Students share expertise in Muslim cooking
Regina Murphy
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Photo by David Doemland
David Muhammad, left, president of the Muslim Association, and Nayaf Alluhaiden, vice president, hold a chicken and rice dish called Saudi Kabsa that Alluhaiden prepared.
I had a fascinating chat the other day with two students from ESU.
David Muhammed is from Overland Park and studying at the Teacher’s College, while Nayaf Alluhaiden of Saudi Arabia is studying computers and technology. David is the president, and Nayaf the vice-president of the ESU Muslim Student Association.
Marjorie Werly had mentioned that several of the students from the Middle East did their own cooking, and presented me with a great opportunity to learn a little more about that kind of food. Thanks, Marjorie!
Nayaf and David both pointed out how cooking in the Islamic tradition is a matter of care and piety. No fast food here! Your meals should be a reflection of who you are and prepared in thanks for what God has given you. Everyone takes time to enjoy the meal, and its very family-oriented. Dishes are lighter, less greasy, flavorful and last longer in the tummy thanks to the good balance of fiber and carbohydrates.
Lunch is the big meal of the day for Arabs. A huge platter of food is set in the center of the eating area (everyone sits in a circle on cushions on the floor), and then smaller dishes are set around to accompany the main dish. The platter is covered with rice or another cooked grain, then piled with cooked vegetables and meat. Lamb is the predominant meat, and then chicken or goat. Beef is not very prevalent in that country, and pork is forbidden.
Nayaf brought a huge platter of Saudi Kabsa down to the Gazette. There were two roasted chickens nestled in the middle of some seasoned rice. There was also fresh onion, tomato, lemon and even a green chili! Traditionally, everyone would sit around the platter and eat from it, using the right hand only. Everyone shares and enjoys conversation as well as the meal. Side dishes might include a cucumber and tomato salad, some tabbouleh, lettuce with diced tomatoes and onions, or trays of fresh fruit.
Nayaf’s Kabsa was delicious, with nicely seasoned rice and juicy, roasted chicken. If this had been a full meal, we would have also had some tea to aid the digestion, and then dessert and Saudi coffee (a lighter, caffeine-free drink). The evening meal would be much lighter than what Americans usually have — maybe a soup with some fresh bread, and a salad or two.
Islam has some rules regarding food, just like Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhism, for example. The primary thing is that you may not eat pork or anything containing pork products. There are two important terms in Muslim cultures, and they apply to many things in addition to food: Halaal (permitted) and Haraam (not permitted). Your food must be halaal; if it has touched something haraam, then it is no longer halaal. You may have seen some halaal signs in the grocery store lately and that’s what that is all about.
In addition to restrictions on the type of food, the manner in which the animal is slaughtered is important. You also aren’t allowed to eat carnivorous animals, blood products, or take any intoxicants such as alcohol or non-medicinal drugs. On the plus side, you can have all the fish you want, and lots of poultry — even beef, buffalo and rabbit!
David pointed out that it was kind of hard growing up as an American Muslim because we use pork products in so many things. The gelatin in marshmallows or gummy worms is generated from pork. Pork rennet is sometimes used in cheese and margarine, plus pork lard shows up in many processed foods. If your non-Muslim friends want to go out to eat, you have to be sure your halaal food hasn’t been in contact with a haraam food — not an easy thing.
That means you do a lot of your own cooking! Nayaf cooks all the time, and he and his friends share their dishes with each other. They make grocery trips to halaal markets in the Kansas City area (particularly the Olive Cafe in Kansas City, Mo.) to be certain their food is correct. That’s dedication!
David said, “Cooking for a big group is just better: the food tastes better. You do everything from your heart, so it will be blessed. Cooking for others brings blessings on you.” I can agree with that!
Now to the food! One way to get a middle eastern flavor is to use an indigenous spice blend. The Indians call it “masala” and the Saudis call it “baharat”. Baharat means “spice” in Arabic. It’s derived from the word bahar, which means pepper, and works as an all-purpose spice mix for savory dishes.
Baharat has many variations, perhaps including paprika, coriander seeds, cassia bark, nutmeg, cumin seed, or cardamon seed. Here is a basic recipe that you can adjust however you like.
BASIC BAHARAT
1/4 cup black peppercorns
1/4 cup allspice berries
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Grind the peppercorns and allspice together and blend with the cinnamon and nutmeg. Store in an airtight container out of heat and sun. This recipe makes about 1/2 cup and remains pungent about 6 months.
Elinoar Moore, a contributor to the web community “In Mama’s Kitchen” (www.inmamaskitchen.com), has posted many recipes from the Fertile Crescent region, all of which sound delicious. Here’s one similar to the dish Nayaf made.
SAUDI CHICKEN KABSA
1 3-lb. chicken, cut into eight pieces
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 medium onions, sliced
1 (12-oz.) can tomato puree
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 medium carrots, grated
Grated rind of one orange
4 cloves
4 cardamom pods
3 sticks cinnamon
Salt and pepper to taste
1 lb. long grain rice (like basmati)
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup sliced almonds
Sauté onion in oil until it begins to brown. Add chicken pieces, tomato puree, chopped tomatoes and garlic and stir for about five minutes over low heat. Stir in three cups hot water, grated carrot, orange rind, spices, salt and pepper to taste. Cook over medium heat, covered, about 20 minutes, until chicken is done.
