A Yemeniyah's Recipes

This is an appetizer that people from Aden serve during Ramadhan. It is made out of chick pea flour (also known as Garam Flour). You may have had them at some Indian restaurants–they list them in their menu as Pakora.

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup of chick peas

2. 1/2 medium onion finely chopped

3. 1 jalapeno finely chopped (less if too spicy for you)

4. 2 tblsp of finely chopped cilantro

5. 1 patatoes grated (squeeze water out)

6. 1 carrot grated

7. 1 clove finely crushed

8. salt to taste

9. 1/2 tsp of ground cumin

10. 1/2 tsp of ground coriander

11. 1/8 tsp of tumeric

12. pinch of baking soda

13. 1/8 tsp chillie powder

14. 1/2 cup of water (give or take)

15. Oil for frying

Place all the ingredients in a boil, except for the water. Mix them all well and then pour in the water gradually, and knead with your hand. Add water as needed. You want the mixture to be thick and not runny (a runny mixture wil yield you OIL SOAKED Farolee’s). It is rather like a thick paste like mixture that you want to achieve.

Heat oil–trickle in a little of the mixture and if it starts bubbling it is the right temperature. You do not want the oil to be too hot, otherwise it will brown from the outside and reamin uncooked on the inside. Drop in a tsp of the mixture into the oil and fry until golden brown. Give about 2 minutes for each Farolee to cook well.

Place on a paper towel to get rid of excess oil, and serve with your favorite dip.

Note: you can use any vegetables in this mixture–and how big or small you cut the vegetables is up to your taste.

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This is my favorite Ramadhan appetizer–I can actually have this for a meal EVERYDAY. They are absolutely delicious.

You will need:

1. 4 boiled patatoes (make sure you boil them in with their skin still on, and mash them well while they are still hot).

2. 1/4 of tsp tumeric powder

3. salt to taste

4. 1 cup ground beef

5. 1 small onion finely chopped

6. 1 jalapeno finely chopped

7. 1 clover garlic minced

8. 1 tbsp cilantro finely chopped

9. 1/2 tsp ground cumin

10. 1/2 tsp ground coriander

11. 1 egg beaten

12. 1 cup of bread crumbs

13. Oil for frying

Mix half of the tumeric powder with the mashed patatoes and add salt to taste. Mix well.

To make the filling, place a frying pan over medium heat and sautee the ground beef until browned. Add the all the spices and the garlic and let sautee for 2 minutes. Add the onions, jalapeno and cilantro and mix well. turn off the heat.

To make the katless, take half a cup of the mashed patato mixture and make into a patty–then with your fingers make a dent in the middle and place some of the ground beef mixture. Then slowly roll into a ball, and gently press between the palms of tyour hands. Make sure the surface is CRACK-FREE or else it will fall apart while frying.

Dip the Katless in the egg mixture and cover with the breadcrumbs.Heat some oil, just enough to reach up to half way of the katless. This is a not a deep fried appetizer.Fry on both sdes until nice and golden brown and serve hot.

Note: you can use any filling you like–I sometimes make it with tuna, ground chicken, and even with my favorite cheese.

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