Snacks

3 recipes

Aroog

Fine bulgur (#1 grade) soaks in hot water until soft and fluffy. Lamb or beef mince mixes with the bulgur, grated onion, lots of chopped parsley and coriander, ground baharat, cumin and a pinch of cinnamon. The mixture should be soft enough to spread, if it's too dry the aroog crumble. Small portions press onto a hot oiled pan and flatten to 1 cm thick discs; cook for 4-5 minutes per side over medium heat until deeply browned and the meat is just cooked through. Lift, drain briefly, eat hot with lemon and yoghurt.

1 hour 20 minutes Serves4

Iraqi Falafel

Dried chickpeas soak in cold water 24 hours, the long soak hydrates them fully without cooking. Once drained, they are ground with onion, garlic, fresh coriander, parsley, dill, green chilli, cumin, coriander seed and ground cardamom to a coarse pale-green crumb. Bicarbonate of soda adds at the last minute for the open, fluffy interior. The mix chills for 30 minutes; small patties form; deep-fry at 175°C for 3 minutes until deep gold outside, fluffy and bright green inside. Eaten in warm samoon with the trimmings.

25 hours 15 minutes Serves4

Sambusak

A simple flour-oil-water dough with a little turmeric for colour rests briefly while the filling cooks down. Cooked chickpeas are pulsed (not pureed) with caramelised onion, cumin, sumac and parsley. Dough rolls to 3 mm; cut in rounds; spoon in filling; fold to half-moon; crimp with a fork or twist a rope edge. Either deep-fried at 175°C until amber-gold, or brushed with egg, sprinkled with sesame and baked at 200°C. The texture is half-pastry, half-cracker, and the filling is dry and warmly spiced.

1 hour 35 minutes Serves6