A Yemeniyah's Recipes

Eggplant and Yogurt Salad — سلطة بادنجان وزبادي

May 17, 2013 by Dr. Lamya Almas

Eggplant and yogurt are two of my favorite foods, and when they are paired up in a dish then that makes three of my favorite foods. This is a pretty easy salad to make, and very delicious. It’s also a very pretty dish. You will need:

1) An egg plant, peeled and cut into

2) Olive Oil for frying

3) Salt to taste

4) 1/4 tsp ground cumin

5) 2 finely minced garlic cloves

6) 1 cup of Greek yogurt of any plain yogurt of your choice

7) chopped cilantro for garnish

8) ground paprika or red chilly powder

9) 1 tsp of fresh lemon juice

Place eggplant fries in a colander and sprinkle a little salt on them and leave aside for 15 min. This helps pull the moisture from the eggplant so there’s no oil spatter while frying. This also prevents the eggplant from absorbing a lot of the oil. But if you’d rather skip this step, it’s perfectly okay.

Now place a frying pan under medium/high heat and add some olive oil. I don’t like immersing the eggplant fries in oil because they become rather fragile as they cook and hence too soft to handle-especially since the skin has been peeled and there’s nothing to hold the eggplant meat together as it cooks. So, just add enough oil to brown one side and then flip on the other side and brown. Then place them carefully on a paper towel to drain some of the oil. Once you are done it is time to mix the yogurt.

Place the yogurt in a bowl and dilute with 1/4 of a cup or so of water–you do not want it to thick or too thin. I like it in between. I use a whisk to get a nice smooth texture. I then whisk in the cumin, garlic, and fresh lemon juice with the yogurt. Add the salt to your taste . Then add the eggplant fries and gently fold with a spoon, then sprinkle the paprika or red chilly paper on the “face” of the salad, as we say in Yemen, and garnish with the cilantro. Serve chilled.

Posted in Appetizers, Snacks | Leave a Comment »

Fish Curry — صنونة صيد

March 17, 2013 by Dr. Lamya Almas

I got this recipe from my Bangladeshi neighbor Fatma–Jazaha Allah Khayr. I wanted a fish dish that I could serve with rice, that only had spices. No tomatoes or tomato paste. I had had this a number of times in her home, and I loved it. So, I decided to make it myself. It turned out great. It has all the spices that we are used to in the southern part of Yemen–Aden. Plus of course we love our fish at least 6 times a week. So this appeals to the south Yemeni palette very well. You will need:

1) 2 Tilapia fillets halved

2) 1 big or 2 medium sized potatoes, quartered.

3) 2 medium onions, finely diced

4) 2-3 tablespoons of Olive Oil –more if you like.

5) salt to taste

6) 1 teaspoon of chilly powder-less if you don’t like it spicy

7) 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

8) 1/4 teaspoon turmeric

9) 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

10) 3 tablespoons of finely cut cilantro

11) green chilly pepper halved, lengthwise

12) 3 minced garlic

13) tsp of minced fresh ginger

To start take ingredients 6-13 [the spices and the garlic and ginger], place in a bowl and add 1/2 cup of water. Leave aside.

In a pan, under medium high heat, add the oil and the onions and brown. Then add the potatoes and sautee for a few minutes. Then add the spices in the bowl and turn the heat down a little and let boil for a few minutes, until the gravy/yellow sauce thickens. Then add the fish and fry in the spices. Turn once. Do not turn too much or else the fish will break. In my culture, it is a sign of a bad cook ha ha ha !

Once the fish starts turning white, add enough water to cover the fish. Add salt to taste and let boil until the sauce thickens to desired consistency. When it starts to thicken add the chilly pepper. When it is ready garnish with the cilantro and serve on a bed of which rice, or rice cooked with lentils.

Posted in Fish | Leave a Comment »

Mutabaqiah Yemeni — مطبقية يمنية

March 11, 2013 by Dr. Lamya Almas

This is one of my favorites. It’s pretty easy to make, although might be time consuming for some. For the dough you will need:

1) 2 cups of flour

2) 1/4 tsp of salt

3) 1 tablespoon of oil [I used sunflower oil]

4) water as kneaded to make a soft and smooth dough

Add the salt to the dough and mix well. Then add the oil and mix in as well. Then gradually add water and knead and unit it is transformed into a smooth and soft dough. Soft means that when you poke it it does not bounce back. Cover the dough and let rest for 30 minutes.

