Tag Archives: israeli

Zhug – a Yemeni Cilantro Sauce

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Zhug a Yemenite cilantro hot sauceZhug, also called Skhug, or Zhoug is a spicy hot sauce used in Yemeni cuisine. Yemenite Jews bought zhug to Israel, and it is popular in the country. I had zhug for the first time when I visited Israel and loved everything about it – the color, the simplicity and the freshness. There are two kinds of zhug – red and green. Red zhug is made with red chiles and green zhug is made with green chiles. This recipe is for green zhug.

I use 4 Thai green chiles in this recipe. It makes for a spicy zhug. If you want it milder, use less chiles. Alternatively, slit the chile open and scrape out and discard the seeds, this will get rid of most the heat. Then use the chile in this recipe. Green chilis lemon and cilantro for zhug
Some zhugs use half cilantro and half parsley. But I like the all cilantro version. I am greedy about cilantro and always buy more than I need. So this is the perfect use of excess cilantro for me!

Zhug is very easy to make. All you have to do is simply blend all the ingredients together! It will keep in the fridge, in a airtight container for about a week. Traditionally zhug is made in a mortar and pestle. I use a food processor and grind the zhug to a coarse paste.

How to use Zhug:
Think of zhug as a pesto or chutney. Here are some delicious ways to use this incredibly versatile condiment.
- Stir it into soups
- Spoon it over eggs
- Serve as a dip with vegetables, and pita bread
- Mix it into cooked rice or quinoa
- Use as a sandwich spread; its great mixed with some hummus and slathered on a sandwich!
Zhug with cilantro

Zhug Recipe

makes about 2 cups

Ingredients
2 bunches cilantro (leaves and stems), chopped. (About 3 cups when chopped)
4 Thai green chiles, or according to taste*
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
Salt

*This will make a spicy zhug. Change the quantity of green chiles according to your taste.

Method
1. Place all ingredients, along with 2 tablespoons of water in a food processor. Blend into a coarse paste. Store the zhug in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

Baba Ganoush Recipe – a Guest Post from Shulie of Food Wanderings

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Hello from Tel Aviv! I am traveling in Jordan and Israel on a business trip, and have taken a few days off to explore the amazing food scene here. I will be posting lots of photos and recipes from my trip when I get back! But right now, please enjoy this Baba Ganoush recipe guest post from Shulie of Food Wanderings. Her blog is full of lovingly created food, recipes (have you seen her mouthwatering India series?) and great photos! Make sure you say hello to Shulie on Twitter and Facebook too! Take it away Shulie..

When Sala asked me to guest post for her while she was traveling, I said yes, of course. You probably remember Sala from her guest post, White Peas Sautéed with Green Mango and Coconut, in the India Series on my site. Sala is a well seasoned traveler and I cannot wait to hear her impressions from her quick couple of days trip to Israel, while she is, for the first time, in the Middle East. Sala, thank you for having me as a guest in your Veggie Belly space.

Sala wanted me to make a dish from home and Baba Ghanoush is always at the table whether at homes or restaurants in Israel. Baba Ghanoush, an eggplant dip or salad, more widely known as a Lebanese dish, is wide spread throughout the Levant, Egypt and the Balkans. The Levant is the crossroads between Western Europe, Eastern Mediterranean and Northern Africa.

There are many variations to this eggplant dip/salad that is mostly served in Israel as a mezze, starter, along with many mezzes at the table. We make it the traditional way with olive oil and tahini but some in Israel make it with mayonnaise too.  The grilling and charring of the eggplant, otherwise known as an aubergine, prior to scooping the flesh/pulp  to make the salad lends it a smoky flavor. In Arab homes in Israel and the Middle East, the Baba Ghanoush is made from a variety of an eggplant called Baladi which is probably the best eggplant variety I have ever tasted. This wild variety eggplant is sweeter and the flesh so white and delicate inside.

You can whiz the Baba Ghanoush to a dip or spread consistency with all the other ingredients in the food processor, but traditionally in Israel and to this date, we chop it in a back and forth motion with a cleaver or a sharp knife. Think of mincing meat.  Whiz or chop the eggplant to consistency desired. I add the lemon to the eggplant immediately after being scooped, to avoid oxidizing and then add a bit more, later, to adjust for flavor. Charring of eggplant can be done for five minutes on top of a stove top, outside grill or the oven broiler.

The Baba Ghanoush is a delicious and healthy dish for your Holiday or New Year’s Eve cocktail party as a hors d’oeuvre with pita chip or fresh pita wedges.

Baba Ghanoush Recipe
serves about 2

Ingredients
1 large eggplant (1 lb)
1 large garlic clove, minced
Juice of a 1/2 small lemon
1 teaspoon tahini paste (could you use an extra teaspoon according to taste)
1 tablespoon mild olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste


Garnish
Handful pomegranate seeds/arils
1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley

Method
Prick the eggplant with a fork in a few places on its surface. Grill on an out door grill or broil in an oven until charred on all sides, about five minutes.

