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  • Home / Events
  • About Us
  • English Lessons
  • Help for Schools
  • Ukraine Support
  • Job Support
  • Contact Us
  • Get Involved
  • Support Us
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Recipes

To celebrate Refugee Week in the spirit of Jo Cox Foundation's More In Common, we invited everyone to share a favourite recipe from their background and culture. Below are the delicious recipes that we have received from some of the refugees we support and some of our volunteers. Thank you all for sharing them with us.

  • Mohamarah (Spicy Dip) - Allaa
  • Syrian Samosas - Allaa
  • Chiftele (Romanian Meatballs) - Carmen Ratoi 
  • Orzo Lamb - from Emma Fry
  • Lebenese Mezze selection - from May Real-Firman
  • Filipino Leche Flan - from Frances Stamp
  • Irish Soda Bread - from Rachel Cahill
  • Ginger biscuits - from Anne Clay
  • Hummus Fattah - from Allaa Zeno
  • Quincey Kibbeh / Kubba Safarjalia - from Ghaithaa
  • Aleppo Kibbeh / Kubbat Halab  - from Ban Hikmat
  • Saniya - from Ahmad Al-Rashid
  • Chicken Soup and Matzoh balls  - from Nina Kaye


Mohamarah (Spicy Dip)

from: Allaa

My name is Allaa and I am a cook and spice maker from Syria.  I had to leave my home city of Aleppo in 2013 and spent some time in Egypt before coming to the UK.   We came to the UK in 2017 and in 2019 we settled in Leatherhead where we are very happy.  We have a strong community and network around us here.  I am in the process of setting up my catering business to provide traditional Syrian food for dinner parties and events as well as selling some items at local markets.   I have passed my Food Hygiene Certificate and trained as a Migrateful Chef so I can host Syrian cookery classes.   I am also working to set up my own spice business in the UK.    Sharing my food and sharing my recipes brings me happiness and joy. 


This dip is a beautiful deep rich red colour and full of flavour, perfect for dipping samosas, bread or using as a sandwich filling.

Ingredients

1 Red bell pepper 

1 medium Onion 

2 tbsp Pepper paste (hot or sweet) 

4 tbsp Pomegranate molasses 

150g Breadcrumbs 

½ Lemon, juiced 

½ tsp Salt 

100ml Olive oil 

100g Walnuts 

Method


  • Cut the pepper in half, remove the seeds and roughly chop it up. Peel and roughly chop the onion. Pop the onion and red pepper into a blender and blend until smooth.
  • Add the pepper paste, pomegranate molasses, breadcrumbs, lemon juice, salt and olive oil. Blend the mixture until you have the desired consistency. You may need to add a little extra breadcrumbs if it is too watery, or add some extra water if it is too thick.
  • Spoon the mixture onto a plate and decorate with the walnuts.


Syrian Samosas

from: Allaa

Samosas can be found all over Syria, and come with a wide range of different fillings, these ones were invented by Allaa, but have become very famous and popular with her extended family, with the combination of chicken, mushrooms, and cheese, with a 7 spice mix. red colour and full of flavour, perfect for dipping samosas, bread or using as a sandwich filling.

Ingredients

Samosa Dough 

250g Plain flour 

1 Egg 

1 tbsp Nigella seeds 

1.5 tbsp Cooking oil 


Chicken Filling 

200g Chicken, boneless and skinless breast 

1½ tbsp Cooking oil 

150g Grated cheddar 

1 tin Mushrooms 

1 tbsp Curry powder 

1 Chicken stock cube 

½ Lemon, juiced 

3 cloves Garlic 

1½ tbsp Apple vinegar 

½ tsp Salt 

½ tsp Aleppo 7 Spice 


For Cooking 

1 litre Cooking oil 


 Note: You can buy Aleppo 7 spice in most Middle Easter stores or make from a mix of black pepper, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, cubibh, nutmeg and clove 


