Libyan Dried Meat (Jerky): Gideed قديد ليبي

This is the Libyan way of drying and preserving meat. If you happen to visit Libya during Eid Adha, you will see thin strips of meat hanging from lines in the gardens and on the rooftops. This is gideed, dried meat which is used in many traditional Libyan recipes such as Megata/Rishdet Burma (Libyan home-made pasta). The meat is cut into strips and salted and dried, with spices added to prevent bacteria. The meat is then quickly fried in hot oil and then preserved in jars sealed with melted fat. A healthier if untraditional adaptated recipe is to use half the salt, skip the frying and freeze the gideed instead.

Ingredients
For every 2 kg boneless fresh beef or lamb meat / do not wash the meat.
8 tablespoon salt (or 4 if drying indoors)
2 tablespoon turmeric
1 tablespoon ground hot red chili pepper
Olive or veg. oil for brushing if drying outdoors
More olive oil for quick frying (if not freezing)

 

Cut the meat into strips.

 

Use a knife to puncture the meat at intervals.

Sprinkle the salt and spices and rub in both sides of the meat using your gloved hand.

 

Alternately, brush on the spices and salt and press it down.

Leave to absorb salt and spices for about 1 hour.

 

Hang the meat in a warm and dry place. Remember to put a tray covered with kitchen towel underneath to absorb any dripping. If outdoors, hang on sunny days, but in this case you have to use more salt and to brush both sides  generously with oil immediately before hanging it to protect the meat from insects.

You can even dry the meat in a tray in the oven if it is a hot air oven, 50c for about 10 hours, turning every 2 hours.

When the meat is completely dry cut it into smaller pieces and store. The time the meat takes to dry depends on the method used: 10 to 12 hours in the hot air oven, 2/5 days hanging inside in front of a radiator or outdoors. The traditional way of storing the gideed is to quickly fry in batches in hot oil, then place in jars where the melted fat forms a protective seal. Alternately, (more healthily) put the gideed pieces in plastic bags and freeze.

Mild Cucumber and Mint Yogurt Sauce

This cucumber yogurt recipe is served with a variety of meat and rice dishes, such as magluba and mansaf and can also be used as a light and refreshing dip. It is quick and very easy to make.

Ingredients 
Serves 4

250g plain yogurt
1 medium cucumber
1 tablespoons ground dried mint
Salt and paper to taste

Shred the cucumber. 

Add the shredded cucumber and dried mint to the yogurt.

Add salt and paper and mix well. 

Often served with  magloba, grilled meat, and kebab dishes. 

Similar to: Garlic, Chilies and Coriander Yogurt Sauce

Spicy Garlic, Chili and Coriander Yogurt Sauce

Ingredients

Serves 4

250g plain yogurt

2-3 garlic cloves

1-2 chopped fresh chillies

Small bunch of fresh coriander, washed and drained

Salt to taste.

This sauce combines garlic, chilies, and coriander with yogurt. It is served with meat and rice dishes, or can be used  as a dip.

Put all the ingredient in the food processor and mix well 

Add the mixture to the yogurt and mix. Often served with magloba, grilled meat, and  kebab dishes.
Similar to: Cucumber and Mint Yogurt Sauce.

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).

Libyan Pickles - Mseyer المصير'' مخلل ليبي سريع''

Mseyer is a Libyan quick-pickled vegetable  relish served as an accompaniment to many Libyan main courses, and it is an absolute must with Imabwakh (steamed) dishes.

A variety of vegetables such as carrots, cucumber, chilli peppers,  are diced and soaked in lemon juice and vinegar. You can play with the proportions and ingredients of Mseyer according to taste.

The crunchy texture and the tart, refreshing taste gives an extra relish to every meal. Mseyer does not use much salt, so store in the fridge.    

 

Ingredients:
1 carrot

2 Arabic (small) cucumbers
2-4 fresh hot chillies
2 tbsp  finely chopped parsley
1 tbsp finely chopped coriander (optional)
1 large garlic clove, grated
1 tsp ground cumin
Salt to taste
2 tbsp vinegar
1 tsp citric acid salt ( you can double the amount of vinegar and lemon juice instead ) 
Juice of 1/2 a lemon, cut the other half into triangular segments
Cauliflower, seperated into tiny florets (optional)

Prepare the vegetables as shown below 

 

Put the hot chillies in a deep plate, add one teaspoon salt cover with boiling water, leave to soak for five minutes, then drain. Place the chillies in a glass jar, add the rest of the ingredients and enough cold water to cover, then close the jar and shake well.

Ideally Libyan Pickles should be made at least 6 hours in advance, but reality means on many rushed Fridays the pickles are made just before starting the couscous they will be served with.