When the dough has rested for 30 minutes, divide it into small balls. This amount should be enough for 12 small balls.

Using a rolling pin, open up the balls into small circles. Try to roll them out into approximately the same size. Place them on a well floured surface. Plan on stacking four on top of each other. Now before you stack them on top of each other, take one of circles and add one tsp of oil onto it. Smear it with a spoon. Then sprinkle a little dough. Then place another circle of dough on top of it. Continue until you have four. DO NOT OIL AND SPRINKLE FLOUR ON THE LAST ONE. Continue with the rest. MAKE SURE YOU COVER THOSE YOU HAVE COMPLETED SO THEY DON’T DRY OUT.Place a flat pan on high heat. The pan has to be very hot.

Now it is time to roll them out. Before you do so press with your fingers around the edges so that they all line up evenly or else you will end up have ones that are shorter than the others. Like this:

Then roll it out pretty thin:

Once you have it all rolled out beautifully, place it carefully on the hot pan. It will start puffing up in a few seconds. Flip on the other side and watch it puff up some more.

The layers will start coming apart. That’s when it is ready. Pull the layers apart with your hands. BE CAREFUL IT IS HOT. Continue until you are done with all the dough you have prepared.

The layers will be nice and thin like this:

Now for the egg mixture to put in between the thin layers that you just made with the dough. You will need:

1) 2-3 eggs

2) 4 green onions, finely chopped

3) a handful of cilantro finely chopped

4) green chilly pepper finely chopped –to taste. This will make it a little spicy.

5) salt to taste

Mix all these ingredients well together:

Now oil the pan with about a tsp of oil, then take one of the layers of the prepared dough and place it on top. Then oil the layer and spread some of the egg mixture on top:

Place a second layer on top:

Cook on both sides until well browned. [If you would like to use more eggs in between you may, but just make sure it is cooked well. Leave it a little longer that is. If you would like to make sure the egg is cooked, you can pierce the dough with a fork and if egg does not ooze out then it is cooked]. Serve hot with Yemeni tea. Enjoy!

Posted in Breads, Yemeni Dishes | 20 Comments »

Masrafah

January 26, 2013 by Dr. Lamya Almas

I visited Yemen Dec. 9th to the 31st of 2012. During my stay in my hometown Aden, my sister and I drove by and stopped at a small store by one of the roads leading to Seerah –which is a bay area named after a fort called Seerah. It is said that the Portuguese who tried to invade the seaport Aden called it Seerah, and so the name stuck. Whether fact or fiction, the area is now called Seerah. Anyway, we stopped at this small store I was just telling you about where I used to pass by 15 years ago where this old man used to weave straw into baskets, Masaref [like this one], small flag fans, and totes etc. I secretly promised that once I went back to Aden for a visit, I would go to this store and buy some of this talented man’s crafts. Alhamdullilah Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’la gave me the chance to do so. Oftentimes, you secretly wish for something and you think no one knows but in actuality Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala does and grants the wish.I had always been telling my husband that I wanted a Masrafah rather than a dining table–so that’s another wish granted alhamdullilah.

Now what is a Masrafah you ask? It is a mat made of straw that you see a picture of at the beginning of this post. What do Yemenis use it for? Well, they used it for fine Yemeni dining . Maybe they still probably use it in rural areas. But in Aden people are now used to either using dining tables and chairs, or rolls of plastic that they spread on the ground instead of this reusable and environment friendly Masrafah. Maybe it is even hung on the wall as a relic of traditions past. What a pity! How is the Masrafah used? Well, it is laid on the floor, and the dishes cradling the food would be placed on it. Then people would gather around and eat. You don’t need a tablecloth, because the Masrafah comes in different colors and patterns–some of the straws woven in are dyed with bright colors as you can see in this picture:

And once the meal is over the Masrafah is dusted, wiped with a damp cloth, and hung up by a straw hook [see pic below] and hung up to dry.