Method


  • Chop the chicken into thin strips. Heat up a large saucepan with 1 ½ tbsp cooking oil over a high heat, add the chicken and cook until lightly coloured and cooked through, and all of the liquid has evaporated 
  • Meanwhile make the dough. Mix the flour with the nigella seeds, the cooking oil, and the egg, add a generous pinch of salt. Now slowly add cold water whilst mixing. Start with 100ml water and mix through with your hands, knead lightly. You are looking for the dough to come together to a firm ball, it will start off shaggy, but as you mix will start to come together. You may need an additional 20 or 30ml water depending on the brand of flour that you are using. Knead until you have a smooth dough. Leave the dough to rest whilst you make the rest of your filling 
  • Finely chop the garlic and add to the chicken along with the 1 tbsp curry powder, Aleppo 7 spice, salt, lemon juice and vinegar. Strain the tin of mushrooms and mix in. Crumble in the stock cube and continue cooking until the liquid has evaporated. You want a dry mix to make your samosas with. Spread the mixture out on a baking tray and leave to cool 
  • Lightly flour a clean work surface and roll out your samosa dough to approximately 4mm thick. Cut diamond shapes <> out of the dough, approximately 15 cm long and 8cm wide 
  • Place two heaped tablespoons of the chicken filling into the middle of the samosa. Add one tablespoon of the grated cheese 
  • Wet the edges of the dough and fold the samosa over to make a triangle shaped samosa, press the edges down with your fingers to seal. Then use a fork to press down the edges to affirm the seal to make sure none of the filling will escape during cooking and to make a pretty pattern around the edges 
  • Continue using the rest of the dough and the filling to make more samosas. You should be able to make approximately 8 samosas from the mixture, 4 per person 
  • Heat up 1 litre cooking oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. You can test the temperature of the oil by popping a little ball of dough in, if the dough starts bubbling immediately then the oil is ready for frying. Fry 4 samosas at a time in the oil, gently turning during cooking, fry until the samosas are a golden brown colour and the dough is cooked 
  • Remove the samosas from the oil with a slotted spoon and rest on kitchen towel to remove any excess oil 


  • N.B. If you would prefer not to deep fry the samosas, they can be brushed with cooking oil, placed on a baking tray and baked at 200C until golden brown instead 


Chiftele (Romanian Meatballs)

from: Carmen Ratoi (of Zig Zag cafe)

I’m so happy to share this recipe with you today because this literally is one of the most common made dishes by my mother as we were growing up, and still is in her household and mine. So needless to say, I learned to make these meatballs a very long time ago. We call these “Chiftele” which is the Romanian word for meatballs.


I still remember that every single time my mother would make these, besides the fact that I was always in the kitchen with her, I was always in charge of rolling them. 

And the taste, oh the taste! These meatballs are packed full of fresh herbs and some grated potato. I love parsley, so I’ll put a lot in these meatballs.A bit of dill or coriander will give it a nice interesting taste as well.


Potato? In Meatballs?


Forget all other meatball recipes, this recipe is to die for! We actually shred some potatoes and add it to the meat mixture. I’m not exactly sure why, but from what I heard from my mother is that back in the day, meat was more expensive, so to make more you’d add potatoes. Now of course, I do it because I find that the potato makes the meatballs juicier and I just love the texture of it.

Ingredients

1 tbsp vegetable oil

2 small onions or 1 large, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic finely minced

2 lb ground pork, beef or mix 

2 medium potatoes grated

2 large eggs

1/2 cup breadcrumbs 

1/2 tsp salt or to taste

1/2 tsp pepper or to taste

1/4 cup parsley finely chopped

1/4 cup dill fresh, finely chopped

oil for frying

Method


  • Heat the tbsp of vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic and saute until tender. Add the grated potato and cook for a few minutes until it becomes tender. Let this cool.
  • In a large bowl, add the onion/potato mixture, ground pork, eggs and breadcrumbs, salt and pepper, add the chopped parsley, chopped dill and mix well.
  • You can form these into balls, or traditionally they are formed into small patties.
  • Add oil to a large skillet and fry the meatballs on all sides.
  • Serve over spaghetti, or mashed potatoes.



