Kafta mishwee (Kafta on skewers) with Tabouleh

Two of Lebanon's most famous and loved dishes...Kafta and Tabouleh.

Across the Middle East there are many different versions of Kafta also called Kofte, Kufte, Kofta etc. Each country has there own version of this recipe and method of cooking it. The most popular way to make Kafta though, is to mould minced lamb around skewers and cook them on an open grill. Once you have the basic Kafta mince recipe down pat, it can be quiet versatile and used for many other Middle Eastern dishes such as baked kafta, filled kafta or as a tasty and simple snack you can spread a thin layer of kafta mince over a split piece of Lebanese bread and bake it at 180 deg. celsius in an oven or under a grill for 4 -5 minutes.

Along side grilled Kafta, Tabouleh is a must. Tabouleh is a very popular Lebanese salad which is beautifully fresh, light and versatile. Tabouleh is fantastic as part of a mezza selection, alongside many meat and chicken dishes or simply on its own.

Kafta mishwee (Kafta on skewers) - Moorish by Greg & Lucy Malouf

500g lamb minced twice

1 onion, grated

1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped

1 teaspoon dried mint or 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon Ras al Hanout (optional)

1 teaspoon sea salt

olive oil for cooking

Serves 4

Mix together all the ingredients, except for the olive oil, in a large mixing bowl. Knead well to a sticky paste. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.

When ready to cook, preheat bbq grill plate to its highest temperature.

If using wooden skewers, soak them for 10mins in cold water to stop them from burning.

Wet your hands, take a handful of the mince and shape tightly around the skewer to make a long sausage, about 10cm long and 3cm in diameter. Keep going until you have used all the mixture. Alternatively if you don't wish to use skewers you can make smaller kafta's the size of chipolata's(as pictured).

Brush each kafta lightly with olive oil and grill on the bbq grill plate. They will take anywhere between 5 and 8 minutes, depending on how well done you like them.

Serve Kafta's with warm Arabic bread, a good blob of Tzatziki and Tabouleh salad (see recipe below).

Tabouleh -Alba's Lebanese Kitchen by Alba Amad

1/4 cup (40g) fine burghul

5 cups finely chopped flat leaf parsley

5 tomato's, finely chopped (to make 2 cups)

8 spring onions, finely chopped (to make 1/3 cup)

1/3 cup finely chopped fresh mint

150ml lemon juice

150ml olive oil (you may not need this much, add gradually and check as you go)

1/2 teaspoon ground all spice

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Serves 6 as part of a mezza selection

Wash burghul well, place in a bowl and add enough cold water to cover. Set aside for 30 minutes to soak. Once burgul has soaked, drain well with a seive.

Combine the burghul, parsley, tomato, spring onion and mint in a bowl. Add the lemon juice, oil, spices and salt and mix thoroughly.

Note - If you are making this salad ahead of time by all means mix the vegetables, herbs and spices but don't mix the lemon juice and oil until the very last moment or the whole salad will become mushy.

Abla's Lebanese Kitchen

Abla Amad is an acclaimed cook and restaurateur who first opened what is now the famous Lebanese restaurant simply called 'Abla's' in Carlton in 1979 when there was only maybe two or three restaurants in Melbourne serving Lebanese cuisine. Abla today is still operating out of that same establishment in Carlton and has received a number of awards and accolades for her cooking over the years. She continues to serve traditional Lebanese cuisine to her loyal clientele base which now includes there children and grandchildren.

'Abla's Lebanese Kitchen' by Abla Amad is described by Abla herself as more than a cook book but also a memoir of her culture.

The first addition of 'Abla's Lebanese Kitchen' was published in 2001 and since not a lot has changed in this edition with the exception of some of her personal favourites which were not included in the first edition. Abla has also expanded her recipe collection in this book to include more vegetarian recipes to reflect today's new generation of health conscious people.

The book is broken into a number of sections including - Dips & Pickles, Bread, Pastry & Pies, Salads, Soups, Fish, Chicken & Poultry, Meat, Vegetable & Meat Dishes, Vegetarian, Yogurt, Sweets & Drinks. Also handy in this book are the suggested menu sections for Mezza, BBQ's etc.

Lovers of Lebanese food and cooking will fall in love with this absolutely fantastic traditional Lebanese cook book which covers all the favourites from Baba ghannooj, Tabbouleh, Felafel, Kibbee, Stuffed Vine Leaves, Kafta, Chicken & Rice, Baklava, Lebanese Coffee etc. etc. It is a beautifully illustrated book which includes a small glossary of spices, herbs and various types of produce used in the recipes.

The recipes you will find in this book are those which Abla has grown up with and still continues to cook not only in her restaurant today, but at home for her family and friends.

A wonderful cook book by a wonderful lady whom we can thank for introducing Lebanese food to Melbourne.

Fattoush

Fattoush is a simple Lebanese bread salad that is light, fresh and traditionally made with lebanese pita bread. A good salad for summer served with grilled fish or meats.

Salad
1 cos lettuce cut into med. strips
2 raddish, finely sliced
1 medium Spanish onion. finely sliced
2 tomatoes, cut into small pieces
1/2 Lebanese cucumbers, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
1/4 cup mint, chopped
1 Lebanese pita bread round, toasted and broken into pieces (to toast pita bread brush pita with a little oil and cook in oven at 180 deg. for 10min or until crisp).

Dressing
60ml olive oil
juice of half a lemon
1 teaspoon of sumac (sumac is a lebanese spice blend which can be found at middle eastern shops)
sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste.

To make dressing combine all ingredients in a jar and shake well. Dressing can be made a day in advance and kept in the fridge until required.

For the salad combine all ingredients in a large bowl, add dressing and toss to combine. Leave the salad for a few minutes before serving to allow the dressing to soak into the pita bread.

Serves 4