Arab Snacks We Enjoyed on Our South Saskatchewan Homestead
By: Habeeb Salloum/Arab America Contributor
The snacks that we enjoyed on our homestead farm were somewhat different than those of our neighbors. At first, they were mostly tidbits of Middle Eastern foods – the dishes that my parents had brought with them when they emigrated from Syria to the New World.
As the years rolled by and our family became acclimatized to Canadian ways, my mother included Canadian touches to our traditional fare. At times, non-Middle Eastern recipes became as important as Arab foods in our larder of snack foods. Yet, what I remember most about our snack food was the traditional Arab dishes which I still often prepare and relish.
From among these foods were: hot Arabic bread; Za’tar (thyme seasoning); baba ghannooj (eggplant purée); hummus bi tahini (chickpea dip); labna (a type of yogurt-based cream cheese); kubba (a type of tartare); and piping hot manaqeesh (both cheese and thyme pies) as well as a dozen other dishes, including tidbits made from Qawarma(a type of Arab pemmican); and kishk (a type of powdered cheese), considered the oldest cheese known to man.
The following dishes that I relished during my farming years form the core of the traditional Arab foods my mother often served as part of our snack food.
Chickpea Dip – Hummus bi Tahini
Serves about 8 for snacks
This renowned Middle Eastern dish, called by some ‘the mother of all chickpea dishes’, has become a favorite appetizer for many people in Europe and North America.
In the Depression years when tahini was unknown in Western Canada, the mother used peanut butter as a substitute.
2 cups cooked chickpeas
4 tablespoons tahini
4 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons water
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cumin
pinch cayenne
1/2 small tomato, diced
4 tablespoons chopped parsley
Place all ingredients, except 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, tomato and parsley, in a food processor then process into a smooth paste, adding a little more water if necessary. Spread on a platter then decorate with tomato and parsley. Sprinkle with remaining olive oil and serve.
Eggplant Purée – Baba Ghannooj
Serves about 8 for snacks
In this dish, the eggplant shines in all its glory.
1 large eggplant, about 2 pounds punctured with a fork about half a dozen times
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
4 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons tahini 3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1 small tomato, finely chopped
Extra olive oil
Place eggplant in a pan; then bake in a 375°F oven, turning frequently for 1 hour or until the skin is crisp and the pulp turns tender. Allow to cool, and then remove and discard skin. . Mash the pulp well in a mixing bowl then set aside.
Place remaining ingredients, except the parsley, tomato, and extra olive oil, in a small food processor and process for a few moments then stir into the eggplant. Spread on a platter then garnish with the parsley and tomato. Sprinkle with a little olive oil and serve.
Sumach and Thyme Condiment – Za’tar
Sumac, a condiment used almost solely in the Middle East, is an important ingredient in this dish, which is used to season other foods. As a condiment, za’atar is often used at snack time to give bread, olives, and yogurt an exquisite taste. It can be found ready to use in almost all Middle Eastern markets located in every large city in North America. If it cannot be found, this simple recipe can be followed.
1 cup dried thyme, pulverized
1 cup sumac (found in Middle Eastern stores)
1/4 cup cooked, dried unsalted chickpeas, finely pulverized
3 tablespoons sesame seeds toasted
1 tablespoon marjoram
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin
Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend for a minute; then store in a jar for future use.
Arab-Style Yogurt Cream Cheese – Labna
Makes 1 cup Labna
A delicious suggestion is to serve the balls with a dish of olives and freshly cut vegetables on the side. These along with a good hot loaf of Arab (pita) bread make for a true and traditional Arab snack.
4 cups plain yogurt
3/4 teaspoon salt
Za’atar
Olive oil
In a medium bowl, place the yogurt then stir in the salt. Pour the yogurt into a small fine white cotton bag and tie with a string. Suspend the tied bag over a receptacle for two days allowing the water to drip out, or until contents are firm.
Remove contents from the bag and place the Labana, a cheese-like paste, in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate then use as needed.
To serve, remove the required amount then spread evenly on a small plate. Sprinkle with a little za’tar and olive oil just before serving.
or
To preserve the Labna for long periods, place 1 heaping tablespoon of Labna in the palm of the hand then roll into balls and place on a tray.
Allow standing overnight uncovered at room temperature then place in sterilized jars and cover with the olive oil. Seal and store refrigerated for future use.
Always serve balls with a little of the olive oil. (Makes some 20 balls)
Cucumber and Yogurt Salad – Khiyar bi-Laban
Serves about 6 as a snack
Whatever the season, we often enjoyed this refreshing dish in our prairie home. The years have not dulled my taste for this simple yet delectable dish.
