Tag: Food blog

Street food LEBANON

Food in Lebanon is the essence of each gathering. Most of the Lebanese food is done with olive oil, garlic, onions, mint. Lebanese dishes are known to be very healthy and don’t contain many fatty ingredients. Nowadays, it is very popular in Lebanon to do the Food markets. This is how important food is in the country.

I’ve heard many times as well many Lebanese friends nagging about how they hardly they find food places opened when they are in a foreign country. In Lebanon, there are 24/7 opened restos, and mainly they are close to the pubs and nightclubs. And most of these places are Lebanese food and not the junk and fast food type.

The most popular street food is as follows, the majority is done with Lebanese bread:

Shawarma sandwich chicken and meat.

shawarma sandwich, street food Lebanon — shawarma sandwich-Taste of Beirut

Mankoushe or Sajj (a thinner type of mankoushe) with Thyme, Cheese, Labneh, Meat, etc… with vegetables are the most wanted breakfast street food.

Labneh with vegetables.

Cheese

Lahm Baajine can be eaten with pepper and lemon and with laban aside.

Zaatar, with vegetables

Saj mankoushe

Falafel can be eaten with or without bread. It is made from crushed chickpeas that are deep fried and served in Lebanese bread with vegetables and tahini sauce.

falafel middle eastern food chickpeas health food, street food Lebanon — falafel middle eastern food chickpeas health food

Knefeh mostly eaten in the morning but before it used to be only in the early mornings or after midnight, but nowadays can be found in a few places all day long. We can serve it as a dessert as well.

Knafah, Knafeh | by watashiwani, street food Lebanon — Knafah, Knafeh | by watashiwani

Shish taouk & Kafta.

chicken shish taouk, beef kabobs and Kafta, street food Lebanon — chicken shish taouk, beef kebabs and Kafta
Image credit- Pinterest

Ice cream, the standard flavours or the Ashta ice-cream.

The Lebanese Bakery: Daily baked "kaak", street food Lebanon — The Lebanese Bakery: Daily baked “kaak”
Image credit- TripAdvisor

Kaak, filled with Picon, Cheese, Thyme.

And many other delicious creations. Lebanese are known for mixing food together to get something extremely delicious at the end.

You may also like to read What is your favourite street food? Part 5

Street food Syria

There is not much to say about falafel, it has its own fame. Chickpeas dough, fried in hot oil, it can be eaten alone or in a sandwich with tomatoes, pickles and tartar sauce. It is cheap and tasty, can be found everywhere in Syrian cities.

Shawarma is a very, very popular meal in the middle east. It’s usually chicken meat, but you can find also beef or lamb meat. It is Very delicious, an average price for an amazing meal.

Aljetaily Meat Fatayer | by Samiha.Aljetaily, street food Syria — Meat Fatayer | by Samiha.Aljetaily

Manakish/Fatayer. A dough cooked on round pan and topped with thyme(Zaatar), halloumi cheese or red pepper sauce. Originally from Damascus, it spread all around Syria and Lebanon. Perfect for a park promenade!

Pinterest Mshabak with honey, street food Syria — Pinterest
Mshabak with honey.

Last but not least for the dessert, we have Mshabak/Loqmat al-Qadi. They are pretty much the same but the shape is different. A fried wheat dough, dipped fast while hot in sugar syrup, with a pinch of cinnamon and it’s ready to be served! This sweet is perfect for the cold days of winter.

Arabic Ice cream/Bekdash Ice cream.

Bakdash ice cream, street food Syria — The famous ice cream of Bakdash, one of Damascus’ eternal attractions
Image credit-LookLex

This is a very special kind of sweet, it’s originally from Al Hamidiah Souk, Damascus. It’s made from cold sweet cream, rolled in a plenty of pistachios. Many tourists visit Al Hamidiah to eat this delicious ice cream

Saha w Hanaa, Bon appétit!

So, what is your favourite #streetfood”?

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Six London Cheap Eats For Under £10

September 13, 2017

Kash Pals

Food 1 Comment

Cosmopolitan cities like London offer the best food choices from all over the world. From outdoor markets to small shops, you can find gourmet world cuisine for less than £10. Even better, these places are scattered throughout the city so you don’t have to venture far if you rent a house in London.

Here are six of our favourites for undeniably good (and affordable) eats in London.

Roti King

No one complains about the queue at Roti King because the food is worth it. This authentic Malaysian wonder has people lining up for amazing roti. Roti is a buttery Southeast Asian flatbread, in this case, filled or topped with curry, minced meats, or fish.

