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.

Roasted Salad: Salata Mashwiya سلطة مشوية

For azleena, who requested this one. Thanks to  everyone who has commented or is a follower of the blog. We appreciate your support!

Salata Mashwiya literally means roasted salad, and is known by that name in Tunisia and in western Libya. This salad doubles as a hot sauce, and is served with barbeques in much of the Arab world. When made for a barbeque, the vegetables are grilled over the fire while the meat marinates, and get that smoky distinctive barbeque flavor, but you can just as easily use the grill at home. The salad's color and thickness depends on the vegetables you use. Bell pepper in  Arab countries is generally thinner, so you can use eggplant to thicken the sauce, grill it with the other vegetables and peel it to keep the color bright. Grilled eggplant is used in baba ghanouj and mtabal.

Ingredients:

5 medium tomatoes

3 large sweet bell peppers 

2 medium onion

1 medium eggplant (optional )
2/3 medium hot chillies 
5 garlic cloves

1 tablespoons (freshly ground) caraway seeds 

 salt to taste

for decoration:

2 hardboiled eggs

olives and olive oil as needed

Prepare the  bell peppers by cutting into thick equal strips, and cut the onions in half, or smaller, depending on size. You might also want to de-vein and de-seed the chillis at this point. Cut the tomatoes in half. If they are large, scoop out the insides into a bowl. This will keep them from becoming soggy. Set the pulp aside.

Heat a grill tray at 250 degrees. When the tray is hot, lay the vegetables on it. It should be hot enough that there is a sizzling sound. It has to be hot, and the vegetables have to be dry, so that you get the roasted taste, otherwise the salad will taste like steamed vegetables. Make sure you put the garlic cloves closest to you as they will need to be removed before the rest of the vegetables.

Remove the garlic cloves once they're done.

Take out the rest of the vegetables. Remove the overly burnt pieces.

Place in a processor. Add the ground caraway and salt. I like to add some of the raw tomato pulp to the roasted vegeatbles. If you like the salad with a chunky consistency, omit the tomato pulp and process just enough to blend.

Cut the hardboiled eggs into quarters. Garnish the salata mashwiya with pitted olives and drizzle generously with olive oil. Serve with mixed grilled meat and freshly baked bread.

Home-made Libyan Harissa هريسة منزلية ليبيه

Harissa simply means paste so in different Arab countries it refers to very different recipes, including a semolina dessert more widely known as Basbousa.

In North Africa harissa refers to the regions favourite condment, a chili paste. It is used in dips and marinades and to add a kick to Tajins and stews. In Libya the favourite sandwich filling is harissa mixed with tuna. Tuna and harissa stuffed savoury pastries like Khbaiza are also popular.

This is one of several Libyan harissa recipes, flavored with cumin, coriander and caraway seeds.

Makes about 2 cups of Harissa.
Ingredients:

3 cups finely chopped red chili peppers (about 14 chillies)
3-4 large cloves of garlic

1-2 teaspoons cumin
2-3 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 tablespoon pan-roasted coriander seeds

1/2 tablespoon pan-roasted caraway seeds (optional)

1 boiled large carrot (optional)

Clean glass jar

Olive oil to cover

To make the harissa less hot,  deseed and de-vein  the chillies.

Process in the food mixer, or finely chop while wearing gloves.

Place the chopped chillies in a pot with  salt, cumin, tomato paste and the pan-roasted coriander and caraway seeds and simmer for half an hour on low heat

When it has cooked down puree the harissa.

Boil and puree a carrot, mix it into the chilli paste. 

Spoon the harissa into a clean glass jar, and cover with a layer of olive oil and keep in the fridge. Harissa also freezes well (spread flat in freezer bags, break off pieces to defrost as needed).

Aubergine and Tomato Salad - Mtabal متبل

Mtabal is an aubergine dish originating from the Levant and popular throughout the Arab world. It is a quicker version of Baba Ghanouj, where the aubergine is roasted until smoky, peeled then blended into a paste with tahini thinned out with lemon. Mtabal on the other hand is chunkier, made by dicing the vegetable up rather than mashing it, and drizzling tahini and olive oil on top.

It is served as an appetizer or side dish, and is eaten as a dip with hot Arabic bread.

Ingredients:

1 large aubergine (or 2 medium)

2 firm tomatoes, pulp removed (optional)

1-2 Chili peppers (optional)

1 large garlic clove, grated

Salt to taste

Lemon juice to taste

3 tablespoons tahini paste

Generous drizzle of olive oil

Handful finely chopped parsley

Roast the aubergine over an open flame until the skin begins to crisp. Alternatively slice thickly, brush with oil and place in a hot tray in the oven until golden on both sides. Leave to cool, then dice and place in a bowl. Grate one garlic clove over the cut up aubergine, add the lemon juice, a pinch of salt then mix and adjust to your taste. For some extra flavor you can add diced tomatoes (flesh only) and/or finely chopped chili peppers, but both are optional.

Drizzle with lots of tahini and olive oil. Make sure the latter is the raw unmixed sesame seed paste, not a ready made dip. Stir well before pouring in, so you don't just take the oil which gathers at the top. Decorate the Mtabal with chopped parsley and serve (warm or cold) with hot fresh bread.

Bseisa and Howira بسيسة و حويرة

Bseisa and Howira are two different mixtures of roasted barley and other cereals ground with fenugreek and aniseed and coriander . This kind of food is North African in origin, known in Tunis and Algeria as well as throughout Libya. Its history goes back a long way, and travellers and nomads used to take bsisa and dates a with them on their journeys since it was full of nutritional value, easy to carry in its ground form, and does not spoil.

Bsisa is bright yellow and Howira sandy brown. 

Howira can also be used as a liquid when added to water, creating a strongly-floured drink. The most common use for bsisa and howira  is to mix them with olive oil into a paste. This is then typically eaten with dates or figs for a quick meal which is energy-rich and healthy. They make delicious Ramadan dips!