 

Tips


The Secret To Super Moist Meatballs

All you need is a cheese grater – yup that’s right! Use the grater to shred up your potato nice and fine before incorporating them into your meatballs. It will ensure they stay nice and moist and have super consistent flavour. Prefer To Bake Your Meatballs?

These meatballs can also be baked. Bake at 400 F degrees for about 30 to 45 minutes or until cooked through.

What Other Kinds of Meat Can I Use

I love using pork or beef in my meatballs because they always turn out so juicy from the higher fat content. You can use any type of ground meat that you like! Keep in mind that meat with a lower fat content like turkey, chicken, or lean ground beef will yield dryer meatballs.

You can mix a lean type of meat with something fattier like lamb, regular ground beef, or pork.

How To Serve

You can use these meatballs for your spaghetti, with mashed potatoes, you can make a tomato sauce with them, or you can just plainly eat them by themselves with bread and mustard.  You can fry these, or if you’re watching your weight, you can even bake them.

Storing Leftovers

This meatball recipe will last 3 – 4 days in the fridge if stored in an airtight container.

Freezer

To freeze just place the cooked meatballs on a baking sheet and freeze separately to begin with. Transfer them to a freezer bag or otherwise airtight container and place back in the cold and they’ll keep for up to 3 months.

Orzo Lamb

from: Emma Fry

This is very simple recipe and great for family meals or an easy one if you are having people over as it requires limited intervention. I had a similar dish in Ithaca in Greece whilst listening to Rod Stewart by the waters edge on a hot summer night about 17 years ago – Rod Stewart is not everyone’s favourite, but I assure you the whole experience was dreamy 😊 I found this recipe on BBC Food a few years ago in my hunt to recreate the gastro experience so all credit to them for this – (Mary Cadogan I believe). Enjoy with a light salad for some greenery and if you love to be a bit rustic, a great big hunk of homemade bread. (Like Rachel’s soda bread). To complete the experience you could try playing some Rod Stewart , but finding some beautiful sea and a hot evening may be a bit difficult in Epsom. 

Ingredients

1kg shoulder of lamb 

2 onions

1 tsp oregano

½ tsp ground cinnamon

2 cinnamon sticks broken in half

2 tbsp olive oil

400g can chopped tomato

1.2l hot chicken or vegetable stock

400g orzo pasta 

freshly grated parmesan to serve

Method

1. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Cut the lamb into 4cm chunks, then spread over the base of a wide casserole dish. Add the onions, oregano, cinnamon sticks, ground cinnamon and olive oil, then stir well. Bake, uncovered, for 45 mins, stirring halfway.

2. Pour over the chopped tomatoes and stock, cover tightly, then return to the oven for 1½ hrs, until the lamb is very tender.

3. Remove the cinnamon sticks, then stir in the orzo. Cover again, then cook for a further 20 mins, stirring halfway through. The orzo should be cooked and the sauce thickened. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan and serve with crusty bread.

Lebenese Mezze selection

from: May Real-Firman

For me a selection of mezze and grilled meat dishes, brings back happy memories of family gatherings on a Sunday around my parents' dining table. It is a bit like the Lebanese version of a Sunday roast. 

Houmous

1 tin of chickpeas
1 clove of garlic
Juice of one lemon
3 tbsp tahini paste
Salt to season  


Put all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. You might need to add a bit of water or more lemon juice to reach the right texture and taste.
Transfer to a serving dish and drizzle with olive oil. 


Mohammara (sweet pepper and nut dip)

2 grilled sweet peppers
Handful of walnuts or a mixture of any nuts
1 small clove of garlic
2 tbsp of breadcrumbs
1 tbsp olive oil
Half a tsp ground cumin
Salt to season  
 

Brush the peppers with olive olive and put under a hot grill for 15 min. Let them cool down. Put the nuts, garlic and oil in a food processor and blitz. Add the rest of the ingredients to the ground nuts mixture and continue mixing until you get a fine purée.
Transfer to a serving bowl and drizzle with olive oil. 


Globe artichoke

My children absolutely adore this appetiser. They love pulling the leaves out and eating the meaty lemony base.


