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The Complete List of Israeli and Jewish Foods

The Complete List of Israeli and Jewish Foods

 

 

WHAT ARE THE MOST FAMOUS ISRAELI AND JEWISH FOODS?

 

 

The Jewish and Israeli kitchens have become very popular around the world lately, there are so many tasty and unique smells and tastes! Today I am happy to present the full list of Jewish and Israeli food, enjoy!

 

 

HUMMUS - WHAT IS IT?

 

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Hummus is a paste made from pureed chickpeas, with the addition of sesame paste (Tahini), olive oil, garlic, and lemon. Hummus has been known since ancient times and is very popular in such countries of the Middle East as Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, etc. We can say that both Jews and Arabs are not indifferent to hummus. The benefits of hummus can be judged by the composition of its ingredients. Chickpeas (chickpeas), sesame seeds (tahini), olive oil, garlic, and lemon are a treasure trove of vitamins and minerals. And at the same time, such a product saturated with useful substances is still not very high in calories, 100 grams contains about 166 kcal.

WHAT SHOULD YOU EAT WITH  HUMMUS?

Israelis use Hummus for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with pita, pita bread, bread, chips, crackers, etc. This light and nutritious snack goes well with vegetables, meat, and mushroom dishes. No meal in Israel can be imagined without Hummus.

In recent years, hummus has become more and more popular in Europe and the United States, especially among vegetarians. Unfortunately, few people in Russia know about hummus, but in vain, because this product rich in vegetable proteins is simply ideal for consumption during fasting. Moreover, in recent years, on the shelves of Russian supermarkets, it is quite possible to purchase all the ingredients necessary for its preparation, the main of which are chickpeas (chickpeas) and sesame paste (tahini).

 

Making hummus at home is not difficult if you follow some of the subtleties that I will gladly share:

 

ISRAELI HUMMUS HOME COOKING RECIPE

♦ Chickpeas (chickpeas) - 350 gr. ♦ Olive oil - 4 tbsp. ♦ Tahini (sesame paste) - 3 tbsp. ♦ Lemon - 1/2 pc. ♦ Garlic - 3 cloves ♦ Salt - 2/3 tsp. ♦ Spices to taste.

1. Soak the chickpeas in cold water for 10 - 12 hours, preferably overnight. For the chickpeas to boil well, and for the shell to be easily separated from the grains during cooking, add 1 tsp to the water for soaking. Baking soda.

2. After soaking, the water must be drained, and the chickpea grains, which have already swelled quite well during this time, rinse and fill with clean cold water. So much water is needed to completely cover the grains.

3. Bring the water to a boil, removing the formed foam. After boiling, reduce the heat, and salt and continue to cook, without closing the lid, for about 40-60 minutes. At the same time, constantly stirring and, if necessary, curling cold water into a saucepan in small portions. There should not be too much water, but it should completely cover the chickpeas.

4. In the process of cooking chickpeas, the shell begins to separate from the grains, which must be constantly removed. In this case, the hummus will turn out to be tender inconsistency.

5. The chickpeas are ready when the kernels are soft and easily crumble when pressed. In this case, remove the pan from the heat, and drain the liquid (broth) in which the chickpeas were cooked, but do not pour it out, it will still come in handy.

6. Grind boiled chickpea grains with a blender until smooth in a puree. Gradually add to the resulting mass the broth in which the chickpeas were cooked.

7. At this stage, if you do not need a lot of ready-made hummus at once, part of the chickpea puree can be cooled and frozen. Frozen chickpea pores make hummus just as good as freshly cooked hummus. It will be necessary to defrost the chickpea pore gradually, leaving it in the refrigerator for 12 hours. In this case, all the useful properties of the product will be preserved.

8. Add sesame paste (tahini), olive oil, lemon juice, and minced garlic to the rest of the chickpea puree. Mix all the ingredients with a mixer for a few minutes.

9. If desired, you can add spices to hummus (parsley, coriander, paprika, black pepper, chili, ground cumin (cumin), etc.)

10. Put the finished hummus in jars, cool, pour a little olive oil on top, and close the lids. Store finished hummus in the refrigerator for no more than 5-7 days. If you cannot find sesame paste (tahini) in stores, then grind lightly fried sesame seeds with a little olive oil in a blender instead, until smooth. The recipe can be viewed here.

 

TAHINI (THINA) WHAT IS IT?

 

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Tahini or Tahina, as it is most often called in Israel, is a thick, greasy paste made from ground young sesame seeds. It is also called sesame or sesame paste. Tahini (Tkhina) is very popular in the countries of the Middle East, especially in Israel, it is she who gives many dishes a unique refined taste. Without it, it is impossible to cook Hummus and Babaganush so beloved by the Israelis, also, it serves as the basis for the preparation of various gravies, sauces, and sweets.

The pasta has a rather thick consistency, therefore, when used as sauces and gravy, it is diluted with water or oil, lemon juice, salt, garlic, and spices added. In Israeli cuisine, Tahini (Tkhina) is a truly versatile product. It goes incredibly with meat, fish, fresh and stewed vegetables, falafel, or even just bread or pita bread.

