […]
Freekeh فريكة Freekeh is made from green durum wheat that processed in a special way to create a unique flavor. The wheat is harvested while the grains are yellow and the seeds still are soft; it then is piled and sun-dried. The piles are carefully set on fire so only the straw and chaff burn, […]
Shishbarak شيش برك Almost every cuisine in the world has their comfort food dumplings, and Syria is no exception. Similar to the tortellini-like dumplings known as manti in neighbouring Turkey, this traditional dish is popular in both the North and South of Syria. Each city has their distinctive way to make it; this recipe is […]
Makhlouta bil Awarma مخلوطة بالأورمة Makhlouta means "mixed" in Arabic, and in the Middle Eastern kitchen, this typically refers to an ancient dish of mixed beans, legumes and grains. A classic warm comfort food, Makhlouta can range from a soup to a thick, chili-like stew, with countless different variations and ratios of ingredients. This thick, […]
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 […]