1 globe artichoke
1 clove of garlic
Juice of one lemon
A good splash of olive oil
Salt to season
 

Boil the globe artichoke for 25 min or until the leaves detach easily when pulled. 

For the dressing, crush the garlic with the salt until very smooth, add lemon juice and olive oil and whisk.
Transfer the artichoke to a bowl and drizzle the dressing between the leaves. 


Fattoush (Lebanese salad)

A handful of salad leaves
Couple of tomatoes
1 small pepper
Few mint leaves
Few parsley leaves
1 small shallot
1 small clove of garlic
1 tbsp sumac
Salt to season
3-4 tbsp olive oil
Juice of one lemon
Deep fried Lebanese bread (or flatbread) broken into small squares 


Deep fry the bread (it is naughty, but nice!) set to the side and let cool. Cut the salad into big pieces and set to the side.
Cut the onion into thin slices.  Crush the garlic, mix with lemon juice and olive oil.
Transfer all ingredients into a salad bowl and sprinkle the sumac. Mix the salad so the dressing and sumac are well mixed in and spread the fried bread on the top. 


Shish Tawouk (marinated chicken kebabs)

1 kg chicken breast cut into cubes
Mushroom, peppers or courgettes cut into chunks
For the marinade :
5-6 cloves of garlic crushed into a fine purée
1 tbsp dried mixed herbs  
1 tsp mixed spices
Juice of half of a lemon
Half a cup of vegetable oil
1 tbsp tomato purée
Salt to taste
 

Mix all the marinade ingredients well together then add the chicken and mix again. Leave to marinate in the fridge overnight. When ready to cook, put the chicken onto skewers and alternate with the chosen vegetables.
Cook on the BBQ or under a grill for around 15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. 


Filipino Leche Flan

from: Frances Stamp

My mum is from the Philippines and today I’m going to share her recipe for a classic Filipino dessert, Leche flan. This ultimate comfort food is the Filipino equivalent of crème caramel and was brought to the Philippines during Spanish colonisation. 


My mum would make Leche flan for us on special occasions or whenever she was missing her homeland. For me, Leche flan is an expression of love from mum and celebrates our Filipino heritage. My dad is British and for his 60th birthday party, we served Leche flan. It was wonderful to share our culture with so many British friends and hear them enthuse over this delicious dessert!

Food is very linked to identity and in my experience, is the easiest way to experience another culture. By volunteering with the Epsom Refugee Network, I have been introduced to Syrian cuisine from my generous hosts. Harak osbao, a Syrian lentil dish, is a firm favourite. I may not be able to pronounce its name but I have learnt to make it for my family! It is a real joy to bring a little bit of Syria into my kitchen.


Now onto the recipe for Leche flan. You are in for a treat!

Ingredients

10 egg yolks

1 tin condensed milk

1 tin evaporated milk

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

Method

Note: Leche Flan is traditionally made in a metal tin called a Llanera. If you don’t have one, you can use a takeaway foil tray, cake tin or ramekins.

  

  • Separate the eggs. You will only use the egg yolks so save the whites for a meringue or egg white omelette. Waste not want not!
  • Break up the yolks until they are smooth. Don’t whisk them heavily because they should not be aerated.
  • Add the condensed milk, the evaporated milk and vanilla essence to the eggs. Mix gently in the same direction until combined.
  • Pass the custard mixture through a sieve to make sure it is ultra-smooth. Leave to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes to get rid of some of the air bubbles.

  

  • To make the caramel, put one cup of sugar and one cup of water into a saucepan. Heat on a medium flame and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Once the liquid starts to boil, lower the heat and stop stirring otherwise you will get sugar crystals instead of caramel! You can tilt the pan to swirl the syrup around if it starts to burn onto the bottom. Switch off the hob when the syrup turns into the colour of caramel. 
  • Pour the caramel into the bottom of your pan/pans and cover the bottom evenly. 
  • Pour the custard mixture on top of the caramel.  
  • Wrap the tins tightly with foil.