Dessert gets its spot, too, in roti with caramelized bananas, coconut jam, or a heap of vanilla ice cream.

Under £5.

Location: 40 Doric Way, Euston.

Pieminister

When it comes to what to eat in London, there really is never such a thing as too much pie. Pieminister offers up British classics, like beef, kidney, and venison. They have new spins, too, like chorizo, curry, and feta.

Around £4.50 for pies; meals still around £10.

Locations: Farringdon, 91 Leather Lane; Gabriel’s Wharf, Southwark, 56 Upper Ground.

BAO

BAO serves its unique, steamed, soft bun filled with an array of tantalizing flavours and textures. Try the Taiwanese street food classic, with slow-braised pork dusted with peanut powder. Or maybe try the veggie daikon, confit pork, fried chicken varieties, and more.

Don’t forget dessert at BAO, either: fried Horlicks Ice Cream.

Around £4 each.

Two locations: Netil Market, Hackney and 53 Lexington Street

Herman ze German

With sausages made in the Black Forest back in the old country, Herman ze German knows its wurst. Options include chilli, smoky pork, veal, and even a seitan version for vegetarians. There’s something here for everyone to love when looking for the best food in London. Ask about the guest wurst for something special.

Around £5.

Three locations: Charing Cross,19 Villiers Street; Soho, 33 Old Compton Street; and Fitzrovia, 43 Charlotte Street.

Mike and Ollie

Flatbreads and wraps are done up here with seasonal ingredients that are locally sourced whenever possible. Mike and Ollie keep it easy-going and comfortable with prices to match. For something different, check out their manti, which are handmade Turkish-style dumplings crammed with flavour.

About £7.

Locations: Brockley Market, Lewisham; Manti Street Food Stand, Flat Iron Square Food Court, 68 Union Street.

Dishoom

This London restaurant is essentially Iran by way of India. Dishoom recreates the Bombay cafe-style of Iranians in exile right in London.

For breakfast order the Kejriwal–fried eggs on chilli toast. Or savour Murgh Malai any time, with its chicken in garlic, ginger, coriander stems, and a dash of the creamy marinade. There are also lots of veggie options.

Most dishes around £7, with plenty for less.

Four locations: Covent Garden, 12 Upper Street; Carnaby, 22 Kingly Street; Shoreditch, 7 Boundary; King’s Cross, 5 Stable Street.

We’ve just scratched the surface of the vast options for cheap eats in London. Explore those little shops off the beaten path, but don’t miss the dozens of food stalls at the public markets. You really can do London on a budget and find amazing dishes!

About the Author: Oasis is a new brand of hospitality. They believe travel is essential, allowing people to enrich their lives and gain new perspectives on cultures across the globe. So they offer accommodation in the world’s top destinations that combine the amenities of a full-service hotel with the adventurous spirit of a home stay.

Recipes with Curry leaves

December 2, 2016

Kash Pals

Recipes 2 Comments

In my earlier post, I covered curry leaves and its benefits. The following are 2 delicious recipes to try out.

Curry leaf chicken

Ingredients:

1 piece cinnamon

2 cloves

3 cardamoms

1 tsp each fennel and cumin seeds

1 tbsp. peppercorns

1 cup loosely packed curry leaves + 20 more curry leaves

3 tbsp. oil

3 garlic cloves chopped

1 tsp ginger paste

3 green chillies halved

¼ tsp turmeric powder

1 cup sliced shallots or small onions

1 tsp salt

1 tsp coriander powder

250 gms boneless chicken

Method: Dry roast the cinnamon stick, cloves, cardamom, cumin and fennel seeds and peppercorns, until aromatic (for about 2 minutes) Add the cup of curry leaves and continue sautéing for two more minutes. Cool, and grind to a fine powder. Keep aside.

Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan, fry the garlic and ginger paste for two minutes, stirring continuously. Add the green chillies and sauté for a minute. Add the turmeric powder and stir.

Add the onions or shallots and salt and fry until the shallots soften. Add the extra curry leaves as well as the ground masala and fry until well incorporated. Lastly, add the coriander powder and the chicken and stir fry and continue cooking until the chicken is soft and tender and cooked through.

curry leaf chicken recipe — curry leaf chicken

Chicken 65

Ingredients:

750 gms boneless chicken

Marinate for 30 minutes with ½ tsp tandoori colour,

2 tbsp. brown vinegar,

4 tbsp. red chilli sauce,

1 tsp garam masala, salt, chilli powder and sauf powder,

2 tbsp. fried browned onions,

2 tbsp. tomato ketchup,

4 tbsp. plain yoghurt,

2 tbsp. corn flour,

1 cup oil,

40 curry leaves chopped,

6 whole red chillies,

1 tbsp. each chilli powder, ginger-garlic paste,

1 tsp each, jeera (cumin seeds) and kalonji (Nigella) seeds.

