Yemen
More than three thousand years ago, in order to safeguard
the rich spice caravans that were making their way through the Land
of Sheba, King Solomon sent
soldiers from Jerusalem to
the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. Knowing that they would probably
never return to the Promised Land, the soldiers set off with their wives
and children. Once there, in the land today known as Yemen, the families
settled in for a prolonged stay, and for nearly three thousand years
the Jews of Yemen were
cut off, not only from their Jewish brothers and sisters, but for all
practical purposes, from the rest of the world as well.
Despite the its isolation, the community
guarded its religious and cultural traditions
zealously. In 1950 a huge airlift known as Operation
Magic Carpet brought thousands
of Yemeni Jews to Israel. Some
years later, in a very secret operation called "Operation Magic Carpet
2," nearly all of the remaining Jews
of Yemen were brought to Israel.
When the Jews of Yemen arrived in Israel,
they brought with them an ancient and sophisticated
culinary tradition. And much of what they
brought has become part of the everyday fare
that can now be found throughout Israel. Many Europeans ignored
Yemeni cuisine, claiming that it is "too
exotic" for the Western palate but the truth
is that these are no more "exotic"
than the passion the French have for snails
or the Italians have for sea urchins.
The most representative dishes of the Jewish-Yemeni
kitchen are delicious but not at all exotic,
and rely heavily on lamb, mutton and beef.
Honey is used frequently in recipes as are
tomatoes, cucumbers and mushrooms. Several
especially tasty homemade breads are also
important to this cookery. And, because this
is the cuisine of a people that were not ordinarily
wealthy, nearly all of the foods used are
easily and inexpensively available. What makes
the cuisine unique is the subtle use of herbs
and spices along with a few unique but easily
mastered cooking methods.
Click Any Dish to Reveal Recipe:
1/2 kg. boneless mutton or lamb, minced
1 medium onion, chopped finely
1 slice white bread, without crusts
1 egg
1 tsp. parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp. each salt and black pepper
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp. zhug (see note at the end of this
recipe)
1/2 tsp. sweet paprika
flour as required
Mix the meat, onion, bread, egg, parsley,
salt, pepper, garlic, zhug, and paprika. Knead
well by hand and form into balls about 1"
(2 1/2 cm.) in diameter. Sprinkle with the
flour.
Heat a small amount of oil
in a heavy skillet and brown the meatballs.
Reduce the heat, add enough oil to just cover
the meatballs and cook, covered, until the
meatballs are done (about 20 minutes). May
be served hot or cold either as a first course
or with Seasoned
Soup with Bread.
Serves 4-6.
Note: Zhug, the most popular
spice mixture of Yemen, can be purchased at
delicatessen stores specializing in ethnic
cuisine. If you cannot find it, you can make
it at home by pureeing 1 cup of fresh chili
peppers and then adding 1/2 cup each of parsley
and coriander leaves, blending again and then
adding 1 Tbsp. minced garlic, 1 tsp. each
of salt, pepper and ground cumin and a pinch
of ground cardamom. Keep in mind that this
flavorful blend is fiery hot and should be
used only in very small quantities.
This is not an easy bread to make, as the
flipping of the flattened loaf onto the sides
of a hot oven is an art form that needs to
be mastered. The practice will be well worth
the effort. Should one's initial efforts fail,
any flat bread (such as pita) may be substituted.
3 Tbsp. fenugreek seeds,
crushed
1 1/2 tsp. tomato puree
1/2 kilo flour
1 Tbsp. active dry yeast
Combine the fenugreek seeds
with the tomato puree and 3 Tbsp. of water
and mix together well. Cook over a low flame
and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
Remove from the heat.
Sift together the flour
and yeast and then knead the mixture together
with just enough lukewarm water to make a
moderately thick dough. Cover lightly and
let stand to rise for half an hour. Repeat
the kneading and rising process 6 times in
all, kneading at half hour intervals.
Heat the oven to its highest
possible temperature. Turn off the heat and,
taking care not to burn yourself, wipe the
walls of the oven with a wet cloth. Immediately
after the last kneading flatten the dough
and make two thin loaves. Over each spread
3 Tbsp. of the fenugreek mixture and, with
a rapid motion, stick the breads on the walls
of the oven. Let cook just until the bread
peels off the walls and falls to the floor
of the oven.
Note: Keep in mind that
many Yemenis will make two portions of bread
for each diner, one to be served in the soup
and the other on a separate plate to be dipped
into samneh. To prepare samneh, simply melt
1 cup of butter together with 1 Tbsp. of whole
fenugreek seeds. When the butter has completely
melted, skim the surface and carefully pour
the butter into a small sauce dish, leaving
behind the solids that have settled to the
bottom of the skillet.
Serves 4-6.
1 Tbsp. fenugreek seeds
1/2 tsp. tomato puree
3 cups chicken or beef stock
2 loaves saluf bread (see following recipe)
or pita
juice of 2 lemons
Soak the fenugreek seeds in water for 3 hours.
Drain the seeds well and grind them finely.
Add the tomato puree and 1 Tbsp. of water
and blend together well. Place the mixture
over a low flame and bring to a boil, stirring
constantly. Remove immediately from the heat
and set aside.
Heat the stock and add the fenugreek mixture.
Over a medium flame, bring just to a boil,
stirring constantly. If the soup becomes overly
thick, add more stock. As soon as a boil is
attained, remove from the heat. To serve,
divide the breads into equal portions and
place one portion in each soup bowl. Pour
the hot soup over the bread, add the lemon
juice and serve at once.
Serves 4-6.
3 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 Tbsp. zhug (more or less to taste)
1 1/2 cups mushrooms, chopped
4 or 6 entrecote steaks (can also use any
other cut of steak or lamb chops)
3/4 cup beef stock
3 Tbsp. almonds, chopped
Place the tomatoes, zhug, chopped mushrooms
and almonds in a small bowl and mix well.
Spread this mixture on the steaks, divided
evenly. Roll up the steaks and fasten with
wooden toothpicks.
Transfer the steaks to a lightly greased
baking dish and pour over the beef stock.
Place in an oven that has been preheated to
330° Fahrenheit (170° Celsius) until
done (about 1 hour), basting occasionally
with the pan liquids. Add water or extra stock
only if the liquids evaporate. Serve hot.
Serves 4-6.
Ingredients:
Chicken legs
Potatoes cut into quarters
Hawayij: spice for soup
chicken bullion cubes
3 tablespoons oil
Coriander leaves
1 whole onion
Water
For each person:
one leg of a chicken
1 potato
1 cup of water
Hawayij: a cury-like, yemenite spice mixture:
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon cardamom seeds
1 teaspoon saffron
2 teaspoons turmeric
Put the chicken legs into a pot and boil. Take the
white foam out. Lower the fire and add the rest of the ingredients.
Cook for 3/4 of an hour until the chicken is ready. Add Chilbah.
Grind the spices together thoroughly, and store them
in an airtight jar.
Sources: Embassy of Israel; Israeli
Foreign Ministry; Ruth's
Kitchen; Manischewitz; Rogov's
Ramblings- Reprinted with permission.
Daniel Rogov is the restaurant
and wine critic for the daily newspaper Ha'aretz.
He is also the senior writer for Wine
and Gourmet Magazine and contributes culinary
and wine articles to newspapers in Europe
and the United States.
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