So for the preparation of a universal salad dressing 2 tbsp. Spoons of Tahini are diluted with 2 tbsp. Water, add 2 tablespoons lemon juice, chopped garlic clove, ½ tsp paprika, salt to taste. Beat everything with a whisk to obtain a homogeneous mass. The filling is ready. To prepare sweet sauces, Tahini is mixed with honey in equal proportions. Served with hot pancakes, it turns out very tasty.

In terms of the popularity of the use of Tahini in Israeli cuisine, it can perhaps be compared only with the use of mayonnaise and sour cream in Russian cuisine. At the same time, Tahini (Tkhina) is an unusually useful product and is a source of: - fatty acids (omega-3, omega-6), which strengthen the health of the heart and brain; - minerals (calcium, iron, copper, and phosphorus) that help to strengthen bones, teeth, blood vessels; prevent anemia; - thiamine and vitamin B1, which strengthen the nervous system and muscles, improve digestion.

In Israel, Tahini (Tkhina) can be bought in any, even the smallest store. In Russia, Tahini (Tkhina) has recently been found in supermarkets or specialized spice stores. But you can make pasta yourself at home.

 

TACCHINI COOKING RECIPE

1. Take 100 grams of sesame seeds (grains should not be bitter) and 2 tbsp. Refined oil (olive or sesame).

2. Dry the sesame seeds in the oven or heat them in a pan (without adding oil) until golden brown.

3. Cool sesame seeds, pour into a blender and add oil in small portions. Beat the mixture until the consistency of thick sour cream. The resulting mixture can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.

 

 

PITA - WHAT IS IT?

 

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Pita is a flat, round unleavened bread incredibly popular in the Mediterranean, Middle East, and Israel. Pita is one of the most ancient sorts of bread on earth. The first mention of such bread can be found in the Old Testament.

Middle Eastern pita (Arabic flatbread) A distinctive feature of pita, from other bread, is water vapor, which is formed under the influence of high temperature inside the cake, and during the baking process, separating one layer of the cake from another. As a result, a cavity is formed inside the flatbread, or as it is also called a "pocket", which is usually filled with hummus, falafel, meat, salads, vegetables, chocolate paste, and anything you like.

 

Pita in Israel is truly a universal product and can be found in any store or catering establishment. The size of the cakes is rather small, the size of an average pitta is about 15-20 centimeters in diameter. It is loved by both children and adults and is taken with them everywhere to work, to school, to a picnic, or on an excursion. And what a wonderful "shawarma container" it turns out. At the same time, unlike Russians, Israelis practically do not use mayonnaise, replacing it with much more useful tahini and hummus.

Pita in Israel is truly a versatile product Unfortunately, pita is not often found on the shelves of Russian stores.

Making pita at home is not difficult if you follow some rules, the most important of which is a very high oven temperature of at least 250 degrees. It is at this temperature that water vapor is formed inside the pit, which forms the very "pocket".

 

PITA RECIPE FOR HOME COOKING

 

♦ Wheat flour - 3 cups ♦ Dry yeast - 1.5 teaspoons ♦ Salt - 1 teaspoon ♦ Sugar - 1 teaspoon ♦ Water - 280 milliliters ♦ Vegetable oil - 2 tablespoons From this amount of products, 8 pits are obtained.

1. Sift flour, add yeast, salt, and sugar, mix well.

 

2. Gradually add warm water to the flour, The water temperature should be about 45 degrees. Mix everything well for 5 minutes, using a mixer.

 

3. When the dough becomes smooth and homogeneous, add vegetable oil, and olive oil if possible, and mix well again.

 

4. Put the finished dough in a bowl, cover with cling film, and put in a warm place for 1-1.5 hours. During this time, the volume of the dough should approximately double.

 

5. Knead the dough, divide it into 8 equal parts, and leave for 5-10 minutes, covered with a towel.

 

6. Preheat the oven to a maximum temperature of 250 degrees.

 

7. Roll out a flat cake 5-7 millimeters thick from each part, and place the prepared flat cakes on parchment paper.

 

8. Remove the hot baking sheet from the oven. Drag the parchment paper with the cakes onto the baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the oven.

 

9. The cakes will very quickly begin to inflate, due to the formation of water vapor inside them. After they begin to resemble a "ball", keep them in the oven for no more than 2 minutes. The main thing is not to overexpose, otherwise, the pits will turn out to be dry. The time for baking flat cakes is no more than 5-6 minutes.

 

10. Remove the finished cakes from the oven, cover them with a towel, and leave to cool.

 

 

FALAFEL WHAT IS IT?

 

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Falafel is extremely popular in the Middle East, especially in Israel. The birthplace of falafel is considered to be Egypt, from where this dish spread to all cuisines of the Middle East, as well as to some African countries.

The falafel recipe was brought to Israel by Jews who arrived here from Africa in the first half of the 20th century. Falafel was so fond of the Israelis that it very quickly acquired the status of a truly national product. It must be said that every person living in the Middle East has a special recipe for making falafel. So, if in Israel it is prepared only from chickpeas, then in Egypt from Egyptian beans, and Lebanon from a mixture of beans, chickpeas, and cannellini beans.

