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Archive for the ‘Yemeni Dishes’ Category

Aseed

Posted in Yemeni Dishes on July 25, 2010| 49 Comments »


This is a dish that requires lots of muscle. If you make it for two or three people you might be able to manage on your own–if it is your first time–but for more than that you will need some extra muscles to help you make it. Make use of your husband  or brother, or idle male in your household.

For the Aseed (the dough) will need:

1) 3 tblsp of yoghurt [optional]

2) 3 cups of white flour (I used Organic all purpose)

3) 2 cups of wheat flour (I also used Organic)

4) salt to taste

5) 3 tablespoons of olive oil (traditionally we use vegetable oil)

6) boiling water. Amount is as needed. 

For the soup in the middle:

1) a whole chicken quartered (more chicken if you like–i usually roast the rest of the chicken, depending on t number of guesys I have)

2) 2 medium onions

3) a green jalapeno (or less if you do not like spicy food)

4) 2 cloves of garlic

5) half a bunch of cilantro

6) 1 1/2 tsp of ground cumin

7) a tsp of ground coriander

8) 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon

9) salt to taste

10) 1 tsp of concentrated tamarind ( you can get this from any East Asian or Middle Eastern store)

11) 1 tsp of tomato paste

For the Aseed:

Place a big pot on high heat and fill it with 5 cups of water. Let boil.SALT WELL, this is the only chance for you to add salt to the mixture. So, salt it well so that the dough has enough salt in it, or else it will taste very bland.

At the same time fill another medium sized pot with 1 cup of water, JUST WATER, and let it boil as well. Add the yoghurt and put in ALL the flour while mixing at the same time with a wooden rod  (you can get this from Yemen for the purpose, they call it Mu’sod), if you do not have one you can use a STURDY wide but thick wooden spoon. It has to be sturdy so it does not break. Keep on mixing in a circular motion, and vertical motion. It will  be easier for you if you bring the pot down to the floor, get on your knees, and lean it against a corner of your kitchen and steady it by pushing your knees against the pot.  Hold it firmly in place. But make sure to place a pot holder between your knees and the pot and make sure you put a pot holder underneath so you don’t burn your kitchen floor. Mix for a good 5 minutes. Keep on adding a little water from the salty boiling water (1/4 cup at a time) from the other pot and continue to mix. You want it to be a thick dough, but manageable in the sense that you can mix it with the wooden spoon. It should not be soupy, or too soft.

After five minutes of mixing add a little more water to it (1/4 cup at a time), mix it in and then place it back on the stove on medium heat and let it cook.It will start to bubble. Keep on mixing and mixing and mixing for about half an hour–either on the stove or take it down to the floor. In Yemen we take down to the floor. Add a little water as you go by, and mix again. Then stop adding any water, and let it cook for another 15 minutes until it bubbles with difficulty, because it remember it is nice and thick but silky smooth. When it is done it will start to pull from the side of the pot, that means it is ready.

Grease a big serving plate and arrange in in the same shape as the picture above. Make sure to grease your hands with the olive oil as you arrange it on the plate, otherwise it will stick to your fingers. Make a hole in the middle for the special sauce .

This is how you make the sauce:

In a medium sized pot add 2 tblsp of oilive oil. Add the chicken and fry briefly. While the chicken is frying, in a blender place the vegetable with half a cup of water and blend well. Basically liquidize. Pour into pot onto the chicken and let boil for about 5 minutes. Add the tamarind and spices and let cook for another 5 minutes.

Add 2 cups of water, cover and let boil for about 10 minutes on simmer. Then add the tomato paste and cover and let simmer for another 5 minutes. Add salt to taste, and serve immediately with hot Aseed.

Note: we also serve fenugreek (Hulba) traditionally with this dish. We spoon it in the middle. For the recipe please go to the following link: Hulbah

Enjoy making it and eating it. It’s a winner in

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Zurbiyaan

Posted in Rice, Yemeni Dishes on July 25, 2010| 56 Comments »


What is distinct in this dish is the taste of the most expensive spice in the world–saffron. In Aden this is a dish we usually make for special occasions–weddings and special guest. It is usually made with lamb but I have tried it with chicken and it turns out just as good. You have to be generous with the spices for this dish to turn out aromatic.

You will need:

1) a pound of lamb cut into medium pieces

2) 4 patatoes halved

3) 2 onions–sliced

4) 2 tblsp of regular white flour [I use organic unbleached white flour]

5) 2 tblsp of olive oil

6) tblsp of either balsamic vinegar (recommended) or white vinegar

7) 1 tblsp of lemon juice

8) 3 cups of basmati rice

9) 2 tblsp of ground cumin

10) 2 tblsp of ground coriander

11) a few pods of cardamon

12) a few peppercorns

13) a couple of cinnamon sticks

14) 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon

15) 1/4 tsp of black pepper

16) 1/4 of tsp of food coloring (orange)–half of which we will sprinkle on the rice.

17) about two pinches of saffron threads (one to marinate the lamb in and the other to sprinkle on top of the rice)

18) 1/2 cup of yoghurt or sour cream (whichever you prefer)

19) salt to taste

 

The night before you intend to make this dish, marinate the lamb and patatoes in ingredients 9-19 +lemon juice + balsamic vinegar + olive oil  . Deep fry the onions after coating them with flour, and add half of it to the marinated lamb mixture for flavor.  Place in an oven stoneware dish or pyrex (enough to accomodate the meat and 3 cups of half boiled rice) and refrigerate.

3 hours before your guests come, add 1 cup of water to the marinated lamb and cover (either with its lid or with foil. Place in a 350 F preheated oven for 2 hours, or until the lamb is tender. Make sure it does not dry out–if you feel it will then reduce the temperature to 300 F.

Boil some water with salt, a few peppercorns, cardamon pods, and sticks of cinnamon. Boil the rice until it is almost done. Drain the rice and leave aside.

When the lamb and patatoes are cooked through layer the rice on top. Sprinkle the rest of the saffron and food coloring. A little water–about a 1/4 of a cup evenly sprinkled. Distribute the rest of the fried onion on top of the rice and OPTIONAL : Take a piece of natural coal –about the size of a nickel or quarter. Light it up, and place in a nest made of the outer and first inner layer of an onion. Place in the middle of the pot , add a few drops of oil to the coal and cover and let the smoke permeate the dish. It will give it a nice smoky flavor. Then cook in the oven at 300 F for another hour–or until the rice is cooked through.

OPTIONAL : I like to add three dabs of butter or aromatic ghee on the face [surface] of the rice. It gives it an extra special aroma and taste.

We usually serve this dish with pickled lemons in red chillie sauce and with yoghurt on the side.

ENJOY :)

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