This is a small part of my Yemeni tradition that I have longed for while living in the USA. If you are ever in Aden/Yemen pick one up for your home and give this hardworking man a hand. He had a huge smile on his face when I told him , “I never forgot you in 15 years.” He made dua for me. It was priceless! Like he continues to craft tradition , I am hoping through this post to perpetuate it among my blog visitors Insha Allah.

* Click here for a bread basket I also bought.

Posted in Tricks of the trade | 8 Comments »

Yemeni Bread Basket

January 26, 2013 by Dr. Lamya Almas

*Please click here for details of the story behind where I bought this basket from during my recent visit to Aden/Yemen. I store bread in this basket.

Posted in Tricks of the trade | 1 Comment »

Eggplant Dip

January 18, 2013 by Dr. Lamya Almas

I also got this recipe from Gada Salamah in Montgomery/AL. I had some beautiful eggplants that I had bought from the local farmer’s market and wanted to make a dip. So, here is a beautiful dip.

You will need:

1) 2 small to medium eggplants. Take a small knife and peel the skin lengthwise in such a way that it looks like you have a striped eggplant. Then cut into thick rounds.

2) Oil for frying. I would say about 3/4 to 1 cup. I used Olive Oil.

3) 6 tablespoons of plain yogurt

4) 1 tsp of pomegranate molasses

5) juice of one small lemon

6) 2 tsp of tahini

7) 1/4 tsp of garlic powder

8) Salt to taste

For garnish:

9) 1 – 2 medium tomatoes cubed

10) 1 hot green chilly minced

11) 2 tblsp of finely chopped parsley

12) 1/4 of cup of walnuts roughly chopped

13) Olive Oil

Let’s start. First fry the eggplant rounds in the oil until golden brown. Place on paper towel side by side for the oil to be drained from them. Then in a blender place the eggplant and ingredients two eight. Blend and empty onto a nice serving plate. Mix ingredients 9-12 and mix in half with the blended eggplant and use the rest for garnish. Drizzle some olive oil on top and enjoy as an appetizer with pita bread. The pomegranate molasses make a huge difference in taste, so make the effort of getting some. If it’s absolutely impossible then you can do without them, but there will definitely be a difference in taste. Enjoy.

Posted in Appetizers, Vegetarian | 2 Comments »

Fatma’s Cabbage

January 18, 2013 by Dr. Lamya Almas

I have always enjoyed this at potlucks. It’s usually either the Amharic, Eriterian, or Oromo sisters who have shared this dish. I called my Eriterian friend Fatma and asked her for this recipe . So here it is for us all to enjoy.

1) small cabbage chopped

2) 2 potatoes ( medium) chopped into bite size pieces

3) carrots sliced into rounds

4) 3-4 tblsp of olive oil

5) 1 medium onion chopped

6) 3 cloves of garlic minced

7) 1/2 tsp of turmeric

8) 1 tsp of curry powder

9) salt to taste

Cook the cabbage in a little olive oil until it wilts. Take it out. Then brown the potatoes in the same oil. Just until they’re browned, but not cooked through. Then take them out out. Do the same to the carrots.

Once you’re down with the frying of the vegetables above –that is the cabbage, the potatoes, and the carrots–take a pot and place on the stove at medium high heat. Then add the chopped onion and minced garlic. Once they have browned, add the turmeric and curry powder. Add a little water so the spices don’t burn. Now add the fried vegetables. Once they’re all looking nice and yellow add a little more water and transfer to a baking dish. Cover and cook in oven at 350 degrees fahrenheit until all the water has evaporated and the vegetables are soft.I serve this with lahoh [Yemeni bread that looks a little like Injera].

Posted in Vegetarian | Tagged dinner, fried vegetables, vegetarian | Leave a Comment »

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Eggplant and yogurt are two of my favorite foods, and when they are paired up in a dish then that makes three of my favorite foods. This is a pretty easy salad to make, and very delicious. It’s also a very pretty dish. You will need:

1) An egg plant, peeled and cut into

2) Olive Oil for frying

3) Salt to taste

4) 1/4 tsp ground cumin

5) 2 finely minced garlic cloves

6) 1 cup of Greek yogurt of any plain yogurt of your choice

7) chopped cilantro for garnish

8) ground paprika or red chilly powder

9) 1 tsp of fresh lemon juice

1) 2 Tilapia fillets halved

2) 1 big or 2 medium sized potatoes, quartered.