Remove chicken and set aside to keep warm. Stir rice into the liquid in the pan, and cook, covered, over low heat for about 35 to 40 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed.
Put rice on a large serving platter with chicken pieces arranged around the circumference. Toss raisins and almonds over everything and serve!
Here is a nice salad from the same web site. This healthy nutty-tasting dish is also good served in a pita with extra slices of tomato. Bulgur (bulghur, bulgar) is made by parboiling grains of wheat, removing the outer layer of the bran, and then cracking them. Bulgur is generally available in three textures: fine, medium and coarse.
TABBOULEH
1/2 cup fine bulgur
1 cup chicken broth (or water)
1 large ripe tomato, finely chopped
8 Tbsp. chopped parsley leaves
4 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint leaves
1 green onion
2 - 3 Tbsp. olive oil
3 - 4 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 to 2 tsp. salt
Pepper
Rinse and drain the bulgur (drain it very well). Place in a deep bowl and pour the warm chicken broth over grains. Cover and allow grains to absorb for about 20 to 25 minutes. Drain off any unabsorbed liquid and discard.
Add the tomato, parsley, mint and green onion, tossing to mix evenly. Then add the olive oil and lemon juice, tossing again. Adjust seasoning according to taste, adding a little more lemon juice, salt or pepper.
Arrange lettuce leaves on a flat plate, and place a large mound of salad in the middle. Serve with flat bread or pita bread. Eat by scooping the tabbouleh up with lettuce leaves or bread, rolling into a kind of wrap before you take a bite.
Next we have a dessert recipe from www.al-bab.com/arab/food. It calls for vegetable shortening, but I believe pure butter is halaal so the Southerner in me would substitute 1 cup of butter myself.
GHORRAYEBA
(Arab Shortbread)
4 cups flour
1 Tbsp. ground cardamom
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
1/3 lb. almonds
1 cup vegetable shortening
Heat the shortening in a pan. Add the sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves completely. Remove from heat. Add the cardamom and flour. Mix thoroughly. Shape the dough into circles. Grease a cookie sheet and arrange dough circles on it. Blanch the almonds and split in two lengthwise. Place half an almond on top of each circle of dough. Bake in a moderately hot oven until the tops are brown. This recipe makes 10 or 12 little shortbreads.
For something a little fancier, and a chance to use that tagine dish you bought at Williams-Sonoma (they’re so cute!) try this Murphy-approved recipe. I didn’t actually buy a tagine dish (no place to store it) so I use a dutch oven. You can cut a 3-lb. chicken into pieces, or, I like to use skinless chicken thighs and legs.
CHICKEN TAGINE WITH APRICOTS AND ALMONDS
1 Tbsp. baharat
1/2 tsp. turmeric
3 Tbsp. plus 1/4 cup olive oil
3 lbs. chicken
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 medium red onion
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
5 sprigs fresh cilantro
5 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 cups water
2 Tbsp. honey
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
1/2 cup dried Turkish apricots
1/3 cup whole blanched almonds
Stir together baharat, turmeric and 2 tablespoons oil in a large bowl. Add chicken and turn to coat well.
Heat butter and 1 tablespoon oil in base of tagine, uncovered, over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then brown half of chicken, skin sides down, turning once, 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Brown the remaining chicken, adding any spice mixture left in the bowl.
Cut the onion in half and slice into 1/4-inch thick slices. Add onion to tagine and cook until soft, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes. Tie cilantro and parsley into a bundle with kitchen string and add to tagine along with 1/2 cup water, chicken, and any juices accumulated on plate. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 30 minutes.
While chicken cooks, bring honey, remaining cup water, cinnamon stick, and apricots to a boil in a 2-quart heavy saucepan, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until apricots are very tender (add more water if necessary). Once apricots are tender, simmer until liquid is reduced to a glaze, 10 to 15 minutes.
While apricots cook, heat remaining 1/4 cup oil in a small skillet over moderate heat and sauté almonds, stirring occasionally, until just golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. If you’re watching your fats, you can skip this part.
Ten minutes before the chicken is done, add the apricot mixture to the tagine. Discard the bundled herbs and cinnamon stick, then serve the chicken, sprinkled with almonds, on top of a bed of luscious couscous and with lots of warm flat bread. It’s just delicious!
So, there’s a little taste of Saudi cuisine, according to Muslim traditions. Invite about 50 of your nearest and dearest over, throw some pillows on the rug and have an exotic dining experience right in your own home!
Many thanks to David and Nayaf for sharing their expertise and love of food. Next week we’ll have some chowder recipes. The week after that yet another interesting topic: celiac sprue! What? It’s all about the glutens. See you next time, and let’s get cooking!
Comments
Post a comment
We allow registered users to post comments on this Web site. Our goal with this feature is to encourage thoughtful discussions about the news stories. Using the comment feature to make random attacks on people is not acceptable. Emporiagazette.com neither endorses nor guarantees the accuracy of any user contribution. Responsibility for what is posted or contributed to this site is the sole responsibility of each user. To learn more about our posting policies please read our User Poster Agreement Policy.
(Requires free registration.)