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6 Basic Lebanese Recipes you must know!

lebanese basic recipes. The best way to master any cuisine is to learn its basic recipes well! Then, you can mix-and-match those, try different variants, or build upon those to make more exotic dishes. This section covers basic Lebanese recipes like Pita Bread, Baharat and Hummus.

Hummus, the famous traditional Lebanese spread, has a creamy texture because of ground chickpeas. It tastes fantastic when served as a part of a mezze platter with Pita Bread or vegetables. Very healthy to eat just with cucumbers or carrots and great for weight loss and Endurance Athletes.

A popular bread from Mediterranean cuisine, Pita Bread can be had as it is with Hummus or used to make tasty dishes like Falafel. Take care to dissolve the yeast well in warm water, because it will not get activated if you use cold or hot water.

Lebanese Spices and Condiments

Just like Garam masala is in an Indian spice box, Lebanese people have Baharat. A dash of this spice mix is enough to enhance the flavour of Middle Eastern dishes including soups, curries, stews and sauces.

Shatta is another chutney/paste made by grinding chilli and garlic. You can make a batch of this sauce, and store it in the refrigerator for using when required. You can make a batch of this and store in the refrigerator for using when required. Though it makes use of the most basic ingredients, the taste of this varies in different household.

Happy Cooking!

Enjoy our Lebanese Basic Recipes and other  Lebanese Recipes articles below.

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Lebanese Beverages Recipes
Lebanese Breads Recipes
Lebanese Desserts Recipes
27 Lebanese Dips Recipes
Lebanese Rice Delicacies Recipes
14 Lebanese Salads Recipes
Lebanese Soups Recipes
Lebanese Vegetables Recipes


pita bread recipe | Indian style pita bread | healthy whole wheat pita bread | pita bread on tava | with 22 amazing images. pita bread is a famous Lebanese flat bread sold all over the world and we show you the Indian style pita bread recipe. A popular bread from Mediterranean cuisine, pita bread can be had as it is with Hummus or used to make tasty dishes like Falafel. Our pita bread recipe is yeast leavened bread made with whole wheat flour. The pocket in the bread is created because of the steam. pita bread recipe is traditionally baked but we have here shared a pita bread on tava recipe where we have cooked it on a non-stick pan making it easier and quicker! This is an Indian style pita bread. Notes on whole wheat pita bread. 1. The yeast will feed on the sugar and starches and release CO2, which will cause the dough to rise. 2. The frothy layer on top indicates that the yeast is activated. If the mixture doesn't foam, discard and start over with new yeast. 3. In a deep bowl, take the whole wheat flour. Ensure you make use of a big bowl as the dough will rise and you do not want it to get messy. 4. Cover the dough with a wet muslin cloth and allow it to prove for 30 minutes or till the dough rises almost till double. Covering also prevents the dough from forming a dry layer on top. See why this is a healthy whole wheat pita bread? Whole wheat flour used in making pita bread is excellent for diabetics as they will not shoot up your blood sugar levels as they are a low GI food. Whole wheat flour is rich in phosphorus which is a major mineral which works closely with calcium to build our bones. We have used very little sugar in the recipe. Likewise, it is also important to use olive oil to make pita bread, as it gives a mild but characteristic aroma to the bread. Learn how to make pita bread recipe | Indian style pita bread | healthy whole wheat pita bread | pita bread on tava | with detailed step by step recipe photos and video below.

Hummus recipe | Lebanese dip | Indian style hummus | healthy hummus dip | with 25 amazing images. I have been making hummus Lebanese dip in my Indian kitchen for over 20 years. This is an easy, simple Indian style hummus recipe to follow for Indians, as we always have chickpeas in our kitchen. Hummus has a unique flavour of chickpea, olive oil and parsley. Very healthy to eat Indian style hummus with cucumbers or carrots and great for weight loss and Endurance Athletes. Notes on hummus Lebanese dip. 1. overcooked chickpeas work great too. If you want the chickpeas to go soft, you can add a pinch of cooking soda while pressure cooking so that the chickpeas cook properly. 2. Wait for the pressure to drop naturally before opening it. If you open it in a haste, the chickpeas will not have cooked properly. 3. Drain the kabuli chana. Tip: Keep aside some cooking water of the chickpeas to add to the blender if required. This liquid will give a smooth consistency to the hummus. 4. Finally add curd to the mixer. This might seem unusual but a few middle-eastern countries replace tahini with yogurt in their hummus for a tangier taste. If you want, you can avoid the curd and put tahini instead. Hummus, the famous traditional Lebanese spread, has a creamy chickpea texture. It tastes fantastic when served as apart of a mezze platter with Pita Bread or vegetables. Learn to make Hummus recipe | Lebanese dip | Indian style hummus | healthy hummus dip | with step by step photos and videos below.

