By Devika Pathak
Edited by Rupali Lamba
Having grown up in the Middle East, I moved to India a couple of years ago, not expecting to miss the endless shawarma {a popular Syrian and Lebanese dish consisting of dough topped with thyme, cheese, and/or ground meat, similar to pizza} stands and manakeesh cafes.
Considering the similarities and geographic proximity with India, one would think that Arabic cuisine would be a significant player in the Delhi food scene. Disheartened by the versions of the food I loved in the capital, I decided to dig deeper into this cuisine and its origins and understand where these incredible flavors came from. Simultaneously, I continued my search for food that would hit closest to home.
The evolution of Middle Eastern food has been an amalgamation of multicultural regimes, proximity to the Mediterranean and the wide availability of fresh produce. It encompasses an array of flavors from Turkey to Tunisia and Egypt to Lebanon. In most Arab households, there is always enough food prepared for the entire family and 10 of their friends, should they happen to drop by.
Lebanon, the culinary hub of the Arab world, offers a mélange of flavors through fashion, culture, language and most notably in their cuisine. Borrowing from the Ottoman and the French {who ruled Lebanon in the past}, the country has created a vibrant and delicious diet that forms the foundation of what we know as Middle Eastern cuisine.
Lebanon was under Ottoman rule for about four hundred years, until the defeat of Turkey put Lebanon under French rule until 1934. Their cuisine is based on subtle complexities and fresh ingredients such as starches, fish, vegetables, meats, legumes, yoghurt and grains. Garlic and olive oil form the base of almost any dish, with seasoning of lemon juice, herbs and of course – MORE olive oil. Poultry and lamb make up the carnivorous part of the menu. Apart from using local and fresh ingredients, most dishes are served baked, grilled or raw which make Lebanese food a healthy and nutritious option.
Pickled vegetables, tabbouleh and fattoush {fresh salads}, pita bread, hummus and muttabel {dips} line dinner tables. Dairy is a major component, either as labneh {strained yogurt}, akawi {a local cheese} or plain yogurt dips. The abundance of olive oil and lemon juice transport one to Mediterranean paradise, however dishes like sambousek {pastry samosas filled with cheese or minced meat} and kibbeh {spiced grilled lamb kebabs} give off an almost Indian aroma.
Drinks are served with Lebanese ‘tapas’ called mezze that include dips, kebabs, salads, patties and bread. Lebanese wineries are gaining popularity. The Bekaa Valley {one of the oldest sites for wine production} is home to several fine wineries such as Chateau Kafraya, Chateau Musar and smaller houses like Massaya.
A typical mezze platter includes |
Babaganoush | Roasted eggplant with a garnish of pomegranate served as dip with pita bread
Muttabel | Roasted eggplant mashed with yogurt and mixed with various spices, served as dip with pita bread
Hummus | Mashed chickpeas blended with tahina, olive oil, lemon juice and garlic, also served as dip with pita bread
Kibbeh | Deep fried croquettes made of bulgur, minced meat {usually lamb} and spices. Kibbeh is considered the national dish of Lebanon
Fattoush | A fresh garden salad topped with toasted pita, mint and lots of lemon juice
Tabbouleh | A super healthy salad made with bulgur, tomato, onions, olive oil and lemon juice
Sambousek | A Mediterranean samosa if you will, deep fried pastry filled with spinach, meat, cheese or even sweets
Falafel | A deep fried chickpeas and/or fava bean, onion and parsley cutlet that is sometimes wrapped in a flatbread to make a vegetarian shawarma
Other dishes you will find on the quintessential Lebanese dinner table |
Arayes | Toasted pita bread stuffed with minced lamb and pine nuts
Vine leaves | Grapevine leaves wrapped around ingredients such as grilled and minced vegetables or meats
Shish Taouk | Skewered pieces of chicken marinated in olive oil, parsley, lemon juice and sumac and then roasted
Baklava | Famous Arabic dessert made up of layers of phyllo pastry, nuts and honey
Typical condiments and spices used in Lebanese cuisine include |
Sumac |A reddish spice that has a subtle, tart flavor, often sprinkled on hummus, meat and fish
Za’atar | Dried thyme, sesame and sumac
Tahina | Sesame paste
Toum | Garlic paste
One of my favorite aspects of Lebanese cuisine is their love for French fries, which one finds in shawarmas and as a side dish to everything else too. French fries and hummus is my favorite flavor combination {do you see the Parisienne influence now?}!
Manakees | A mini pizza, the proverbial 3:00 am snack, that comes in so many varieties – cheese, meat and cheese, vegetable, garlic, za’atar – it is surprising that Delhi has failed to cash in on it.
We have all tried our fair share of hummus, falafel, and shish taouk in Delhi. However, there are few places that claim to REALLY specialize in Middle Eastern food.
The LBBD team and I did some digging and here’s where we’d go for Arabic food {mezze platters, specifically} |
Lodi- The Garden Restaurant {Lodhi Road}
Shalom {GK 1 N Block Market}
Fez {Malcha Marg}
Olive {Hotel Diplomat & Mehrauli}
The hummus with meat at Café Zo {Hauz Khas Village}
Latitude Cafe {Khan Market}
Let’s sign of with a recipe for you to embark on your own Middle Eastern journey {needless to say, comes highly recommended with French fries!}
HUMMUS 101
1 cup chickpeas {cooked in pressure cooker}
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
5 squeezes of lemon
4 table spoons of tahina
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving
Red paprika {optional}
Directions |
Place the chickpeas, garlic, salt in the bowl of a food processor. Process for 15 to 20 seconds. Stop, scrape the sides of the bowl, and process for another 15 to 20 seconds. Stop. Add the lemon juice and tahini. Process for 20 seconds, then scrape the sides of the bowl. Stop. Drizzle the olive oil in and process for another 20 seconds.
Transfer the hummus into a bowl and drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with some paprika powder.
Serve with regular or grilled pita. Works with vegetables as well!
About the Author | Devika has spent almost half her life in the Middle East {among other places}, and has been exploring and dissecting local cuisine for as long as she could taste. A restaurant reviewer for her university newspaper in Toronto, moving to Delhi and getting a handle on the food scene has sparked a new found curiosity in her.
We also got inputs from Naveen Bahri who started his career at the Taj in Delhi in 1985 and has been working in the Middle East in the FnB industry for the past 12 years.
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