Method:

Heat the oil, fry the curry leaves, chillies, ginger and garlic paste until browned. Add the chilli powder, jeera, and kalonji seeds and when sizzling and golden add the chicken and cook until cooked and has a glossy sheen. Add more oil while cooking if needed.

curry leaf recipe-Chicken 65- By Amiyashrivastava [GFDLhttp://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons — curry leaf recipe-Chicken 65

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How best to use curry leaves in your cooking?

November 30, 2016

Kash Pals

Food No Comments

Curry leaves or kadi patta, as it is also known, is a staple in Indian dishes. The curry leaf is humble when compared to fancier aromatic herbs like cilantro, coriander, thyme, rosemary etc., but curry leaves add that pizzazz and a powerful punch and flavour to any dish they are added to.

Curry leaves are a common and extremely easily available seasoning that has not received its proper status in the international culinary world as it is a lesser known seasoning in the Western world. It always plays the part of a supporting hero in a dish rather than the star of the dish.

Curry leaves have a spicy, lemon like and bitter flavour that cannot be replicated with any other ingredient. Curry leaves are best in flavour when used fresh. Dried curry leaves have virtually no fragrance and taste and a common misconception is to substitute curry powder. The truth is that curry powder has no curry leaves, it is, in fact, a melange of different spices.

Occasionally, I have experimented using curry leaves with my roast meats instead of traditional herbs like rosemary or thyme and I must say I was pleasantly surprised. It tasted great with roast chicken! Also, a light tadka of mustard seeds and curry leaves with plain grilled fish is also delicious. But then I am quite a fan of the curry leaf. It also pairs well with roast potatoes and sour cream.

The curry leaf tree starts small but grows quite tall with a trunk, often reaching a height of about 13-30 feet. The leaves grow with about 11 or 21 leaflets to a branch. The plant also produces small white flowers, which can self-pollinate to produce small shiny black berries or fruits containing a large viable seed. Though the berry pulp is edible- it has a sweet but medicinal flavour- in general, neither the pulp nor the seed is used for culinary purposes.

Try including curry leaves in your day-to-day daily cooking and please don’t discard the leaves whilst eating but eat them for a healthier life. Also, encourage your children to eat curry leaves for all their health benefits so by the time they are old enough they will have been habituated to eating curry leaves daily.

Properties and benefits

Properties and benefits of #curryleaves

Because of its aromatic properties, curry leaves have vast uses in soap making, body lotions, potpourri, room fresheners, body fragrances, perfumes, bath and massage oils, aromatherapy, spas, incenses’ and hair treatments. The essential oil found in curry leaves are believed to slow down the greying of hair.

The plant has been extensively used in traditional medicines in eastern India. The essential oil extracts from the leaves and seeds have antibacterial and antifungal properties. The root and bark are also used for medicines as they are a stimulant.

The health benefits are innumerable as curry leaves are packed with carbohydrates, fibre, calcium, phosphorus, iron and vitamins like vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin E. Curry leaves help your heart function better and fight infection and enliven your hair and skin with vitality.

As curry leaves are a rich source of iron and folic acid, which is mainly responsible for carrying and helping the body absorb iron as curry leaves are a rich source of both the compounds, it is one stop natural remedy to beat anaemia.

Not only do curry leaves help in lowering the blood sugar levels, but also help to keep them in check for a few days after the administration of curry leaves. Curry leaves help your blood sugar levels by affecting the insulin activity of the body and reduces one’s blood sugar levels.

The type and amount of fibre contained within the leaves plays a significant role in digestion and altering the way your body absorbs fat, thereby helping you control your weight. Since weight gain is one of the leading causes of diabetes, curry leaves treat the problem of the root.

Curry leaf juice is supposed to be good for digestion as well as aiding in controlling acidity. A decoction of curry leaf root and ginger is beneficial for stomach aches. Curry leaf paste mixed with buttermilk is very effective for a stomach upset.

Curry leaf juice with cardamom powder is said to be a home remedy for urinary problems.

Curry leaf powder with lemon juice and a little jaggery is a natural remedy for controlling morning sickness. Dried curry leaves consumed with hot water or milk help to cure chronic anaemia.

Stay tuned in for recipes with curry leaves.