Sefardi Recipes

I saw the original post (it came up on my rss reader even after it had been removed here) so I will respond (assuming that’s okay)

Here is the recipe for Lachmagine that I got from my husbands family (it might not look totally traditional but trust me, it tastes just like it should):

2lb ground meat

1 jar (approx 18oz) prune butter

10oz ketchup

1c lemon juice

3 lg onions

The easiest way to put it together is with a fleishig blender or food processor. If you don’t have one blend everything besides the meat in a pareve one then add to the meat and mix very well.

Let sit in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (the longest I’ve left it is about 24 hours)

Put onto doughs (my favorite are Mazor mini pizza dough) and broil at 400 degrees for about 10 min until edges start turning brown. If your broiler does not have adjustable temps try baking it part of the time then switch to broil for the last few minutes (it will take longer than 10 minutes this way)

Makes approx 80

Make sure to serve them with lots of good techina!!

You can freeze this recipe at almost any stage. I often take any meat I don’t want to use right away and freeze it in small balls (I use a small scoop)and then it just takes a few minutes for it to defrost enough to spread it on the dough to broil it.

The best way I’ve found to freeze finished Lachmagine is to put them top to top with parchment paper between them. I do 12 to a package. Put down 6 on a piece of foil. put on a piece of parchment paper then add 6 more, face down. Wrap up the foil and freeze.

(I usually heat them on top of the crockpot on Shabbos morning)

Enjoy!!!

There’s a great cookbook for traditional Sefardic recipes called Aromas of Aleppo. I bought it for my wife, and we love it (we’re not Sefardic, but I love the food!)

It has recipes for lahmagine, Kubba, hummus, techina, and lots of other great stuff. Every recipe we tried from it has turned out amazing.

Lakewoodhouse wife, I never heard of using ketchup in Lachemagin meat??!! I use tomato paste. Also, you are missing 2 very important spices, Allspice and Cinnamon. These spices are very important in Sephardic cooking.

I find when I use the Mazor’s dough, the dough part becames to crunchy and very difficult to eat. My relative offered a solution. She lets the dough rise for 2 hours and then bakes it(with the meat on top). I always bake them first, then freeze, as you can pull them out if you have unexpected company and warm up.

Feif Un, I have that cookbook too, it is also has a history of the Aleppo Jews. Beautiful pictures. It is a must have in the Sephardic Kitchen.

lakewoodwife – never tasted lachmagine…don’t even know how to pronounce it, but I’ve been looking for good freezable recipes, so I gave it a try. Definately interesting to my ashkenazic tastebuds, but my husband likes sfardi food, and he says they’re very good! thanks! Can you post some more easy recipes?

Mrs. Ben Levi

chops – Matbucha

2 peppers, preferably not green, diced

1-2 chile peppers (optional)

2-3 plum tomatoes, peeled and diced

1/2 head of garlic, peeled and sliced or diced

Olive oil

Put diced peppers in two quart pot with a little bit of oil, it does not have to be extra virgin olive oil because it loses the taste over the cooking period. Saute over medium flame for about ten minutes, mixing every couple of minutes. Then lower the flame to low and allow the peppers to simmer, uncovered until they become very soft and limp (this could even take about half an hour, depends on the peppers). Once they are limp, add the diced and peeled tomatoes, together with the garlic ( I slice them, it tastes great), still uncovered on the low flame. Mix, and let it simmer for another 20-30 minutes until the tomatoes are cooked and the liquid has evaporated to about 1/2 the mixture. Chill and serve. It should fill about a 1 pint container. I believe that this is a Morrocan recipe, but is now pretty generic Mediteranean. Hatzlocha.

I’m glad everyone enjoyed the recipe!

I really am not someone who cooks with recipes, I tend to make things up as I go along.

Here’s an interesting variation on chicken soup that I learned from my Mother-in-law. It’s somewhere between a soup and a stew. Served over rice (which is how it should be served) it can really be a main course, but I’ve seen (and used) it both as a main and as a soup.

