A Jordanian Feast
By: Habeeb Salloum/Arab America Contributing Writer
Jordan with its deserts, mountains, farmlands, sandy beaches, ancient towns, modern cities, and historic ruins is a land ideal for any tourist who wishes to explore and enjoy the lands of the Arab east. But the picturesque country and its many attractions are only one aspect of enjoyment which the traveler will find when visiting that ancient land. The inhabitants, whose ancestors gave birth to western civilization, is another. The few remaining majestic Bedouins, the farmers dressed in their flowing Arab dress, and the men and women in the towns and cities decked in the most modern western dress, create a kaleidoscope of colorful people.
All these descendants of the first organized states of mankind, whether they be Bedouins, farmers or townsfolk, still practice hospitality, a trait for which the Arabs have been renowned throughout the centuries. Traveling in the out-of-the-way places in this Biblical land, a traveler need not fear lack of food or lodgings. Anyone in the isolated Bedouin camps or villages will welcome a stranger to their home, feed him the choicest food, and put him up for the night. If the hose is of modest means he may serve tasty stews and vegetables with rice but if he is affluent, the stranger will feast on kharoof mihshee (stuffed lamb), a repast with which Arabs have served their most honored guests for hundreds of years. The Bedouins and villagers of Jordan, as they have done throughout the centuries, cook the kharoof mihshee which they call zarb, in an oven of underground rocks covered with leaves and stones.
This tradition of the Bedouins has not been lost in the towns and cities. Today kharoof mihshee, which is common all over the Arab world, is a party dish designed to be served at a party or a meeting where there are a large number of guests. But not only in Jordan and the rest of the Arab world can this exquisite dish be enjoyed. In all parts of the glove anyone who appreciates fine food can easily prepare, in the same fashion as a Jordanian host, a feast with the main course of kharoof mihshee with its exotic and exciting stuffing.
This heavenly rich-succulent dish is always accompanied by side dishes of kuzbara bi laban (coriander in yogurt) and salatat tomatim (tomato salad). If a host or hostess decides they want to add to this main course of the feast they can start by having shawrabat cadas (lentil soup) and end the meal with a dessert of baklawa served with Arabic coffee. To have such a repast is truly to have a meal fit for kings.
We will plan our feast for 30 people, starting with:
Shawrabat Adas – Lentil Soup
5 cups split lentils
10 large onions, chopped
1 1/4 cups olive or vegetable oil
5 tablespoons salt
3 teaspoons pepper
3 teaspoons cumin
1/4 teaspoon saffron
8 1/2 quarts boiling water
3/4 cup rice
1/2 cup lemon juice
Wash the lentils.
In a large pot sauté the onions in the oil until they turn golden brown, then add the lentils, salt, pepper, cumin and saffron.
Add the boiling water and simmer on low heat until the lentils are nearly cooked, then add rice and cook until lentils are cooked – about 15 minutes.
Note: If desired, after the soup is cooked, it can be put through the strainer and served pureed.
The lentil soup, if it is served, will only wet the appetite of the hungry guest. Roasted lamb, the epitome of Arab cuisine, is what everyone will be waiting for. This simple recipe with its complementary side dishes can be made by any housewife.
Kharoof Mihshee – Stuffed Lamb
6 tablespoons salt
20-25-pound spring lamb
2 teaspoons pepper
2 teaspoons allspice
Take five tablespoons of the salt and rub the lamb inside and out
Wash the lamb in cold water, then dry with paper towels.
Mix the remaining salt, pepper, and allspice, then sprinkle the mixture inside and outside the lamb.
Set lamb aside and prepare the stuffing.
Stuffing
3 pounds lamb diced in very small pieces
1 cup butter
5 cups of rice
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon pepper
1 tablespoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
6 cardamom seeds, crushed
6 cups of water
1 cup pine nuts
1 cup blanched almonds
Brown the meat lightly in 1/2 cup of the butter, then add the rice and sprinkle with the salt, pepper, allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cardamom.
Stir until the spices are well mixed, then add the water.
Cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes.
While the rice is cooking, sauté the pine nuts and almonds in the remaining butter until they turn light brown.
Remove the rice from the heat and add the pine nuts and almonds, then mix well and set aside.