shatta recipe | Lebanese red chutney | red garlic chutney for pita bread | how to make shatta | with 14 amazing images. shatta recipe | Lebanese red chutney | red garlic chutney for pita bread | how to make shatta is a spicy middle eastern accompaniment. Learn how to make shatta. To make shatta, put the Kashmiri dry chillies in a mixer and blend till coarse. Add the garlic and lemon juice and blend again till coarse. Add the chilli powder, salt and approx. 5 tbsp of water and blend till coarse. Store in an air-tight container and use as required. Here’s a fiery accompaniment that will warm your taste buds and shake awake your senses! The shatta is a Lebanese chutney, made of red chillies and garlic with a tinge of lemon, which helps to balance as well as highlight the pungency of the chutney. This Lebanese red chutney goes very well with pita bread, falafel and tikkis. Add water gradually when making it as a spread for falafel and pita as they shatta should be just perfectly thick enough to spread. It should not be watery. Making this red garlic chutney for pita bread is very easy and doesn’t call for too many ingredients too. What’s more is you can preserve it for 7 days in the fridge and up to a month in the deep freezer. Try out other Lebanese recipes like Red Capsicum and Walnut Dip and Lebanese Garlic Sauce. Tips for shatta. 1. Use Kashmiri red chillies for this recipe. They are less pungent and lend the perfect colour to this chutney. 2. You can adjust the chilli powder as per your spice level. 3. Remember to blend it to coarse to enjoy its texture. Enjoy shatta recipe | Lebanese red chutney | red garlic chutney for pita bread | how to make shatta | with step by step photos.

tahini dip recipe | tahini sauce | how to make tahini | tahini yoghurt dip | with 17 amazing images. tahini dip recipe | tahini sauce | how to make tahini | tahini yoghurt dip is an attractive and aromatic sesame seed based dip. Learn how to make tahini. An inseparable part of Lebanese cuisine, tahini sauce basically means a paste of roasted sesame seeds. These tiny seeds along with curd add in some protein and calcium too, which are necessary for bone strengthening. The paste is widely used to make salad dressings, dips and sauces. To make tahini dip, first make the tahini paste. For that, Roast the sesame seeds in a non-stick tava (griddle) on a medium flame for a few seconds. Allow it to cool completely, transfer to a bowl and add the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and salt. Blend to a coarse paste. Keep aside. Then to make the dip, combine the curds and the prepared tahini paste in a bowl and mix well using a whisk. Serve the tahini dip chilled with pita bread or lavash. In the given recipe of tahini yoghurt dip it is combined with curds which results in a unique bitter-sour product. The lemon juice balances its flavours with slight sourness which is quite acceptable. The olive oil in how to make tahini lends the necessary smoothness to the paste and in turn to the dip. What’s going to make its taste lingering on your taste buds for days is it being served with authentic accompaniments like pita bread and lavash. With 46 calories per tbsp. of tahini dip, it’s a dip to be added to your health menu. However, for a complete health package, serve it with vegetable sticks like those of carrot and cucumber. It can then be enjoyed by diabetics, heart patients, women with PCOS and those aiming weight loss too. Tips for tahini dip. 1. Roast the sesame seeds very carefully. Roast for a few seconds and keep a close watch as they tend to burn easily. 2. Curd should be thick. Thin curd will make it runny and not have dip like consistency. Enjoy tahini dip recipe | tahini sauce | how to make tahini | tahini yoghurt dip | with step by step photos and video below.