Halve eggplant and scoop pulp. Add juice of 1/2 lemon to the pulp and stir. Mash the eggplant with a fork, or chop with a knife or whiz in a food processor. Add minced garlic, olive oil, tahini and salt and whiz/mix quickly.

Adjust the salt and lemon juice if necessary.

Serve in a bowl garnished with parsley and pomegranates seeds. Serve with pita chips or fresh pita wedges. Bon Appetit!

Halloween Falafel Spiders

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Whether you make these scary falafel spiders for Halloween or make just the falafel patties for a party, you will never go out for falafel again. Other than the soaking and frying, these homemade falafels are an easy, delicious vegan treat and so worth the effort. I always make extra and freeze the dough.

How to make falafel

Drain soaked chickpeas and defrosted fava beans. Place them in a food processor along with onion, garlic, cilantro, parsley, cumin, coriander, chili powder, crumbled bread and baking powder. Grind to a coarse dough.

Form the falafel dough into balls, and flatten each ball a little. Fry in hot oil till golden. Flip the falafel gently and brown the other side.

How to make scary falafel spiders – a vegan halloween idea

Insert green pepper strips for spider legs. Apply hummus or cream cheese using a toothpick where the eyes and mouth should be. Stick olive pieces for the eyes and red pepper strip for the mouth.

Boo!

Note: Egyptian style falafel uses fava beas (also called broad beans). I love fava beans in falafel, but I also enjoy the texture of the soaked chickpeas. So I use 2/3rds chickpeas and 1/3rd fava beans in this falafel recipe.

I use frozen, shelled fava beans. If you cant find this, use ¼ cup dried, shelled fava beans and soak them over night along with the chickpeas. If you cant find or dont like fava beans, simply use 1/4th cup extra of dried chickpeas.

Dont be tempted to use canned chickpeas, dried chickpeas or garbanzo beans that have been soaked over night are the best.

If you dont want to make these falafels into spiders, simply serve them with pita bread, hummus, tahini, tomato slices and lettuce.

More falafel recipes..
A favorite falafel recipe using chickpeas only on epicurious
An easy falafel recipe on the hummus blog
Arab levant falafel recipe using fava beans by Clifford Wright
Egyptian falafel recipe
Fava bean and chickpea falafel with sumac recipe by the amazing Meeta

Halloween Falafel Spiders Recipe

Makes 8 falafels

For the falafel
½ cup dried chickpeas or grabanzo beans
½ cup frozen, skinned fava beans, defrosted. Substtute with an additional 1/4th cup dried chickpeas.
½ small onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled
¼ cup (loosely packed) chopped cilantro
¼ cup (loosely packed) chopped parsley
½ teaspoon cayenne or chili powder (use less for milder falafel)
¾ teaspoon cumin powder
½ teaspoon coriander powder
¼ teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons crumbled stale bread
½ teaspoon, or to taste, salt

Oil for frying

Place the chickpeas in a bowl, and fill with water. Soak the chickpeas overnight (about 8-10 hours).

After soaking, drain the chickpeas well and place them on several layers of paper towels. Place the defrosted, skinned  fava beans on the paper towels as well. Dab the chickpeas and fava beans dry.

Place the drained, uncooked chickpeas, and the defrosted fava beans in a food processor. Add all other ingredients, except the oil,  to the food processor. Don’t add water. Pulse till it forms slightly coarse dough (see pictures above). Sprinkle a little water if the mixture is too dry. If it is too wet, add more bread pieces and pulse again.

Divide the dough into 8 equal parts. Form each part into a ball and flatten a little.

Heat oil in a skillet. Pour enough oil so that a falafel will submerge in oil half way (see pictures). When the oil is hot, test a small drop of falafel dough by dropping it into the oil. It should sizzle and float to the top of the oil. If it doesn’t sizzle and sinks, oil is not hot enough. If it gets too brown or black quickly, the oil is too hot.

Place the falafels, a few at a time, into the oil. When one side is browned, carefully flip the falafel and brown the other side. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels.

Serve falafels with hummus, tahini sauce, sliced tomatoes, lettuce, and pita bread.

For falafel spiders
8 falafels (recipe above)
1 small red pepper
2 medium green pepper
3-4 black olives
1 teaspoon hummus or cream cheese
A sharp knife
A tooth pick

Cut the red pepper in half, and remove the inner white membrane. Using a sharp knife, carve out a shape that looks like the spiders mouth. Cut out 8 mouths.

Cut each green pepper into 8 thin rings. Cut each ring into half. These are the spider legs.

Cut each olive into half lengthwise. Cut each half into 3 semi circles. These are the spider’s eyes.

Place a falafel on a serving platter. Take the green pepper legs and insert them into the sides of the falafels to look like spider legs.

Using a tooth pick, dot a little hummus or cream cheese where the eyes and mouth should be. The hummus or cream cheese will act as the glue. Then carefully place the olives for eyes and the red pepper for a mouth. Dot a little more hummus or cream cheese over the olive eyes.

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