Cooking Stack Exchange
Cooking Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [middle-eastern-cuisine]

Questions tagged the middle-eastern-cuisine tag should be about traditional ingredients, preparations or dishes from the Middle East (Western Asia and Northern Africa). Questions about Indian cuisine should use the indian-cuisine tag.

This tag should be used on questions about traditional Middle Eastern food.

The Middle East (aka Mid East) is a region that contains Western Asia and Northern Africa. Questions about typical ingredients (e.g. tahini), dishes (e.g. kibbeh) or preparations can use this tag.

Questions about ingredients that can be used in this cuisine, but are not distinctive about it, should not use this tag. According to Wikipedia, olive oil is a common used ingredient in Middle Eastern cuisine. However, a question about how to make your own olive oil should not be tagged with this tag, because olive oil is also used in a lot non-Middle Eastern dishes and cuisines.

Questions about Indian dishes should not have this tag because India is not in the Middle East - use the tag .

58 questions
4
votes
3 answers

Should syrup or pastry be cooled when pouring on to Baklava?

When making Baklava, should you let the syrup or pastry cool before pouring the syrup over pastry?
Simon
  • 309
  • 2
  • 3
  • 10
4
votes
1 answer

Recreating New York street vendors' "halal chicken over rice"

New York City is filled with carts selling all sorts of food, but the most common ones are the halal carts. They each have their own recipes, but all have the same basic signature dishes: chicken or lamb, over rice or in a pita, with optional "white…
Josh
  • 2,106
  • 1
  • 18
  • 20
3
votes
1 answer

Looking for advice on making halva w/ allulose - first attempt came out gummy and taffy-like w/ oil separation

I'm trying to create halva, and my first attempt ended up with something that wasn't crumbly like halva is supposed to be - instead, it ended up a hard, taffy-like confection that was tasted like halva but had none of the correct texture. I also had…
Greg Sherman
  • 153
  • 3
3
votes
2 answers

What are some of the most important things to keep in mind, when making great falafels?

I am currently studying how to make great falafels. Currently I know that the amount of water added to the mixture afterwards is very important. Too little and they become dry, too much and they fall apart. What are your tips on getting the perfect…
Barbicane
  • 157
  • 2
  • 7
3
votes
1 answer

What is Balkan bread?

A few years ago, I went to a restaurant on the water in Tel Aviv-Yafo called Manta Ray. They served this most exceptional bread they called Balkan bread. It reminded me a little of a focaccia in texture, but I don't think it was focaccia. I have a…
ariadnep
  • 391
  • 2
  • 3
  • 7
3
votes
2 answers

Non-Quick Cooking Couscous - Is that a real thing anywhere?

To me a big part of the fun of cooking meals traditional elsewhere is to do it "right". So I'd like to try to approximate using a couscousier as I play with my new North African ingredients. Almost all of the couscous I've been able to find (even on…
Jolenealaska
  • 58,386
  • 30
  • 196
  • 321
3
votes
1 answer

Adding rolled-in seasonings to pita bread

Usually when I make flatbread, I roll-in seasonings (ie: minced garlic and celery) before cooking. There doesn't seem to be a problem with the dough being too wet or doughy if I only use about a teaspoon of seasoning per ball, and only roll the…
mdegges
  • 714
  • 5
  • 10
  • 16
3
votes
2 answers

Are there different styles of tahini?

I've recently started frequenting a Middle Eastern restaurant. They provide a sauce with their shawarma that they swear is tahini, but I've never tasted any like this. Most tahinis I've had are about the texture of natural peanut butter, are some…
EmmyS
  • 478
  • 2
  • 6
  • 12
3
votes
6 answers

What type of yogurt is most similar to the yogurt used in authentic Middle-Eastern cuisine?

While looking at different recipes to make "yogurt sauce" commonly found in Middle Eastern cuisine, I noticed a descrepancy between the type of yogurt the recipe calls for. Some recipe calls for plain low fat yogurt, others calls for plain Greek…
Jay
  • 8,833
  • 19
  • 57
  • 97
3
votes
2 answers

Why do falafels crack open when frying?

I've used the same recipe for years: soaked ground fava with enough chickpea flour to bind, sesame seeds, salt spice, baking soda. Using thawed frozen portions of the mix, sometimes I get little cauliflowers instead of balls. Next try, from the same…
Pat Sommer
  • 5,372
  • 2
  • 22
  • 29
3
votes
3 answers

Can I still use a Tagine that was outside for a while?

I have a ceramic Tagine that I used regularly to make Middle Eastern dishes. However over the last few months I didn't use it and it sat outside on the balcony for a while, collecting rain water and dirt. I took it inside and cleaned it thoroughly…
Fnguyen
  • 131
  • 2
2
votes
2 answers

Aleppo Pepper + Heat

I'm testing out a meatball recipe with aleppo pepper flakes, and although it's good, I want a little more heat. Do you think adding a touch of cayenne would do the trick? Would it pair well with the aleppo or could it possibly overtake the aleppo's…
Mark L.
  • 21
  • 1
2
votes
1 answer

Can I make Turkish Delight with jelly powder?

I have come across some Turkish Delight recipes calling for cornstarch, others for gelatin, some use both and one that uses store-bought jelly powder (aka gelatin dessert aka Jell-O). The jelly powder recipe confused me because it has few other…
lofidevops
  • 582
  • 2
  • 7
  • 14
2
votes
1 answer

What cut of ground beef is ideal to mix with ground lamb for kofta?

I'm attempting to replicate kofta that I had at a Mediterranean place last week. They were a mix of beef and lamb, yet neither flavor was more pronounced than the other, in fact it had a sort of flavor all its own. It wasn't at all fatty, yet it had…
Tim Post
  • 4,084
  • 1
  • 24
  • 39
2
votes
2 answers

How to reduce the taste of horseradish in hummus?

I followed The Pec Shef's hummus recipe and I am getting a strong horseradish after-taste in my hummus. I only used 6 cans of chickpeas instead of 8, and a 9.25oz jar of horseradish. Is there anything I can add to the mix to reduce or neutralize the…
Garry
  • 123
  • 1
  • 6
1 2
3
4