There are two ways to cook leche flan:

1. Steaming 

This is the method my mum uses. If you have a steamer, place the leche flan in the basket of the steamer. Put hot water in the bottom of the steamer and steam the leche flan. The cooking time depends on how big your leche flan is. You will know when there are cooked by poking a skewer into the custard and it comes out clean.


2. Bain marie in the oven 

Fill an oven proof dish with one inch of water. Place your tightly wrapped Leche Flan into the water. They should sit in the water, not totally immersed. Put in the oven at 190C until cooked. The cooking time depends on the size of your tin (mine toom 40 minutes). You will know when there are cooked by poking a skewer into the custard and it comes out clean.

  

  • Leave the leche flan to cool and then chill in the fridge.
  • Serve the leche flan by running a knife along the edges of the tin to loosen the flan. Turn upside down onto a plate to serve. The caramel will pour over the flan.


Marvel at how great a chef you are! Invite friends and family to eat  this delicious Filipino dessert with you (whilst maintain social distancing)!

Irish Soda Bread

from: Rachel Cahill

This recipe belongs to my grandmother who lived in Ireland.  It is the opposite of white fluffy bread and so can be easily made by someone who isn't familiar with baking.  It is cooked in a frying pan on a cooker top so you get to see it and check it as often as you want.  Irish soda bread is wholesome and filling - the best way to begin any day topped with plenty of butter (Ireland is the land of rain, grass, cows and milk!!) and your favourite jam.  This recipe brings back so many lovely memories of breakfast time when I was going up...enjoy ! 

Ingredients

These ingredients can be found in health food stores and buttermilk can be made using milk with a little lemon juice.

  • 1 cup (250mg) of White Flour (sieved)
  • 1 cup Stoneground Wholemeal Flour
  • 1 handful Bran
  • Less than half a cup of Pinhead Oatmeal (coarse)
  • 1 tablespoon of Wheatgerm (optional)
  • 1 flat tablespoon of Bread (Bicarbonate) soda
  • 300ml of buttermilk  

Method

  • Mix the dry ingredients well and remove a handful (for flouring bread board later)
  • Add buttermilk until mixture is firm but moist (you may not need all of the 300ml).
  • Spread a little of handful of dry mixture on a board
  • Place the mixture on floured board.
  • Shape the mixture into a circle approximate 18cm diameter and 2cm thick.
  • Cut into 4 quarters. 
  • Heat a large frying pan and lightly cover it with the rest of the handful of dry mixture.
  • When this dry mixture begins to turn brown, place the 4 pieces of bread in the pan.  
  • Cook on a low/medium heat for 30 minutes, turning over halfway through.  No lid needed.
  • Enjoy warm, straight from the pan or toasted in the following days.

Ginger Biscuits

from: Anne Clay

Ingredients

110gm self-raising flour

1 rounded tsp ground ginger

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

40gm granulated sugar

50gm margarine

2 tblsp golden syrup

Method

  • Preheat oven to 190°C and grease a large baking sheet
  • Sift flour, ginger, bicarbonate of soda into a mixing bowl. Add the sugar and then rub in the margarine until the mixture is crumbly. Then add the syrup and mix everything together to form a stiff paste.
  • Divide the mixture into 16 pieces and roll each piece into a little ball. Place them on the baking sheet leaving plenty of room between them because they spread out a lot during cooking. flatten each ball slightly with the back of a spoon.
  • Bake for 10-15 minutes.
  • Cook on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before removing them to a wire rack.

Hummus Fattah

From: Allaa Zeno

I would like to share a dish of the most famous traditional Syrian food, which is popular in many regions, which is the fattah. There are several types of fattah, such as hummus fatte, chicken fattah, and lamb tongue fattah. Here I will tell you how to make the hummus fattah.

Ingredients

2 loaves of Syrian bread or any flat bread, It must be sliced or cut into small squares.

1 tin of chickpeas.

5 tblsp tahina.

2 tblsp yogurt 

Juice of 1 lemon 

3 cloves of garlic (Some people love more garlic and some people prefer less).