3 cups plain yogurt
1 medium cucumber (about 6 inches, peeled and chopped
4 tablespoons chopped mint leaves or 1 tablespoon dried-crushed mint
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Thoroughly combine all the ingredients in a bowl, then chill and serve.
Chickpea and Burghul Salad – Safsoof
Serves about 8
This salad becomes crunchier and tastier if 1/2 cup of dried chickpeas is substituted for the 1 cup of cooked. The dried chickpeas should be soaked overnight then drained. Following this, place the chickpeas in a small cloth bag, a handful at a time then rolls with a rolling pin to break them up. Remove loose skin before using it.
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 cup fine burghul, soaked for 10 minutes in warm water, then water pressed out through a strainer
1 large bunch parsley, finely chopped
1 cup cooked chickpeas
1 small bunch green onions, finely chopped
3 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
1 medium cucumber, about 6 inches long, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh mint
Place olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and cayenne in a small bowl and thoroughly mix to make a dressing then set aside.
Place the remaining ingredients in a salad bowl then stir in the dressing. Chill for about 1 hour then serve.
Lentil Pottage – Mujaddara
Serves about 6 as a snack
Mujaddara is one of the preferred dishes that the Arab immigrants brought with them to North America.
1 cup lentils, rinsed
6 cups of water
1/4 cup rice, rinsed
4 tablespoons butter
3 medium-size onions, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Place lentils and water in a saucepan and bring to boil, then cover and cook over medium heat for 40 minutes. Add rice, then cook for further 15 minutes or until lentils and rice are well done, adding more water if necessary.
In the meantime, melt butter in a frying pan then sauté onions over medium heat for 10 minutes or until they turn golden brown. Stir-frying pan contents and remaining ingredients into lentils, then cook for a further 5 minutes. Serve hot with pickles and hot peppers.
Cheese Pies – Manaqeesh bi Jubn
Makes 12 pies
Served hot out of the oven, they are at their best.
1 1/2 pounds frozen or handmade dough
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons marjoram
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1 medium onion, grated
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 cups crumbled feta cheese
Prepare the dough then set aside.
In the meantime, prepare the cheese topping by mixing the remaining ingredients then set aside.
Form dough into 12 balls then places them on a floured tray. Cover with a cloth then allow standing in a warm place for 30 minutes.
Roll balls into 1/8 inch thick rounds then place on a well greased cookie tray. With tips of fingers flatten inside of rounds, leaving the edges at a little higher level.
Again, thoroughly mix the cheese topping then spread mixture evenly over flattened inside of rounds. Bake in a 350° F preheated oven for 20 minutes or until edges of rounds turn light brown. Serve hot.
Chickpeas Topped Pies – Sfeeha bi Hummus
Makes 12
Often prepared by my mother, chickpea pies were eaten by the peasants in the Middle East since pre-Roman times.
1 1/2-pounds frozen or handmade dough
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and drained
Prepare the dough then set aside.
In the meantime, combine remaining ingredients then set aside.
Form dough into 12 balls then place them on a floured tray. Cover with a cloth then allow standing in a warm place for 30 minutes.
Roll balls into 1/8 inch thick rounds then place on a well-greased cookie tray. Stir chickpea mixture then press firmly the chickpeas into the rounds, a handful of chickpeas on each pie. Sprinkle remaining oil from the mixture evenly over the chickpeas.
Bake in a 350° F preheated oven for 20 minutes or until edges of rounds turn light brown.
Place under broiler for 2 minutes or until top lightly browns, then serve preferably hot. If not to be eaten immediately, brush lightly with olive oil then just before serving heat.
Fresh Tartare – Kubba Naya
Serves 8 to 12 as a snack food
Kubba Naya was one of these tasty dishes that I feasted upon in my adolescent years. The way that I enjoyed eating this dish as a youth, was to scoop the kubba with round, pliable loaves of Arabic (pita) bread, freshly cooked by my mother.
1 1/2 pounds fresh lean lamb or baby beef
1 cup fine burghul, soaked for 10 minutes in warm water, then drained by pressing water out through a fine strainer.
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon crushed dried mint leaves
3/4 teaspoon pepper
3/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
a few sprigs of fresh mint
2 tablespoons olive oil
Place meat in a food processor and process until well ground, then add remaining ingredients, except mint and olive oil, and process into a thick paste. Spread on a platter then decorate with mint sprigs. Sprinkle with olive oil just before serving. The kubba should be eaten immediately.
Note: After the kubba is processed, if desired, it can be eaten raw or made into patties or balls and fried, making for perfect snack food.