Middle East

Appetizer: Pumpkin Hummus

Ingredients

 1/4 cup, plus 2 tablespoons olive oil

 2 cloves garlic (minced)
 2 tablespoons fresh sage (chopped)
 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas
 3/4 cup pumpkin purée
 2 tablespoons lemon juice
 2 tablespoons tahini
 1 teaspoon salt
 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
 For garnish: Toasted pumpkin seeds, sage, ground paprika, olive oil, salt
 For serving: Pita chips, pita bread, fresh vegetables
Steps to Make It

 Gather the ingredients.

 Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a sauté pan. Heat on medium heat until hot. Add the
garlic and chopped sage. Sauté until the garlic is browned. Remove the pan from the
heat immediately.
 Add the garbanzo beans, pumpkin purée, lemon juice, tahini, salt, pepper, cumin, and
paprika to a high-speed blender or a food processor.
 Begin blending. As you blend, drizzle in the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil. Blend until
completely smooth. Taste and add more salt to your liking.
 Top the hummus with more olive oil, salt, paprika, chopped sage, and roasted pumpkin
seeds if you wish. Serve with pita, pita chips, or fresh veggies for dipping.
Main Course: Shawarma-Spiced Braised Leg of Lamb

INGREDIENTS

Rub:

 1 (6- pound)
bone- in leg of
lamb, shank
attached, frenched
 Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
 2 tablespoons cumin seeds
 2 teaspoons caraway seeds
 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
 2 Thai chiles, very finely chopped
 4 garlic cloves, finely grated
 1/2 cup olive oil
 1 tablespoon paprika
 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Assembly:

 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds

 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
 1/4 cup olive oil
 1 large onion, thinly sliced
 1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
 1 tablespoon chipotle chile powder
 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  Kosher salt

PREPARATION

Rub:

 Trim excess fat from lamb and remove any membrane. Lightly score flesh with a knife
and pat dry with paper towels. Season lamb very generously with salt and pepper; place
on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet.
 Grind cumin, caraway, and coriander seeds in a spice mill or with a mortar and pestle to
a powder. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in chiles, garlic, oil, paprika, and cinnamon;
rub all over lamb. Chill uncovered on wire rack 12–24 hours.

Assembly:

 Let lamb sit to come to room temperature, about 1 hour.

 Preheat oven to 450°F. Roast lamb until well browned all over, 20–25 minutes. Remove
from oven and reduce oven temperature to 250°F.
 Meanwhile, grind caraway and coriander seeds in a spice mill or with a mortar and
pestle to a powder.
 Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium (if lamb doesn't fit in the
pot you have, set a roasting pan over two burners instead). Add onion and cook, stirring
occasionally, until translucent, 5–7 minutes. Add ancho chile powder, chipotle chile
powder, turmeric, black pepper, cinnamon, and ground seeds and stir to coat onion.
Cook, stirring, until spices are fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and broth and
bring liquid to a simmer; season lightly with salt.
 Carefully place lamb in pot and add just enough water to cover if it is not submerged.
Cover pot and braise lamb in oven until meat is very tender and bone wiggles easily in
the joint, 4 1/2–5 1/2 hours. (If using a roasting pan, add water as needed so liquid
comes halfway up side of leg, cover with foil, and turn lamb once during braising.)
Transfer lamb to a platter and tent with foil to keep warm while you make the sauce.
 Increase heat to medium-high and bring braising liquid to a boil; cook, stirring often to
prevent sticking, until reduced by half, 25–30 minutes. Taste sauce and season with salt
if needed. Spoon over lamb. Serve with Herb Salad alongside.
Do Ahead
 Lamb can be braised 2 days ahead. Keep in braising liquid; cover and chill. Reheat,
covered, over medium-low until liquid is simmering and meat is warmed through.

