Fritters in Syrup: Lugmet El Qadi العوامــــــــــه او لقمت القاضي

Lugmet El Qadi, literally "The Judge's Mouthful," is a fried dessert made in much of the Arab world, known by many names including Zalabia and Awammeh. They are basically Arabic doughnuts, only bitesize. Once placed in oil, the batter puffs up quickly into an irregular rounded shape, becoming crisp and golden.

When done, they should be soft on the inside, crunchy on the outside.  Before serving the fritters are doused in sugar syrup. To decorate, roll the fritters in confectioner's sugar, a blend of sugar and cinnamon, dessicated coconut, or ground pistachios.

Ingredients

Serves 6

Sugar Syrup 

2 cups sugar
2 cups water
1 tbspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon rose or orange blossom water

Batter 

4 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 pack instant dry yeast + 1tbspoone sugar

2 2/3 cups water

Vegetable oil for frying

Dissolve the yeast and sugar in 1/2 cup warm water. Set aside in warm place until frothy, about 10 minutes.

Put flour and salt in a bowl and pour in the yeast mixture, and the rest of the water, stirring the liquid in. Process until the mixture is smooth.

It should be thick but gooey. If it is too thick, add more water. Cover, leave in a warm place for two hours. Meanwhile, make the sugar syrup. 

Place the sugar, water and lemon in a saucepan and simmer for about 20 minutes. Add the rose or orange blossom water at the end. Set aside.

Dip a teaspoon in cold water, and shake all the water off. Scoop into batter and use to drop small balls of batter into hot oil. Fill the skillet and then move them around.

When golden brown, remove and place in a sieve or absorbent paper. 

Pour sugar syrup on top, so they are coated from all sides. 

Roll in confectioners sugar or dessicated coconut.

Serve immediately. 

Arabic Milk Pudding: Mahalabia محلبية

Mahalabiya is a sweet Arab dessert similar to blancmange, made of milk and sugar, and thickened with cornstarch then laced with rose water or orange blossom water. It is often eaten during Ramadan after iftar or for the dawn meal of suhor. The milk custard can be decorated or garnished with a sprinkle of cinnamon, raisins, dessicated coconut, or with ground nuts such as pistachio or almond, depending on preference. 

Ingredients
Serves 6

6 cups whole milk
5 tbsp corn starch
5 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp rose water or orange blossom water

Garnish


Cinnamon
Raisins
Dessicated coconuts

In large sauce pan, heat the milk.

Dissolve the corn starch in the milk. Add the sugar. Stir. 

Add the rose water and stir until the mixture thickens and small bubbles appear

Pour into individual serving bowls and garnish. 

Refrigerate until the thickened milk sets, serve cold.

Libyan Stuffed Vine Leaves: Abrak محشي ورق عنب

Abrak are vine leaves wrapped around the typical Mahshi stuffing of rice, meat, and herbs. In Libya abrak is more spicy than in the East of the Arab world, were Abrak are called Mahshi Waraq Enab and often made with a vegetarian filling. Ideally Abrak should be made with fresh vine leaves, the popularity of the dish being  one reason most Libyan homes have a vine trellis in the garden or courtyard, or even on the roof. In winter vine leaves are substituted with chard leaves for Abraq Silq. Typically Abrak are served as a side dish, often with Mahshi small aubergines and zuchinni.

Serves 6 as a Side Dish

Ingredients:

250g finely chopped lamb/ mince meat

1 finely  medium sized onion 

1 finely  medium sized tomato

1/2 cup chopped spring onion

1 chili pepper finely chopped

1cup finely chopped parsley (remove large stems)

1 cup short grain rice washed well dra
5 tbspoon olive oil

1 teaspoon each of: black pepper, turmeric, ground ginger, cinnamon, salt.

 Packet/Jar of preserved vines leave (blanched in hot water for few minutes and drained ) 

Cooking Liquid

1 cup hot water

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tablespoon tomato paste

1/2 tbspoon each of the same spices as above

Chop the tomatoes, onion, sping onion, parsley and chilli.

Mix the rice with the oil, combine with the finely chopped lamb, chopped tomato, onion, spring onions, parsley and spices.

Blanch the fresh or brine/vacum packed vine leaves in hot water. Snip off the leaf stem and a little of the surrounding leaf. Trim the larger leaves to the size of the smaller ones.