Ghee or olive oil

Toasted nuts (cashews, pistachios, pine)

Parsley, mint, pomegranate, tomatoes and nuts for garnishing and ground cumin and paprika.

Method

First of all, fry the bread in oil or grill a little in the oven.

Heat chickpeas with water.

In a blender, add tahini, lemon juice, garlic cloves and salt. You can adjust the sourness by using more lemon juice. Blend well.

Remove 1/3rd of the chickpeas from the water and reserve. Add the remaining chickpeas with the water and blend with the mixture.

Taste to adjust the salt and lemon, then add the rest of the the chickpeas - stirring with a spoon (do not blend them).

Finely chop parsley, mint, tomatoes and prepare the pomegranate seeds.

You can toast nuts like cashews, pistachios or pine, whatever you prefer.

Put the mixture on a flat serving plate with a depth of 4 or 5 cm.

You can add animal ghee or olive oil for vegetarians - heat the oil or ghee a little and put it on the surface of the mixture to give a harmonious and beautiful appearance.  Then dust with cumin and paprika on the top.

Lastly sprinkle the chopped parsley, mint, tomatoes and add pomegranate seeds for decoration and health and happiness for everyone.   

Quincey Kibbeh / Kubba Safarjalia

From: Ghaithaa 

Quincey Kibbeh (Quince Kibbeh) is considered one of the widely known and appetising dishes of Aleppo Cuisine. It is characterised by the sweet and sour flavour of quince and pomegranate juice which are part of the ingredients. This makes it highly nutritious because it contains two important elements for body health, proteins and minerals. 

Ingredients

1 kg quince 

250gm tomato purée 

2 large cups of pomegranate juice (or more according to taste)

1 kg large cut pieces of meat  

salt

garlic and mint


For the Kibbeh

1 kg of fine bulgar wheat 

1 chicken breast

1 large onion

salt

spice/ pepper

1 teaspoonful of paprika 

water

Method

For the kibbeh preparation, place the onions , chicken breast, salt, paprika and pepper/spice in a food processor and finely mince. Add the prepared chicken mince to the bulgar, add some water and keep rubbing them together (add water as you go) until it becomes a homogeneous mixture. Form small balls out of the mixture. 

Place boiling water in a pan and add 2 large spoons of salt. Add the kibbeh and boil for 10-15 minutes until cooked and place aside.

To prepare the quince, place the meat pieces in a pan then add water, tomato purée and pomegranate juice and bring to the boil until the meat is cooked (or you can use a pressure cooker).

Then cut the quince into medium sized cubes and add to the meat and keep boiling until cooked. 

Mash the garlic and mint and place on top. 

Place few Kibbeh in a plate then add the quince sauce on top. 

Serve and may it bring well being.

Aleppo Kibbeh / Kubbat Halab

Ban Hikmat's Aleppo Kibbeh/ Kubbat Halab

from: Ban Hikmat

There are many varieties of kibbeh in the Middle Eastern and Arabic Cuisines. As far as I know this scrumptious rice variety is only made in Iraq. Although I’m not really sure why it is named after the city of Aleppo, I remember reading somewhere that in the past it was taken as food supply by merchants travelling between Mosul (in Iraq) and Aleppo (in Syria).

To me the homemade variety is a real treat. The ingredients are simple but it does need some skill to make. Here is my mother’s recipe. Enjoy it and Happy Cooking.

Ingredients:

1: For the dough:

1 cup of dry rice (basmati rice will give a nice flavour but any variety will do)

2 1/2 - 3 cups of water + 1 small bowl of water

1/4 tsp ground turmeric

1/4 tsp salt (less or more to taste)


2: For the filling:

250g minced beef or lamb ( I prefer reduced fat beef mince)

1 medium onion finely diced

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon 

1/4 tsp ground cardamom 

1/4 tsp ground coriander 

a handful of finely chopped fresh parsley (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

cooking oil for frying

Method:

1: To make the dough 

In a saucepan add the dry rice, cups of water, turmeric and salt. Bring to the boil uncovered then reduce heat. Keep cooking until all the water is absorbed by the rice. The end result should be sticky soft rice that can be made into a dough. Leave to cool down then kneed by hand into a homogeneous dough.