hummus with tahini paste recipe | authentic hummus | Lebanese hummus | with amazing 19 images. While we commonly make quick and easy versions of hummus with chickpeas, garlic and curds, this is a slightly more elaborate hummus with tahini paste. This authentic hummus with tahini paste recipe has a rich mouth-feel and really strong flavour. Apart from the exciting flavour of tahini paste, the strong taste of garlic and a tinge of lemony tang are also clearly noticeable in this recipe, not to forget the herby touch of parsley. Hummus is super easy to make all you need to do is soak kabuli chana a day prior! Once, the kabuli chana are soaked, pressure cook them. Drain and transfer to a mixing jar. Further, add tahini paste. Tahini paste is a thick, creamy paste made by roasting sesame seeds and grinding them up with olive oil to get a paste. This paste is an essential ingredient in making the traditional Lebanese hummus. Next, add garlic. Lemon juice and cumin powder. With it add olive oil. This is the second most important ingredient for hummus. Use extra virgin olive oil if possible, but if you don’t have that, then regular is fine. At this stage you can also add a little curd to make the hummus light and fluffy. Blend to a smooth mixture. Add a little reserved chickpea cooking water, only if required. Add this water, little by little, as you do not want your hummus to be runny. I have used approximately 2-3 tbsps of water. Further, take it out in a serving bowl. Drizzle olive oil over Lebanese hummus, sprinkle cumin seed powder and garnish with parsley. You can serve the hummus with tahini paste along with Lavash or Chips, to make a wonderful finger food. You can munch on it while watching a movie, but it is so tasty that it can be served at parties too! You can also try other Lebanese delights like Lebanese Garlic Sauce and Pita Bread. Enjoy hummus with tahini paste recipe | authentic hummus | Lebanese hummus | with detailed step by step photos below.

Lebanese 7 spice powder recipe | Indian style seven spice blend | baharat | with 21 amazing images. This Lebanese 7 spice powder recipe is a staple blend of spices in every Middle Eastern kitchen. Learn how to make Lebanese 7 spice powder recipe | Indian style seven spice blend | baharat | Every cuisine has its own set of spice powders, which give the dishes of that cuisine a characteristic flavour and aroma. Like Indian cuisine has its Garam Masala, Pav Bhaji Masala or Sambhar Masala, one of the famous spice powders of Lebanese cuisine is the Baharat, a tongue-tickling mix of 7 spices. A pinch of Lebanese 7 spice powder is enough to add an intense flavour and irresistible aroma to various Middle Eastern dishes including soups, curries, stews and sauces like Borëk, Mashkool Rice, Chick Pea Soup, Mixed Vegetable Stew, Spinach and Cheese Sambousik, Arabic Salad, Zucchini and Carrot Clear Soup and Stuffed Zucchini. pro tips to make Lebanese 7 spice powder: 1. Use fresh spices. The quality of your spices will make a big difference in the flavor of your powder. 2. Dry roast the spices before grinding. Toasting the spices will help to release their flavor and aroma. 3. Grind the spices finely. The finer you grind the spices, the better they will blend together. Enjoy Lebanese 7 spice powder recipe | Indian style seven spice blend | baharat | with detailed step by step photos.

Here is a fantastic dressing with the succulence of cottage cheese, the juiciness of tomatoes, the tingling flavour of vinegar, mustard paste, and the tantalising aroma of herbs. Used popularly in Mediterranean cuisine, the Feta and Tomato Dressing is an olive oil based dressing that is definitely worth trying. It stays good for two days, if stored in an airtight glass jar in the fridge. So, dash to the kitchen and whip it up right away!

jowar pita bread | sorghum pita pockets | gluten-free pita bread | sorghum Indian flatbread | with 20 amazing images. jowar pita bread is a nutritious variation of traditional pita bread made using jowar (sorghum) flour, a gluten-free grain that is rich in fiber, protein, and essential nutrients. When jowar pita bread is cut in half it becomes sorghum pita pockets . Here are some key points about jowar pita bread: Nutritional Benefits of jowar pita bread: 1. Gluten-Free : Since jowar flour is naturally gluten-free, it is a great option for individuals with gluten intolerance or celiac disease. 2. High in Fiber: Being high in Fibre, Jowar reduces bad cholesterol (LDL) and increases the effects of good cholesterol (HDL). 3. Rich in Nutrients : Jowar is a good source of important nutrients such as iron, magnesium, phosphorus, and B vitamins. Culinary Uses of jowar pita bread: 1. Versatile Uses: Jowar pita can be used similarly to traditional pita bread— as a pocket for fillings, dipping into sauces, or served alongside stews and salads. 2. Healthy Wraps: It serves as a healthier alternative for wraps or sandwiches, providing a unique flavor and texture. Pro tips for jowar pita bread. 1. Dry yeast is used to make pita pockets to provide a light, airy, and pocket-like texture. 2. Add 3 tbsp lukewarm water. Warm water, but not too hot, is ideal for activating the yeast in the dough. Yeast is a living organism that thrives in warm conditions. When added to lukewarm water, the yeast begins to multiply and produce carbon dioxide gas, which causes the dough to rise. Enjoy jowar pita bread | sorghum pita pockets | gluten-free pita bread | sorghum Indian flatbread | with step by step photos.

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