3) 2 medium onions, finely diced

4) 2-3 tablespoons of Olive Oil –more if you like.

5) salt to taste

6) 1 teaspoon of chilly powder-less if you don’t like it spicy

7) 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

8) 1/4 teaspoon turmeric

9) 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

10) 3 tablespoons of finely cut cilantro

11) green chilly pepper halved, lengthwise

12) 3 minced garlic

13) tsp of minced fresh ginger

To start take ingredients 6-13 [the spices and the garlic and ginger], place in a bowl and add 1/2 cup of water. Leave aside.

This is one of my favorites. It’s pretty easy to make, although might be time consuming for some. For the dough you will need:

1) 2 cups of flour

2) 1/4 tsp of salt

3) 1 tablespoon of oil [I used sunflower oil]

4) water as kneaded to make a soft and smooth dough

Add the salt to the dough and mix well. Then add the oil and mix in as well. Then gradually add water and knead and unit it is transformed into a smooth and soft dough. Soft means that when you poke it it does not bounce back. Cover the dough and let rest for 30 minutes.

When the dough has rested for 30 minutes, divide it into small balls. This amount should be enough for 12 small balls.

Now it is time to roll them out. Before you do so press with your fingers around the edges so that they all line up evenly or else you will end up have ones that are shorter than the others. Like this:

Then roll it out pretty thin:

Once you have it all rolled out beautifully, place it carefully on the hot pan. It will start puffing up in a few seconds. Flip on the other side and watch it puff up some more.

The layers will start coming apart. That’s when it is ready. Pull the layers apart with your hands. BE CAREFUL IT IS HOT. Continue until you are done with all the dough you have prepared.

The layers will be nice and thin like this:

Now for the egg mixture to put in between the thin layers that you just made with the dough. You will need:

1) 2-3 eggs

2) 4 green onions, finely chopped

3) a handful of cilantro finely chopped

4) green chilly pepper finely chopped –to taste. This will make it a little spicy.

5) salt to taste

Mix all these ingredients well together:

Now oil the pan with about a tsp of oil, then take one of the layers of the prepared dough and place it on top. Then oil the layer and spread some of the egg mixture on top:

Place a second layer on top:

*Please click here for details of the story behind where I bought this basket from during my recent visit to Aden/Yemen. I store bread in this basket.

I also got this recipe from Gada Salamah in Montgomery/AL. I had some beautiful eggplants that I had bought from the local farmer’s market and wanted to make a dip. So, here is a beautiful dip.

You will need:

1) 2 small to medium eggplants. Take a small knife and peel the skin lengthwise in such a way that it looks like you have a striped eggplant. Then cut into thick rounds.

2) Oil for frying. I would say about 3/4 to 1 cup. I used Olive Oil.

3) 6 tablespoons of plain yogurt

4) 1 tsp of pomegranate molasses

5) juice of one small lemon

6) 2 tsp of tahini

7) 1/4 tsp of garlic powder

8) Salt to taste

For garnish:

9) 1 – 2 medium tomatoes cubed

10) 1 hot green chilly minced

11) 2 tblsp of finely chopped parsley

12) 1/4 of cup of walnuts roughly chopped

13) Olive Oil

I have always enjoyed this at potlucks. It’s usually either the Amharic, Eriterian, or Oromo sisters who have shared this dish. I called my Eriterian friend Fatma and asked her for this recipe . So here it is for us all to enjoy.

1) small cabbage chopped

2) 2 potatoes ( medium) chopped into bite size pieces

3) carrots sliced into rounds

4) 3-4 tblsp of olive oil

5) 1 medium onion chopped

6) 3 cloves of garlic minced

7) 1/2 tsp of turmeric

8) 1 tsp of curry powder

9) salt to taste

Cook the cabbage in a little olive oil until it wilts. Take it out. Then brown the potatoes in the same oil. Just until they’re browned, but not cooked through. Then take them out out. Do the same to the carrots.

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