Israeli falafel is deep-fried balls made from minced chickpeas with herbs and spices.

 

WHAT TO EAT WITH FALAFEL?

 

You can also eat falafel as an independent dish, with a side dish of fresh vegetables and fried potatoes. But in Israel, it is customary to use it like this: ready-made falafel balls, along with hummus, fresh vegetable salad, pickles, chips, or fried potatoes are placed in pita and all this is poured abundantly with tahini sesame paste (tahini).

Thus, a kind of Israeli hamburger is obtained, very tasty, healthy, and nutritious. This is called falafel in pita bread. This dish is so versatile that you can eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You can taste such a hamburger in any falafel, of which there are a great many in Israel. Moreover, when the falafel is ready, you will be asked what exactly you want to put in the pita. Thus, you can choose a salad of vegetables, salinity, and other additives at your discretion. As a rule, these are finely chopped cucumbers and tomatoes, pickled cucumbers, and fried potatoes.

Few people know about falafel, which is a pity, because this dish is nothing more than a whole storehouse of vitamins, minerals, and proteins, ideal for use in fasting, and not only. Making Israeli falafel at home is not difficult at all.

 

FALAFEL HOME COOKING RECIPE

 

Chickpeas - 0.5 kg baking soda - 1 tsp onions - 2 pieces garlic - 4-5 cloves greens (parsley and cilantro) - 1 bunch coriander - ¼ h spoon salt - 1 tsp vegetable oil (olive oil if possible) - 1 glass breadcrumbs

1. Soak the chickpeas in water mixed with baking soda, preferably overnight.

 

2. Rinse the chickpeas, let the water drain, and mince them together with onions, garlic, and herbs.

 

3. Add salt and coriander to the minced meat.

 

4. The consistency of the minced meat will depend on the juiciness of the greens. If the minced meat turns out to be liquid, then add ½ cup of bread crumbs.

 

5. From the minced meat obtained, mold balls, the size of walnuts, and fry them in deep fat until golden brown. Serve ready-made falafel as an independent dish, with various sauces, fresh vegetables, fried potatoes, and other side dishes. To prepare falafel in pita, you will need pita, hummus, tahini sesame paste (tahini), and fresh and pickled vegetables. If desired, pita can be replaced with pita bread and hummus and tahini with mayonnaise or any other sauce. But if you want to cook real Israeli falafel in pita, then here you can see how to cook pita, hummus, and tahini sesame paste at home.

 

WHAT IS BABAGANUSH?

 

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Babaganush is a light snack mainly consisting of baked eggplants with seasonings and spices (garlic, lemon, sesame paste, olive oil, herbs). Babaganush is a delicate aromatic dish that is very popular in the Middle East, including Israel. The dish is the same favorite for both vegetarians and meat-eaters, the former like to use it with pita, bread, and lavash, the latter as a sauce or a side dish for meat dishes.
 
They say that in translation from Arabic Babaganush means “angry daddy”, and the history of the origin of the dish is as follows: “The wife put the eggplants to cook, spun around the house, and they burned slightly. An angry husband, tells her everything he thinks about this. But the wise woman was not taken aback, she removed the burnt skin from the eggplants, adding seasonings and spices to them, in the end, the husband was satisfied with the dish. Peace to your home!
 
Babaganush can be consumed for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The appetizer is not only tasty but at the same time very useful, as can be judged by the composition of its ingredients.
 
 

BABAGANUSH EGGPLANT RECIPE

 
 
Making eggplant Babaganush at home is not difficult at all, for this, you will need: ♦ Eggplant (medium size) - 2 pcs. ♦ Olive oil - 2 tbsp. ♦ Tahini (sesame paste) - 2 tbsp. ♦ Lemon juice - 2 tbsp. ♦ Garlic - 2 cloves ♦ Sweet paprika (dry ground) - to taste ♦ Salt - to taste ♦ Greens (cilantro, parsley).
 
1. Rinse the eggplants, and dry with a towel. Pierce with a fork in several places, it is advisable to make more punctures so that the eggplant is baked well. In no case is it necessary to remove the skin from the eggplant or cut off the tails.
 
 
2. Bake eggplants on a baking sheet in an oven preheated to 220 degrees for 35-40 minutes, while the skin should already begin to char slightly.
 
 
3. Take the eggplants out of the oven and put them in a plastic bag for 5 minutes, so that they are thoroughly steamed, after which it will be easy to remove the skin from them.
 
 
4. Remove the skin from the eggplant, chop the pulp with a knife, or mash with a fork. It is better not to use a blender, as the texture of the mass should remain grainy, and the taste will not be the same.
 
 
5. Add garlic, lemon juice, sesame paste (tahini), olive oil, and salt to the resulting mass. Mix everything well.
 
6. Put the finished appetizer on a plate, sprinkle with finely chopped herbs and sweet paprika on top, and use it cold. Bon appetit and peace to your home! If you can't find sesame paste (Tahini) in stores, then try making it at home. The recipe can be viewed here.
 
 
 

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