Dessert: Kunafah
INGREDIENTS

 500g Akawie Soft Cheese

 1 pkg (454 g) Frozen Arz Kataifi Shredded Dough, thawed
 3/4 cup (175 mL) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
 1/2 cup (125 mL) ricotta cheese
 1–½ cups (375 mL) granulated sugar
 2 tbsp (25 mL) fresh lemon juice
 1 tsp (5 mL) Arz Rose Water
 1/4 cup (50 mL) raw unsalted shelled pistachios, chopped

INSTRUCTIONS

 Place akawie cheese in large bowl; add enough cold water to cover. Cover bowl with
plastic wrap; refrigerate 6 to 12 hours, changing water at least once. Drain; rinse well.
Pat dry. Finely grate akawie cheese on small holes of box grater; set aside.
 Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
 Place kataifi in separate large bowl; using fingers, separate and loosen strands. Drizzle
with butter; toss to coat. Transfer half of the kataifi to greased 9-inch (23 cm) round
cake pan with 2-inch (5 cm) high sides, pressing gently into bottom of pan.
 Sprinkle akawie cheese over top, spreading evenly. Spread ricotta evenly over top. Add
remaining kataifi, spreading evenly and pressing gently into pan. Bake until golden, 55 to
60 minutes. Let cool on rack 10 minutes.
 Meanwhile, bring sugar, lemon juice and 1 cup water to a boil in small saucepan. Reduce
heat to a simmer; cook until thick and syrupy, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; let
cool to room temperature. Stir in rose water. Set aside.
  Run thin knife around edge of pastry to release from pan. Invert serving platter over top
of pastry; turn pan upside down onto platter. Carefully lift away pan. Sprinkle pastry
with pistachios. Drizzle three-quarters of the sugar mixture over top. Let stand until
absorbed, about 15 minutes. Drizzle with remaining sugar mixture. Let cool to room
temperature before slicing.

Indian subcontinent

Appetizer: SAMOSA
INGREDIENTS

For the dough  1 (1-in) piece fresh ginger , grated

 1 teaspoon cumin
 1 lb maida (or all-purpose flour)
 1 teaspoon garam masala
 4 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter)
 ½ teaspoon ground coriander
or rapeseed oil
 ½ teaspoon ground cardamom seeds
 ¾ cup water , more or less
 ½ teaspoon turmeric
 2 tablespoons lassi (or yogurt)
 ½ bunch cilantro , finely chopped
 1 teaspoon ground cardamom seeds
 3 tablespoons sunflower oil
 ½ teaspoon baking soda
 Salt
 1 teaspoon salt
 Black pepper
 Oil (for frying)
For the glue
For the filling
 3 tablespoons flour
 5 potatoes , cooked and mashed
 3 tablespoons hot water
 1 onion , finely diced
 2 cloves garlic , crushed
 1 carrot , diced (optional)
 ½ lb peas
 1 green hot pepper , cut into thin
strips

INSTRUCTIONS

Dough
 In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, cardamom, baking soda and salt.
 Add ghee and lassi and mix with until dough becomes sandy.
 Pour ½ cup of water and, using the dough hook, mix for 4 minutes.
 Add remaining water gradually if necessary.
 The dough should quickly become soft, smooth and elastic.
 Form a ball with the dough, lightly coat the entire surface with oil, and cover with a
cloth.
 Set aside at room temperature for 1 hour.

Filling

 Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat and pour the onion and ginger.
 Sauté for 2 minutes until the onion is soft, then add the garlic.
 Sauté for a minute.
 Add peas, hot pepper and carrot and cook on low heat for 5 minutes.
 Finally, add the mashed potatoes and the other ingredients.

 Mix well and cook over low heat, covered for 5 minutes.

Glue

 Vigorously mix the flour and water until reaching the consistency of a thick cream.

Assembly

 Divide dough 8 equal pieces.

 Take each piece of dough and roll it between the palms to form a smooth ball.
 Roll out the dough thinly and cut it in half to get two half circles.
 Use a brush or your fingers to apply some glue to the edges of the dough.
 Then, form a cone.
 Fold and stuff the cone with the mixture of mashed potatoes, carrots and peas, as
shown in this video.

Cooking

 Heat oil in a large skillet.

 Carefully slide samosas in the oil and fry until golden.
 If you do not serve the samosas immediately, deep fry them again for 1 minute before
serving.
 Serve hot or warm with cilantro sauce or tamarind chutney.
Main Course: Smita Chandra's Malabar Mussels

Ingredients

 3 tbsp. canola oil

 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
 2 small green Thai chiles or 1 serrano, thinly sliced
 1 (2") piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
 2 tsp. Malabar masala
 3 plum tomatoes, chopped
 1 (14-oz.) can coconut milk
 Kosher salt, to taste
 2 1⁄2 lb. mussels, debearded and scrubbed
 1⁄4 cup roughly chopped cilantro
 Cooked white rice, for serving (optional)
 1⁄2 small red onion, thinly sliced

Instructions

Heat oil in a 6-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook garlic, chiles, ginger, and onion until
golden, 4–6 minutes. Add masala and tomatoes; cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes
begin to break down, 5–7 minutes. Add coconut milk, salt, and 1⁄4 cup water; boil. Add mussels;
cook covered, and occasionally shaking pan, until all mussels are opened, about 5 minutes.
Garnish with cilantro; serve with rice, if you like.

