Libyan Potato Fritters with Cumin and Coriander: Aqras Batata Mabshura أقراص بطاطا مبشورة

These fritters are easy to make and virtually fail-proof, unlike the more finicky hash browns. They are also very versatile: as a side dish, as part of a selection of finger-foods, or with a salad as the main meal. Harissa or yogurt dips (mild or spicy) are great sauces to serve alongside the fritters. This is the sort of recipe that is easily adapted to taste, or what you have in your store cupboard: vary the seasonings and herbs, add vegetables (e.g peas, paprika, leek, cauliflower) or use up leftovers (e.g chopped cooked chicken, cheese).

Makes about 30 fritters
Ingredients
3 medium potatoes, grated
1 large onion finely chopped
2 red chili peppers, finely chopped (optional)
1 cup finely chopped parsley
1 cup finely chopped fresh coriander
2 large garlic cloves grated

3 eggs beaten
3 heaped tablespoons flour
3 teaspoons cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Vegeable oil for frying

            

 Grate the potatoes using the largest holes of your grater, then combine with the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl.

Mix well.

Each fritter should use one heaped tablespoon of the mixture.

Heat the oil in a frying pan. Fit in as many fritters as you can at a time. Fry on medium heat until golden on each side.

Remove from oil and put on kitchen towel to remove excess oil.

The fritters should be crisp on the outside and soft on the inside and must be served warm. If you have not used the optional chilies in the recipe, or if you like extra-spicy food, serve with harissa. Otherwise, serve with yogurt dips: either mild cucumber and mint yogurt sauce or spicy garlic, chili and coriander yogurt sauce.

Date Syrup and Sesame Paste: Tahina u Robb طحينة و رُب

Some foods are just made for each other - as every Libyan knows, tuna and harissa go hand in hand, like peanut butter and jelly. Tahina (sesame paste)and Robb (date syrup) are the Arab version of PB&J, making a perfect quick high-energy snack when scooped up with or spread on warm flat bread. You can mix them together in one bowl or dip the bread alternately in the sweet Robb and nutty Tahini. Either way, Tahina and Robb go together perfectly.

Lamb, Pumpkin and Chickpea Stew with Raisins: Tbeikhet 'Eid طبيخة عيد

This recipe was featured on My Halal Kitchen's post on Traditional Eid Foods

 This pumpkin stew requires no special ingredients, yet has an exotic taste, with the perfect combination of flavors and textures. The pumpkin and raisins give this stew a hint of sweetness typical of savory specialties in Eastern Libya, where aromatic spices like cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and especially shaiba leaves are used more often than hot spices and turmeric. This stew is from the town of Derna. Known as Eid Stew, it is made on feast days as a distinctive flavorsome dish suitable for special occasions yet very easy to put together. This recipe is perfect for Halloween.  For dessert pumpkin and bechamel pudding is a tried and tested favourite.

 Serves 4

Ingredients

4 servings of lamb, bone in, washed and drained

1/2 kilo pumpkin. peeled and cut into medium cubes

1 medium onion,  finely chopped

4 tablespoons clarified butter (samn/ghee) or oil

1 cup cooked chickpeas
1 cup raisins 

1 can crushed sieved tomatoes or 2 tablespoons tomato puree disolved in 2 cups water

10 cloves
5 bay leaves 

3 cinnamon sticks or 2 heaped teaspoons cinnamon
1 heaped teaspoon ginger
A few shaiba leaves, known as dagad phool in Indian cuisine (optional)
Salt to taste

In a heavy base pot put ghee, onions, lamb and add ground and whole spices then cook on medium heat. Stir constantly until the onion softens and the oil/ghee is infused with the spices. 

Add the sieved crushed tomato and leave on low heat for  about 10 minutes, then add about 2 cups of boiling water and cook on medium heat unitl the lamb is well done (45-60 minutes).

Add the pumkin, raisins and cooked chickpeas, cover the pot and cook for a further 30 minutes. Add water when needed, but a little at a time so the sauce is concentrated. 

