Lebanese 'Mezze' - 5 easy to make appetizers

Foods are the marker of any country as they represent the blending of ingredients, cultural heritage and the heart of the people of that country. Lebanese culture, originating from the country of Lebanon, is a culture of diversity. Similarly, its foods are also a mixture of the indigenous elements and foreign culture reflecting their generosity, diversity and colorful landscape. ‘Mezze’, the appetizer, is yet another Lebanese gastronomy.

The 5 appetizers which comprises the cultural heritage of Lebanese cuisine are as follows.

1. Fattūsh

This Lebanese salad has its roots in the Syrian, Arabic and Turkish cultures.

Ingredients:

Dressing:

• ½ cup of light vegetable broth water
• 1 tsp of cornstarch
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 2 tsp of sumac
• 3 cups of fresh lemon juice
• Salt and pepper to taste

Fattūsh salad

• Grilled pieces of Lebanese Pita breads
• 1 kg Lebanese cucumber finely diced
• 2 large tomatoes finely diced
• 1 cup of chopped fresh mint
• 1 green pepper seeded and chopped
• A bunch of fresh purslane
• ½ cup of arugula
• 4 tsp olive oil
• 2 bunch of fresh parsley

Pour some vegetable broth water and brew with cornstarch, stir it constantly on medium heat. Then remove the mixture from the heat and add garlic and fresh lemon juice. Keep the dressing in a refrigerator to set. In a large bowl, put some leaves of parsley, mint and purslane. Add cucumber slices, diced tomatoes, arugula and green pepper. Mix it well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pound some garlic along with olive oil and lemon juice to the mixture. After the dressing is set, take it out of the refrigerator and pour it on the salad. Spread the Pita bread on top and sprinkle some sumac. Fattūsh salad is ready to serve.

2. Falafel

This Lebanese jazzy appetizer has its roots in Egypt-Pharaonic period. It traveled its way to Lebanon and replaced the ingredient Fava bean with Chickpeas.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg of chickpeas drained for 24 hours
• 1 tsp chopped fresh coriander
• 3 cloves of pealed, crushed and minced garlic
• ½ fine chopped onion
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp of ground cumin
• ½ tsp ground paprika
• ½ tsp chili
• 2 tsp flour
• 1 tsp bicarbonate soda
• 3 tsp baking powder
• Vegetable oil as required
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 bunch of parsley

In a bowl, mash the drained Chickpeas. Add coriander, garlic, cinnamon, cumin, paprika and chilli together and grind. Then add flour, bicarbonate soda and baking powder to the mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. Leave the mixture to set for 30 minutes. Then make small round balls from the mixture and deep fry them in vegetable oil. Serve with parsley sprinkled on top.

3. Marinated Artichokes

This is another ingredient and recipe which made its journey across the Mediterranean countries of Sicily and Tunisia and encompasses the Greek and Roman cultures.

Ingredients:

• 1 can of artichoke
• ½ cup of olive oil
• 3 tsp lemon juice
• 2 cloves of minced garlic
• Pita bread

Rinse the quartered artichoke hearts and squeeze the water out. Add garlic, artichokes, olive oil and lemon juice. Mix it well. Put it in the refrigerator for 3 hours. Serve with triangles of Pita bread.

4. Baba Ghanoush

This dish originated in Egypt and is enjoyed by almost the entire Lebanon society.

Ingredients:

• 2 big Eggplants/Aubergines
• 2 tsp Tahini-seasame paste
• 2 tbs lemon juice
• 2 tbs yogurt
• 1 garlic crushed
• Salt and pepper

First make a slit in the skin of the eggplant. Grill the eggplant till all the sides of it turn brownish in color. Then peel off the skin and wash it in cold water. Squeeze out the excess liquid. After this, crush the eggplant and other ingredients well to form a dip. The dip should have a rough texture. Serve it cold, topped with olive oil and fresh chopped basil and parsley.

5. Samsa

Originated in central Asia, Samosa is also a part of Lebanese culture.

Ingredients:

Dough:

• 3 cups of flour
• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• Water according to the coherence of the dough
• Salt to taste

Stuffing:

• 350 gm Halloumi cheese
• 50 gm thyme
• 1 tsp black cumin seeds

Mix flour, oil and water to form a consistent dough in a bowl. Grate Halloumi cheese. Add thyme to half of its content and black cumin to other half. Spread the dough and cut out small circles. Stuff in the mixture and give the piece a half moon shape. Twist the edge of the piece to form a twisted design. Finally, fry in vegetable oil and serve hot.