Dessert: Basundi

INGREDIENTS

 2 cups Milk
 4 tbsp sugar
 4 strands saffron
 1 tbsp milk powder
 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
 10 pistachios finely chopped
 10 Almonds finely chopped

 INSTRUCTIONS
 Boil milk in a deep saucepan.
 Once the milk begins to boil add sugar.
 Stir milk and sugar for two minutes.
 Reduce the heat to low, and add milk powder to the mixture. Stir.
 Allow the mixture to simmer until it thickens, stirring occasionally.
 When the milk has reduced to half of its original quantity add cardamon, saffron,
pistachios and almonds.
 Add sugar and cook on low heat for two more minutes.
 Remove the pan from the heat and pour the mixture into a serving bowl.
 Garnish with nuts and saffron strands.
 Serve!
 Southeast Asia

Appetizer: Nem nướng

INGREDIENTS

 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon jasmine rice

 1 tablespoon sugar
 ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
 ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt or 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
 ½ teaspoon baking powder
 2 tablespoons fish sauce
 2 teaspoons pounded or very finely grated garlic
 1 pound ground pork
 Canola, grapeseed or other neutral-tasting oil

PREPARATION

 Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

 Set a cast-iron pan over medium heat, and add rice. Cook, swirling and stirring
constantly, until rice turns a deep golden color, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat, pour
into a small heatproof bowl and allow to cool. Use a spice or coffee grinder to grind
cooled rice into a fine powder.
 Place rice powder, sugar, pepper, salt, baking powder, fish sauce and garlic in a large
bowl, and stir to combine.
 Add pork to the bowl, and using your hands, mix thoroughly for 1 full minute.
 Heat a cast-iron pan over medium heat. Use a heaping tablespoon of pork mixture to
make a small, thin sausage patty. Add a teaspoon or so of oil, and cook the patty for 2 to
3 minutes on each side. Taste, and if needed, add salt or any other seasonings to the
uncooked sausage mixture, and mix to combine.
 Divide and roll the remaining sausage into 8 3-inch logs, skewering lengthwise and
placing on the prepared baking sheet as you go. Cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to
allow flavors to come together. (Sausages can be made ahead and covered and
refrigerated or frozen at this point until ready to use.)
 To cook, wipe out cast-iron pan, and return to medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil.
When it shimmers, add sausages in a single layer, leaving space between them. Cook,
rotating every 2 minutes, until browned on the surface and just cooked through, 6 to 8
minutes total.
 Drain sausages on paper towels, and serve hot.
Main Course: Kare-Kare

Ingredients

 1/4 cup peanut oil

 3 pounds oxtails (cleaned and patted dry)
 2 pounds blanched beef tripe (rinsed)
 1 yellow onion (peeled and sliced)
 3 cloves garlic (peeled and crushed)
 1 tomato (chopped)
 1 1/4 cups beef stock (homemade or use canned)
 1 1/4 cups water
 Salt (to taste)
 2 tablespoons annatto oil
 3 tablespoons peanut butter
 1/2 cup water (hot)
 Several shots of Tabasco (or more, to taste)
Steps to Make It

Gather the ingredients.