Hamoud (the H is pronounced like a Sepharadi Ches)

8-10 Chicken wings

5 (or more)cloves Garlic sliced

2-3 stalks celery cut into bite sized pieces

2-3 small to medium zucchini sliced (with or without peels)(I like to cut the circles in half or quarters but it’s really not necessary, especially if you peel them)

1-2 small potatoes, peeled and cubed

1/4 cup lemon juice

salt to taste

Put all the veggies into a pot. Add the wings, salt, and a little water. Cover and cook until wings are cooked through and vegetables are soft. Add lemon juice. Serve over rice.

I usually start it on high for a few minutes then turn it way down and let it simmer for a long time. I then turn it off and add the lemon juice. I reheat it right before Shabbos and then just wrap the whole pot in a big bath towel to keep it warm for the seuda.

Let me know if you try it, and what you think.

Does anyone have a recipe for bazargan (sp?) I think it has toubulli in it. I used to get it at my grocery store but they dont have it anymore and my family is missing it on shabbos.

Thanks

Mybat

If the spicy one could be altered to make it not so spicy I would try the spicy one.

Thanks

Bazergan is made with Bulgur – which is cracked wheat, but use the fine grade, as there are coarser grades. Bulgur is also a staple ingredient in Tabouli salad.

Bazergan receipe:

1 cup fine cracked wheat

1 small onion, finely chopped

3 Tbs oil

2 T. lemon juice

8 TBS. Temerhindi (Tamarind concentrate, Setton’s make a jar) or you can subsitute prune butter

3 TBS. Tomato paste

2 teaspoons cumin

Salt to taste

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pinenuts (optional)

Soak the bulgur in hot water for 15 minutes and drain (use fine mesh colander as the bulgur is small) Add the drained bulgur to a mixing bowl. Add all the ingredients except for nuts, and combine well. Before serving garnish with nuts &/or chopped parsly. Enjoy. You can make it spicy by adding a little crushed red pepper. But Syrians don’t really make their food spicy in the hot sense. Enjoy and let us know if it came out tasty!!

The Deal Delights cookbook was a great cook book put together by the Sisterhood of Deal. It has been out of print for a while. Poopa Dweck who wrote the Aleppo cookbook, was the Editor of the Deal cookbook.

Mazal,

How do you pronounce bazergan (which syllable stressed)? With what type of main dish do you serve it?

Bemused, just read it as it is spelled. Bazergan is a sweet and sour cracked wheat salad. Sephardim serve this salad as part of “Maza” which is a course constisting of various appetizers and salads. In the Maza course you can have Tehina, Hummus, Syrian potato salad, Tabouli, Babaghonoush, Pickles, olives and finger foods like Lechmeagin, Kibbe, Meat Phyllo fingers, meat sambusaks, & meat borekas. As we have become more americanized in our cooking, I’ll make franks in blankets, mini potato knishes, and chicken nuggets. Don’t think I make all these foods everytime, though there are some families that do. In our area, many of these foods can be purchased ready made. I usually have Maza on Shabbat Lunch and after, will serve the Hamin.

Thank you Chops, and thank you Mazal77 for your detailed description. I appreciate it!

Mrs doubtfire

Like a pizza.

Thanks for both of the replies. I hope to try it using my own dough sometime soon.

how about this recipe for spicy morrocan fish sauce:-

5 cloves of garlic sliced thin

7 tomatoes (peeled and deseeded – or 5 whole tomatoes) diced

olive oil

1 1/2 peppers diced

1 medium carrot diced

2 spring onions chopped

1/3 mango diced

1 teaspoon cumin

2 teaspoons sweet paprika

zest of one lemon

1/2 handfull coriander leaves

1/2 handfull mint leaves

1/2 handfull parsley leaves

hot chilli pepper minced – to taste

4 tavlespoons water

salt

saute off the garlic in the oliove oil. add all the vegetables and the mango. when nearly cooked add the fresh herbes, spices salt, chilli pepper and lemon zest. blend in food proccesser if you wish. if you do blend add roughly chopped fresh herbs before service. grill fish/ cook in oven. just before completion add the sauce. REMEMBER TO SAY L’KOVOD SHABBAS AT LEAST 3 TIMES