Baklawa and Falafel?
Topic started by Dimple (@ 206.70.251.214) on Fri Jul 11 16:33:40 .
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.
Hi,
Can anyone tell me what is baklawa and falafel? I have heard it is something like indian food. Which cuisine does it belong to?
Responses:
- From: Viv (@ 212.72.3.57)
on: Sat Jul 12 14:03:52 EDT 2003
Both belong to the Middle Eastern Arabic cuisine. Baklawa is a Lebanese fillo pastry dessert also popular in Greece and Eastern Europe. It's made with crushed walnuts, pistachios, cardamom, sugar and butter rolled in fillo sheets and honey poured on top.
Falafel is made out of pureed chick peas, garlic, peanut butter, onions, egg, soy sauce and spices formed into flattened balls and fried. Served with pita bread and sliced tomatoes, cucumber and yogurt.
- From: Suhera Farook (@ dc3.emirates.net.ae)
on: Tue Jul 15 07:47:41 EDT 2003
Falafel is Middle East Snack. Here is the receipe. It is just like our parippu vadai.
It is also known as ta’amia.
8 oz (225g) chick peas
1 onion, very finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 slice of white bread, soaked in a little water
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1 tsp. coriander, ground
1 tsp. cumin, ground
2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
salt, to taste
oil for frying
Soak the chick peas overnight.
Cover with plenty of fresh water and cook for 1 - 1 1/2 hours until tender.
Pound or blend the chick peas to a purée.
Squeeze out the bread and add to the chick peas together with the rest of the ingredients. Knead well for a few minutes.
Let the mixture rest for 1-2 hours, then roll between the palms into firm 1” balls. (Wetted hands make this easier).
Heat oil (at least 1 inch deep) in a pan to about 360° F, 180°C, and fry the balls, a few at a time, until nicely brown all over — about 2-3 minutes.
Drain and serve hot with lemon wedges.
Baklawa is a dessert. Here is the receipe
BAKLAWA (The "king" of Arab pastries)
Greek-style Baklava, which is common in the west, uses honey in the syrup. More typical Egyptian Baklawa does not. Recipes for syrup variations are included here.
2 cups walnuts, finely chopped
1 cup almonds, finely chopped (optional – this is found in Greek baklava)
1 cup sugar
2 cups clarified, melted butter
2 Ts. cinnamon
1 Tb. Orange blossom water (mazahar)
1 package phyllo dough (1 lb. Or 454 gms.)
Syrup (see below for variations)
Mix the walnuts (and almonds if using), sugar, ¼ cup of the butter, cinnamon and orange blossom water, then set aside.
Butter well a 13 x 9 inch baking pan, then set aside.
Taking one sheet of the phyllo dough and place it in the baking dish, then brush with melted butter. Repeat this process until ½ of the dough is used. Then place the walnut mixture of the buttered layers and spread evenly.
Place one layer of dough on the nut layer and brush with melted butter, then continue this until the rest of the dough is used.
Heat the remaining butter, then pour it evenly over the dough. With a sharp knife, carefully cut the pastry into 2 inch squares or diamond shapes. Bake in a preheated oven of 400F for five minutes, then lower the heat to 300F and bake for 30-45 minutes or until the sides are a light shade of brown.
While the baklawa is baking, prepare the syrup and set aside.
2 Syrup Variations (choose one for your pastry delight!)
Egyptian Sugar Syrup or Sharbat
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons orange blossom water (optional)
Place the sugar and the water in a pot over a medium heat.
Stir constantly for 10 minutes or until the sugar is thoroughly dissolved.
Remove from the heat, then stir in the lemon juice. Return to the heat and bring it to a boil. Remove again and stir in the orange blossom water ( if using ), then allow the syrup to cool until the pastry is ready.
Greek-style Sugar Syrup for Baklava
1 ½ cups sugar
1 ½ cups water
¼ cup honey
Thinly peeled strip of lemon rind
Small piece of cinnamon bark
3 cloves
2 teaspoons of lemon juice
Place the sugar, water and honey in a heavy pan and stir over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Add remaining syrup ingredients, bring to a boil and boil for 15 minutes. Strain and cool.
After you have made your syrup, it is important that your pastry is cooked through. You can either broil the top of the pastry briefly, to brown it, or you can cover it with foil if you find that the top is browning too quickly.
Once the pastry is finished and lightly browned, spoon the syrup evenly over the hot baklawa. Let the pastry cool for several hours before cutting again into serving portions
- From: dimple (@ 206.70.251.214)
on: Tue Jul 15 12:09:36 EDT 2003
Thanx for recipe. I will try out the falafel but the baklawa seems to be tedious.
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