2: To make the filling 

In a separate pan brown the meat on medium heat. Keep turning and tossing until most of the moisture is absorbed. Then add the spices, salt and pepper and onion. Carry on turning and cooking until all the moisture is absorbed and the meat is thoroughly cooked. Turn off the heat and add the parsley (if using). Leave to cool down. 


3: To make the Kibbeh

Use a small bowl of water to wet your hands when making the Kibbeh to prevent the dough from sticking to your fingers.

Take a small handful of dough and make it into a flat circle. Place a tsp of the cooked minced meat in the centre then gather the edges to seal off the mince meat filling. Shape into a cylinder and keep aside. Repeat this step until all the dough is used.


4: In a deep frier or frying pan heat the cooking oil. Deep fry the Kibbeh on several badges to prevent the oil from cooling down. Fry until golden brown in colour. 


Serve them hot with a salad.

Tips: 

If you have dough leftover, make it into small circular discs and fry them. They still taste good.

For a vegetarian version substitute the meat with a mixture of cooked finely diced carrots, onion, mushrooms, potatoes mixed with cooked peas or any other vegetable.

Saniya

From: Ahmad Al-Rashid

A Syrian dish with chicken, potatoes, aubergines and tomatoes. The chicken can be substituted with Quorn fillets for vegetarians - this photo shows one of each type.

Ingredients

4 large potatoes, sliced

4 large tomatoes, sliced

2 aubergines, sliced

2 lemons, thinly sliced

2 tblsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

6 cloves of garlic sliced

4 chicken breasts, sliced

Flat leaf parsley for serving


For the sauce:

1/2 onion, chopped

olive oil

2 tsps Arabic spices (a mixture of ground black pepper, paprika, ground cumin, ground coriander, ground cloves, ground nutmeg, and ground cinnamon)

1 tin of chopped tomatoes

1 tblsp tomato puree

Salt

Method

Make the tomato sauce by frying the onion in a little olive oil till soft.

Add spices and fry for a minute

Add chopped tomatoes and tomato puree

Allow to simmer for 10 minutes


Heat over to 200C

Put potatoes, aubergines, tomatoes and garlic in layers in a large ovenproof dish and scatter the chopped onions over.

Add salt and pepper and toss everything in the oil

Dip chicken pieces into the tomato sauce and cover the vegetables

Dip lemon slices into the tomato sauce and put over the chicken

Drizzle oil over the top

Bake for 40 minutes


Scatter with torn parsley leaves before serving.

Chicken Soup and Matzoh balls

From: Nina Kaye

Chicken Soup with Matzoh balls (known as Kneidlach) is the absolute classic 'feel-better' soup, often known as 'Jewish penicillin'. Every Jewish family has its own recipe handed down from mother to daughter and this is the recipe I remember my grandmother making. Her flat always had this warming smell of freshly made chicken soup.

Traditionally you use the all the leftovers of a roasted chicken including the carcass and all the bones as well as any giblets. Nothing gets wasted from the chicken - even the fat is used to make the matzoh balls.

Matzoh balls

3 eggs

75ml chicken soup or water

3 tblsp chicken fat

4 oz matzoh meal 

1/2 tsp salt

ground pepper

chopped parsley


Beat eggs and soup together and add melted chicken fat. Add salt and pepper. Gradually stir in the matzoh meal until the consistency is like mashed potatoes.

Chill for at least 5 hours

Form into balls using your palms and boil in salted water for 25 mintues.

Chicken Soup

Put the chicken into a large saucepan and add root vegetables (onions with their skins, carrots, parsnip, leeks, celery stalk, suede) and boil gently in an uncovered saucepan for at least 2 hours, adding salt and pepper as wished. Skim away any froth from the top. Let it cool in the saucepan with the lid on to room temperature.

Drain the soup into a large bowl and put in the fridge until any fat has solidified. You can add the carrots back into the soup. When it is chilled, skim the fat off and keep this for making the matzoh balls.

Email: epsomrefugeenetwork@gmail.com


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