For many, Syrian cuisine is considered, along with Lebanese cuisine, to be the best in the Middle East. Syrian food is sophisticated and diverse because it is influenced not only by Arabic cuisine but also by neighboring countries and their cooking traditions. In the following article you will find spicy, savory and sweet recipes that will enrich your menu with a touch of the Orient.
Vegan eggplant dip
Syrian cuisine is like almost all cuisines in the Orienttasty appetizers, which are an important part of the typical meal. If you want to serve a meal with several courses, you can prepare the traditional smoked eggplant mousse with tahini, moutabal, as “mezzeh”.
Ingredients:
- 1 kg aubergines (equivalent to 300 g pulp)
- 10-12 EL Tahina
- 10 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1-2 tsp salt
- Olive oil for drizzling
- to decorate: pomegranate seeds and/or finely chopped radishes
Make 4 approximately 1 cm deep cuts in each of the eggplants and bake them in the oven at 220 degrees for about an hour. Let the vegetables cool, cut them lengthwise and scoop out the pulp. In a bowl, mix the pulp with the garlic, lemon juice, tahini and salt until well combined. Finally, drizzle with oil and garnish if desired.
The Syrian appetizer Muhammara
This appetizer is also an indispensable part of Syrian cuisine and is a delicious pepper and nut spreadwith homemade breadtastes best or served as a dip.
Ingredients:
- 4 red peppers
- 150g walnuts
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 EL Granatapfelsirup
- 1/2 chili pepper, deseeded and chopped finely
- 50 ml olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
First bake the peppers in the oven at 220 degrees until the peel turns black. Leave them in the oven for another 30 minutes or cover with foil. Peel them, remove the seeds and cut them into small pieces. Put the pulp into the blender along with all other ingredients and puree until fine.
Creamy lentil soup
Syrian cuisine also offers many delicious soups because it is made therethe warm and comforting dishcooked almost every day. Lentil soup made from red lentils is particularly popular.
Ingredients:
- 300 g root lentils
- 750 ml Broth
- 1/2 lemon
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/3 head of celery
- 1 Potato
- 1 carrot
- 1 onion
- 1 clove of garlic
- Pinch of cinnamon
- 1/3 bunch each of mint, thyme and coriander
- 1/2 TL Turmeric
- 1 tsp caraway
- Salt and pepper
Finely chop the leaves of the fresh herbs and set some of the mint aside. Cut vegetables into small pieces. Put the lentils, onions, garlic and spices in a pot and fry everything for 2-3 minutes. Now add the remaining vegetables and fry them too. Deglaze with broth and simmer for half an hour. Season with salt and pepper. Then puree the lentil soup until creamy and garnish with lemon slices and mint.
Lahma Bil Karaz with minced meat
If you're looking for ideas for a main dish, you can easily make a recipe like the one below at home. Lahma bil Karaz is one of the specialties made with minced meat. The delicious, sweet and sour meatballs are cooked in a sour cherry sauce and have a pleasant, fruity taste.
Ingredients:
- 500g minced meat
- 2 glasses of sour cherries
- 1/2 bunch of parsley
- Handful of pine nuts
- 2-3 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 EL Pfeffer
- 1 TL Spices
- Pinch of cinnamon
- Arabic flatbread
First drain the cherries and collect the juice. Put them in the blender and puree the fruits. Now smooth the mixture through a sieve. Bring the juice to the boil together with the sugar, add the cherry puree and let everything simmer for 15 minutes. Season the mince with Baharat, salt and pepper and form small balls out of it. Fry the meatballs in the pan. Now add them to the cherry sauce and let them simmer for another 15 minutes. Cut the flatbread into triangles and place them on the plate in the shape of a sun. Then add the meatballs on top and sprinkle with toasted pine nuts and finely chopped parsley. Refine the whole thing with a pinch of cinnamon and rich rice.
Traditional specialties with meat – kibbeh filled dumplings
Kibbeh is a typical and popular holiday dish that requires some practice to prepare. Of course, the greater effort is absolutely justified by the tasty results.
Ingredients for the dough:
- 500 g Bulgur
- 250 g beef or lamb
- some lemon zest
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika powder
- Salt and pepper
For the filling:
- 300g beef or lamb
- 3 onions, finely chopped
- 50 ml vegetable oil
- 50 g chopped walnuts
- 50 pomegranate seeds
- Salt and pepper
- Oil for frying
First cut the meat for the filling into small cubes and fry it with half of the onions. Fry the rest until translucent, add the walnuts, spices and the pomegranate seeds and fry briefly. To make the dough, stir the bulgur in plenty of water, drain the water and fill again. Finally, drain the bulgur well. Cut the meat finely and put it through the meat grinder with the onions. Now mix the meat with the bulgur. Season with paprika, salt and pepper and put in the meat grinder again.
With wet hands, separate egg-sized pieces from the kibbeh dough and shape them into cones. The dough casing should be thin at the end. Make a cavity in the dough and add a tablespoon of the meat and nut filling to each. Close the open side of the dumplings and press them together to form a lemon-like shape. Fry the finished dumplings until golden brown and drain. Arrange on a platter with lemon zest.
Semolina pudding with orange blossom water
Of course, a meal wouldn't be complete without a delicious, sweet ending. We have selected a delicious recipe for semolina pudding for you that is quick to prepare and very versatile thanks to the free choice of ingredients for garnish.
Ingredients:
- 250 g Hartweizengrieß
- 600 ml water
- 150g sugar
- 3 THE BUTTER
- 1 TL Orangenblütenwasser
- 1 tsp cinnamon
For garnish: almonds, pistachios, pecans, pomegranate liqueur, hazelnut brittle, etc.
Melt the butter in a pot, add the water and bring to the boil. Add all the ingredients except the semolina and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Then add the durum wheat semolina while stirring constantly. Remove the pot from the heat and let the pudding soak for 5 minutes. Garnish to your heart's content.