 Heat a large skillet and add 3 tablespoons of the peanut oil. Brown the oxtails well on
both sides in 2 or 3 batches.
 Place them in a 6-quart heavy-bottomed stovetop covered casserole or Dutch oven.
 While the oxtails are browning, bring 3 quarts of water to a boil and blanch the tripe.
Start by boiling it for a few minutes.
 Drain and cool.
 Cut the tripe into strips 1/2-inch wide and 3 inches long. Add these to the oxtail pot.
 Add the remaining peanut oil to the skillet the oxtails were browned in and sauté the
onion and garlic.
 Add to the oxtail pot along with the tomato, beef stock, water, salt, and annatto oil.
 Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer slowly for 1 1/2 hours.
 Simmer partially covered for another 1 1/2 hours, stirring now and then.
 While this is simmering, mix together the peanut butter and hot water in a small bowl.
 At the beginning of the last hour of cooking, add the peanut butter-water mixture and
Tabasco. Taste and add more Tabasco and salt if needed. If all is not very tender,
continue to cook a bit longer.
 Serve with rice and enjoy!
Dessert: Halo-Halo

INGREDIENTS

 1 cup crushed or shaved ice

 1/4 cup milk - fresh or evaporated
 1 teaspoon sugar - if needed
 1 teaspoon sweetened saba or plantain bananas
 1 teaspoon sweetened sweet potatoes
 1 teaspoon sweetened red munggo
 1 teaspoon sweetened garbanzos (chickpeas) or beans
 1 teaspoon fresh of sweetened langka - jack fruit
 1 teaspoon coconut strips or sweetened macapuno
 1 teaspoon nata de coco - coconut gel
 1 teaspoon sago or tapioca pearls or jelly cut into cubes
 1 tablespoon leche flan - topping
 1 tablespoon ube jam or 1 scoop of ube ice cream – topping
INSTRUCTIONS

 In a tall glass, add a teaspoon of each of your selected ingredients.

 Add sugar if you like. Personally, I find that the other ingredients are sweet enough so I
do not any more sugar.
 Fill the glass with shaved ice up to the brim. Push it down and add some more.
 Drizzle with milk.
 Add the toppings of choice.
 Serve with a long spoon for mixing (‘halo’) and enjoy.
Middle Eastern cuisine incorporates some of the world’s tastiest dishes. For example, in
countries along the Mediterranean, you will find hummus, pita, eggs, cheeses, olives, fresh
juices, salads, etc. Some common street foods include falafel and shawarma, which can be
found in virtually any Middle Eastern country.

In the Middle East, you probably won’t find pork on restaurant menus, unless you’re in a
touristy area. Additionally, many restaurants and grocery stores follow the laws of Kashrut for
Judaism or Halal for Islam. This means that all meat has to be Kosher or Halal; each is guided by
a number of rules.

Indian cuisines consists of a variety of regional and traditional cuisines native to the Indian
subcontinent. Given the diversity in soil, climate, culture, ethnic groups, and occupations, these
cuisines vary substantially and use locally available spices, herbs, vegetables, and fruits. Indian
food is also heavily influenced by religion, in particular Hinduism, cultural choices and
traditions. The cuisine is also influenced by centuries of Islamic rule, particularly the Mughal
rule. Samosas and pilafs are examples

Southeast Asian Cooking is both art and science; as in other parts of the world, not everyone in
Southeast Asia cooks with the same level of skill or the same aesthetic sense. Nevertheless,
even the poorest households produce tasty meals using simple techniques like boiling,
steaming, and grilling.

Southeast Asian meals require the freshest possible ingredients, and lots of time (and skill) to
process and prepare them, but cooking times are short and the cooking techniques are easily
learned. In addition to taste, smell, appearance, and texture are important to Southeast Asian
cooks. The harmony of tastes and textures, and the balance of hot/spicy, sour, salty, and sweet,
is the basis of the complexity of Southeast Asian cuisines.
References:

https://www.acouplecooks.com/easy-pumpkin-hummus/

https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/shawarma-spiced-braised-leg-of-lamb

https://www.chocolatesandchai.com/kunafah/

https://www.cookwithmanali.com/samosa-recipe/

https://www.saveur.com/article/recipes/smitas-malabar-mussels-with-coconut-milk-tomatoes-and-
cilantro/

https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/basundi-recipe-quick-basundi-recipe/

https://www.hungryhuy.com/bun-nem-nuong-recipe-vietnamese-grilled-pork-meatballs/

https://panlasangpinoy.com/kare-kare-recipe/

https://www.foxyfolksy.com/halo-halo-recipe/

https://traveltips.usatoday.com/middle-eastern-culture-cuisine-22651.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_cuisine

http://ssu.ac.ir/cms/fileadmin/user_upload/Daneshkadaha/dbehdasht/behdasht_imani/book/Food_Cul
ture_in_Southeast_Asia_1_.pdf