Serve hot with warm tanoor bread to soak up the sauce. 

Celebrating the Liberation of Libya

The National Transitional Council is about to announce the complete liberation of Libya 8 months after the first demonstrations and exactly 2 months after the capital was freed. Gaddafi's last stronghold and hometown of Sirte has been liberated, as Libyans celebrate the demise of the bizarre and brutal dictator who has ruled us for 42 years. His humiliating last scenes, reminiscent of deaths of Ceausescu and Mussolini, are a fitting end to a man who delighted in televising executions and left the corpses hanging in university campuses and public squares. In some ways building a state of institutions will be much more difficult than the battle against Gaddafi's brigades, but today is a day to honour the martyrs and wounded who sacrificed for a free Libya, it is a day to celebrate. 

Celebrations in Libya mean one thing: Asida, a quick dessert that is made for births and Eid and is traditionally cooked and eaten as soon as possible after receiving good news.

Asida is a cooked dough eaten with honey or date syrup and melted butter. We have a step by step recipe for asida showing how the dough is cooked in water. Asida is an Arabic word and the dish is also known in the Arab Peninsula,  but is in some ways a sweet version of the Amazigh Bazeen which is also a dough of wheat or barley flour cooked in water. 
As soon as the news was announced, we at the Libya Food Blog made this Asida to celebrate the liberation of our country.

Smiley face asida with a Libyan flag.

Filo Pastry Meat Pie : Bureek Tajin (رقاق باللحم المفروم (قلاش

Bureek Tajin (also known as Suniyet Ruqaq in Egypt) is a  meat pie served as a side dish, and is a popular accompaniment to soup during Ramadan. Leftovers make a great snack or light meal the next day.

The pie  is  made of two layers of thin dough (each made up of several sheets of filo or Egyptian ruqaq) sandwiching minced meat. As there is no fiddly shaping and stuffing its an easy way to make a large amount of pastry.

Serves 8 as Side dish

Ingredients

 1 pack filo pastry 400g

100 g melted butter or 50g melted butter + 1 cup corn oil

Filling

500g minced meat

2 onions, finely chopped 

1/4 cup finely chopped parsley (optional)

1/2 a nutmeg, freshly grated
1 tablespoon mixed spices (hrarat)

salt and  pepper to taste

Glaze 

1 egg mixed with 1 cup milk, salt and peper

1 cup stock

Melt the butter and mix with oil

Grease a large oven proof dish about (30x40 cm) with butter.

Divide the filo pastry sheets into two equal piles, then wrap each in a towel. Cover the bottom of the dish with filo, trim and use a second sheet if necessary. Brush with a little melted butter then add another layer of filo, continue until you have used half the pastry.

Soften the onion in a little oil or butter, add the minced meat and the spices, cover until cooked. 

Spread the prepared filling evenly on top of the filo pastry, then cover with the remaining sheets ,brush with a little melted butter in between the layers .

Spread the last of the melted butter over the top layer, cut into large squares and place in the middle of the hot oven  about 220 °C.  

When the top layer has turned golden (about 10 minutes), remove from oven then spoon about 1 cup of stock over the cracks and the edges of the tray. 

Whisk the egg with the cup of milk, add salt and pepper to taste. Then spoon the egg mix over the  the whole tajin surface and around the edges. Return to the oven until all the liquid absorbed, about 20 minutes.

When cooked remove the Bureek Tajeen from the oven and leave to cool before cutting along the marks you have made. 

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 bite-size. Once placed in oil, the batter puffs up into crisp golden balls.

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 garnished with with ground pistachio and almonds or with cinnamon, raisins and shredded coconut 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 and sugar, reserving 1 cup of milk.

Dissolve the corn starch in a cup of milk, pour it into the pan and whisk briskly.

Add the rose water and stir until the mixture thickens and small bubbles appear. Cook for a further 5 minutes.

Pour into individual serving bowls and garnish. 

Refrigerate until the thickened milk sets, serve cold.