For the yoghurt sauce
25g (1oz) unsalted butter
100g (3½oz) fresh coriander (about ½ bunch), most of the stalk discarded, finely chopped
7 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1kg (2lb 2oz) plain yoghurt (preferably goat’s)
1 medium-sized organic egg, whisked
Sea salt
Divide the kibbeh into 20 equal-sized pieces and roll them into balls, each the size of a large plum. Lightly moisten your hands in salted water (dipping them in the bowl of water used during the preparation of the kibbeh) and place a kibbeh ball in the palm of one hand. With the index finger of your other hand burrow a hole into the ball while rotating it – this makes the hollowing out easier and more even. You should produce a thin meat shell resembling a topless egg. Be careful not to pierce the bottom or sides of the kibbeh shell.
Put 1½–2 teaspoons of stuffing inside the kibbeh shell, gently pushing the stuffing in with a finger, then pinch the open edges together. Cupping your hands around the kibbeh ball, gently shape it into an ovoid ball with slightly pointed ends. Put the finished ball on a non-stick baking sheet. Continue making the balls until you have used up both kibbeh mixture and stuffing – if you have any stuffing left, serve it warm on the side or topped with fried eggs. Place the kibbeh balls in the fridge or freezer, if you have the space, to firm them up.
To make the yoghurt sauce, first melt the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the chopped coriander and crushed garlic and sauté for 1 minute or until the mixture becomes aromatic, then remove from the heat, cover with a clean tea towel and set aside.
Put the yoghurt in a large heavy-based saucepan. Add the whisked egg and a little salt. Mix well and place over a medium heat. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly to help prevent the yoghurt from curdling. (Goat’s milk yoghurt, which I always use, is less likely to curdle, but it still does if you are not careful.) When the yoghurt has come to the boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 3 minutes, still stirring.
Carefully slide the kibbeh balls into the sauce and simmer for 10–15 minutes, stirring very regularly to stop the yoghurt curdling. Add the coriander and garlic mixture and simmer for another minute or so. Serve hot with vermicelli rice or with good bread.
Lentils and Aubergines Cooked in Pomegranate Juice
RUMMANIYYAH
There is a wonderful moment in the autumn when you can buy ready-squeezed pomegranate juice in the markets in both Aleppo and Damascus that home cooks use to make this delicious vegetarian dish. I doubt you will find this in the West, however, so you will need to squeeze your own. You also need to make sure you are using sour pomegranates and not the sweet ones. If you do not have access to fresh pomegranate juice, use a combination of pomegranate syrup and lemon juice (3 tablespoons of pomegranate syrup to 80ml/3fl oz of lemon juice) and dilute in 1 cup of water.
Serves 5–6
200g (7oz) brown lentils, soaked for 30 minutes in cold water (enough to cover the lentils by 2–3 fingers)
Seeds from 3 sour pomegranates, plus extra to garnish
50g (2oz) unbleached plain flour
1 tbsp fennel seeds
2 whole dried red chillis or 2 tsp dried chilli flakes
5 garlic cloves, peeled
Sea salt
2 medium-sized onions, peeled, one finely chopped and the other thinly sliced
120ml (4½fl oz) extra-virgin olive oil
500g (1lb 1oz) aubergines, cut into 2.5cm (1in) cubes
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tbsp tahini
Drain the lentils and boil in 500ml (18fl oz) of water for approximately 15 minutes. Strain, reserving the water, and set aside.
Put the pomegranate seeds in a food processor. Add 2 tablespoons of water and process until the seeds are completely pulverised. Strain and mix with the flour until you have a smooth mixture.
Crush the fennel seeds and dried chilli with a pestle and mortar, then add the garlic and 1 teaspoon of salt and pound until you have a smooth paste.
In a large saucepan, sauté the chopped onions in half the olive oil until golden. Add the aubergines and continue to sauté until soft and wilted. This will take about 10 minutes.
Tip in the lentils and their water and let the mixture bubble gently for about 7 minutes. Then slowly add the pomegranate juice and flour mixture while stirring continuously. Add the crushed spices and cumin and keep stirring until thickened. Next add the tahini and continue stirring for another 5 minutes. Take off the heat, pour into a large serving bowl or 5–6 individual ones and leave to cool.
In a separate pan, fry the sliced onion in the remaining olive oil until golden. Garnish the serving bowl (or individual bowls) with the fried onions. Scatter pomegranate seeds all over and serve at room temperature with Arabic bread and olives.
Kibbeh Balls with Quince in a Fresh Pomegranate Sauce
KIBBEH SFARJALIYEH
Syrians love cooking with fresh pomegranate juice when pomegranates are in season. There are market stalls that sell only pomegranates, both the sour type, which is called leffan, and the sweet type, which is eaten as it is or juiced and sold in the juice bars. Syrians are keen on fresh produce and rarely prepare dishes outside of the season in which particular fruits or vegetables are at their best. Some home cooks freeze fresh pomegranate juice to use out of season, but quince doesn’t freeze very well, which makes this kibbeh dish one that is special for autumn, when quinces are in season. More like a soup than a stew, it has a very delicate sweet and sour flavour.
Serves 4–6
250g (9oz) lamb, taken from the shanks
5 cardamom pods
1 cinnamon stick
5 peppercorns
1 medium-sized onion, peeled and studded with 4 cloves
Sea salt
For the sauce
Seeds from 1kg (2lb 2oz) sour pomegranates
50g (2oz) golden caster sugar
1.5kg (3lb 5oz) quinces, cored, peeled and cut into wedges
For the kibbeh balls
100g (3½oz) cold unsalted butter, diced into 2cm (¾in) cubes
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp allspice
½ quantity of uncooked kibbeh
First make the sauce. Put the pomegranate seeds in a food processor with 2 tablespoons water and process until the seeds are completely pulverised. Next put the sugar and 125ml (4½fl oz) of water in a large saucepan. Add the wedges of quince and place over a medium heat.
Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 15 minutes, shaking the pan every now and then to coat the quince in the syrup. Add the pomegranate juice, lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for another hour or until the quinces are tender. By then they should have turned a beautiful pink colour.
Meanwhile, make the kibbeh balls. Put the butter cubes in a mixing bowl,