Stuffing and Cooking the Lamb
Sew the cavity of the lamb with thick linen thread, but keep a portion open, large enough to be able to stuff.
Stuff the lamb with the prepared stuffing, then sew the opening-closing it completely.
Place the lamb in a large deep pan and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 450oF for 30 minutes, then place the lamb in the oven and cook for 15 minutes, then remove and cover with aluminum foil and return to oven.
Reduce the oven temperature to 350oF and cook until the lamb is tender. The cooking time is usually 30 minutes per pound.
When ready to serve, place the lamb on a large platter and set the platter in the middle of the table. Lamb should be served piping hot.
While the lamb is cooking, prepare the two side dishes. They should be ready at the same time as the lamb is cooked.
Salatat Tamatim – Tomato Salad
15 medium size tomatoes
5 medium-size green peppers (sweet)
3 bunches green onions or 5 medium size onions
5 medium size cucumbers
3 bunches parsley, finely chopped
4 tablespoons of fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
5 cloves garlic, crushed
1 1/4 cups olive oil
Juice of 10 lemons
2 tablespoons salt
2 1/2 teaspoons pepper
10 medium radishes
1/4-pound olives pitted and cut into pieces
1/4-pound feta cheese cut into small pieces
Chop into small pieces the tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers, then mix in the rest of the ingredients and allow to marinate at least 10 minutes before serving.
Kuzbara bi Laban – Coriander in Yogurt
5 bunches coriander
1 medium head garlic
2 tablespoons salt
5 quarts yogurt
Thoroughly wash the coriander, then finely chop and set aside.
Mash the garlic in the salt, then add to the yogurt and stir until smooth.
Add the finely chopped coriander and stir, then chill and serve.
To end the meal there is no better dessert than baklawa, the king of Arab pastry. In the Arab east, it used to be said that no young lady would make a good wife unless she knew how to make the dough for this pastry. Fortunately, today, not only in the Arab world but also throughout the western world, the baklawa dough is prepared commercially, and the young ladies are spared the ordeal of proving their suitability for marriage.
With the commercially produced dough, any man or woman can easily make this delightful pastry which is usually served with Arab coffee.
Baklawa
First, prepare the filling:
1-pound chopped walnuts
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup clarified butter
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon mazahar (orange blossom water)
Mix all the ingredients thoroughly, then set aside.
Making the Baklawa:
1-pound strudel or filo dough
2 cups melted, clarified butter
Butter well a 10” X 15” baking tray.
Remove the dough from the package and spread it out on a towel.
Remove one sheet and place it in the baking tray, then brush with melted butter.
Keep repeating this procedure until one-half of the package is used.
Place the filling over the buttered layers and spread evenly.
Take one layer of dough and spread over the filling and brush with melted butter, then continue this procedure until the rest of the dough is used.
Reheat the rest of the butter, then pour evenly over the dough.
With a sharp knife cut into either square, about two inches wide or diamond shape.
Bake in a preheated oven of 400oF for 5 minutes, then lower heat to 300°F for about one hour or until sides and top are slightly golden.
When the Baklawa is baking, prepare the syrup or attar:
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup of water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon mazahar
Place the sugar and water in a pot and stir well.
Place over medium heat, then stir constantly until the sugar is thoroughly dissolved, about 15 minutes.
Remove from the heat, then add the lemon juice and mazahar and stir.
Let cook until the baklawa is ready.
When the sides of the baklawa are lightly browned, place under the broiler and turn the tray around until the top of the baklawa is evenly golden brown.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 15 minutes, then pour the syrup with a spoon over each square or diamond.
Allow cooling before serving.
Arab Coffee
2 cups pulverized coffee
1 cup of sugar
6 1/2 cups water
8 cardamom seeds, crushed
Put the coffee, sugar, and water in a pot and bring to a boil.
When the froth begins to rise, remove from the heat and stir, then heat again until the froth rises.
Remove from the heat and allow to settle for a few minutes, then add the crushed cardamom.
If desired, with a spoon put a little froth in each cup, then fill and serve hot. Serve in demi-tasse cups.
Note: The sugar may be omitted and the coffee served bitter.