Rolling Parcels:
 

Take a trimmed vine leaf, place 1 tablespoon of stuffing near the 'bottom' of the leaf

Fold the 2 edges towards the centre

Roll as tightly as you can

Lay parsley stems, or potatoes slices to cover the bottom of a pot, then arrange the Abrak on them. They need to be tightly packed.

Mix the cooking liquid, pour over the Abrak, bring to the boil, lower the heat cover the pot then leave to simmer for about one hour. 

If you have excess stuffing or to fill the pot so the abrak are tightly packed, add arabic (small) aubergines and courgettes, cored and stuffed. As they are the same size they take the same time to cook.

Ramadan Apricot Drink: Qamar Al Din قمر الدين

Qamar Ed-Din is a  thick, sweet apricot drink which is made during Ramadan. Qamar ed-din is apricot paste which is spread in sheets and sundried, and the sheets can be bought in most oriental shops.

Ingredients 
Serves 6

1/2 pack of qamar ed-din
3 cups of water
Sugar to taste
Optional Flavourings:
1 tablespoon Orange blossom water
1 teaspoon Cinnamon

Cut into small pieces, put in a pot and pour about 3 cups of hot water on top, bring to boil  then turn of the heat. Allow to soak and dissolve for at least 1 hour. 

 Stir and strain through a sieve, or use a food processor to blend into a thick liquid.

Mix with water and sugar to suit your taste. Add Cinnamon or Orange blossom water if using.

Refrigerate, serve cool or chilled.

Libyan Soup with Lamb and Mint: Sharba Libiya شربة ليبية

As its name suggests Libyan Soup is our national dish, equally popular in all regions and summing up in a spoonful the flavours that dominate Libyan cuisine.  There is definately something addictive about this aromatic soup, it's made almost everyday during the fasting month of Ramadan and the only complaints are when another soup is made for variation. There are versions with chicken and fish, but this is the recipe for the classic Sharba Libiya with lamb and dried mint. You can omit the whole spices and still produce a delicious soup, but this is a recipe where more truly is more.

Serves 4-6
Ingredients

200g lamb meat, chopped into small cubes

1 onion, chopped

1 finely chopped tomato 

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon dried mint
4  tablespoons finely chopped parsley

1/2 cup lisan asfour (orzo or other soup pasta)

1/2 cup chickpeas, soaked overnight then cooked or use canned (optional)

about 11/2 litres boiling water

1 heaped teaspoon each of: turmeric, black pepper, red paprika, mixed spice

1 level tablespoon salt

Whole Spices (optional)

1 cinnamon stick
5 cardamom pods, crushed
A few shaiba leaves (known as dagad phool in Indian cuisine)
3 bay leaves  

Pour the oil in a pot, add the chopped lamb and chopped onion, drop in any whole spices you are using, stir on medium heat for a few minutes until the oil is infused.

Add the ground spices, chickpeas,chopped tomato,  tomato paste and  cook for few minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionaly.

 Add 1/2 a litre of water and 2 tablespoons of parsley , then cover and cook on low heat for 45 minutes. Once the lamb is cooked, remove the whole spices. Add a litre of boiling water, then add the parsley, and lisan asfour (orzo) cooking for further 15 minutes.



After turning off the heat rub a handful of dried mint between the palms of your hands straight into the pot, then give the soup a final stir.

Serve the soup with lemon wedges, tanoor bread and mbattan.

Eggs with Chard: Silq bil Dahi سلق بالدحي

Silq bil dahi is a breakfast or supper dish of sautéed chard with fried eggs drizzled with lemon juice and oilve oil. It's a simple quick meal making it  a popular choice for the pre-dawn suhoor in Ramadan.

Ingredients
3 eggs
10-15 chard leaves
Olive oil
Squeeze of lemon juice
Salt and pepper

Wash the chard, lay the leaves on top of each other and chop width-ways into broad strips. Heat some olive oil in a frying pan, add the chard and stir occasionally.

When the chard has cooked push aside to make spaces in the pan, then crack the eggs into the 'holes'.

Cook until the eggs have set, then turn off the heat and cover. Leave for a few minutes to finish cooking. 

Salt and pepper to taste , drizzle with olive oil and lots of lemon juice and serve with hot flat bread.