Classic Ramadan recipes from Ahram Online: V
Sherry El-Gergawi, Sunday 5 Aug 2012
The 5th Ahram Online Ramadan recipe series opens with a chicken cream soup, a light salad, comforting beef and potato stew, another way to make orzo and directions on konafa, a favourite dessert


Soup: Chicken Cream

300gm of chicken breast (cleaned and cut into bite-size pieces)
4 cups chicken stock
2 tbsp of butter
1/4 cup plain flour
Salt and white pepper


Directions:
Put a pot over a medium heat then add the butter to melt, add the flour and stir until it turned golden then add the stock slowly whisking until there are no lumps in it, then add the chicken, season with salt and white pepper and leave it for 10 minutes to cook or until the chicken is tender. Turn heat off and serve in bowls with lemon.##



Salad: Pickled Eggplant
10 small eggplants
1 whole bulb of garlic (peeled and crushed)
1 tsp cumin
A couple of handfuls of parsley
1chili pepper (optional)
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp olive oil
Salt



Directions:
Peel the green tops off the eggplants.
Fill half a pot with cold water, add small amount of salt and 1tbsp oil, cover and bring to boil then add the eggplants to cook for 10-12 minutes until tender.
Put lemon, 2 tbsp olive oil, white vinegar, salt, chili pepper, garlic, parsley and cumin in the blender on "chop" setting.
Make slits in each eggplant and place in 1 tbsp of the garlic mixture inside each one then serve.##




Main Course: Beef Stew with Potato "Kabbab Hallah"
1kg beef meat (cut into 2cm cubes)
3 medium size potatoes (peeled and cut into 1cm cubes)
1 tbsp butter
2 large onions (peeled, halved and sliced)
1tsp chopped garlic
2 bay leafs
2 cups beef stock
Salt and black pepper


Directions:
Melt butter in a pot, sautée onions and garlic until tender then add beef meat and stir until brown, add the stock and black pepper. Leave it to cook until tender over low heat for around 20 minutes (depending on the kind of meat used) adding more hot stock or water, along the side of the pot, whenever the juice looks too low from evaporation.
Add the potato and leave for 10-15 minutes to cook and serve immediately. Garnish with bell peppers.##




Side Item: Orzo "Lesan Asfour" with herbs
3 cups orzo
1 large onion (peeled and finely chopped)
2 tbsp olive oil or butter (per your preference)
2 sliced red peppers (1 elongated and 1 round)
3 tbsp fresh coriander
3 tbsp fresh parsley
Salt and black pepper


Directions:
Fill three quarters of a pot with cold water, cover and bring to boil. Add small amount of salt to enhance the natural flavour, add the orzo all at once, then gently stir with a wooden spoon. Leave uncovered to cook for around 10 minutes stirring frequently to ensure orzo cooks evenly. Take pot off heat and drain into a large strainer, then wash immediately with cold water to stop cooking process. Shake well to remove excess water. In another pot, heat olive oil (butter) over medium-high heat, then add the onion and stir until it turns soft. Add the red pepper, coriander and parsley mix then add the orzo, season with a little salt and black pepper, stir well to mix all and serve.##



Drink: Carob juice "kharoob"
1/2 cup sugar (you may need more upon taste)
5 cups water
1/2 cups carob "kharoob" pieces


Directions:

Stir in carob, sugar and water in a pot over medium heat until boil for about 5-8 minutes. (And if needed you can add more water).

Remove from heat and leave to cool then strain using a fine sieve then pour into bottles and refrigerate until serve.##



Dessert: Konafa with fruits
500 gm konafa
1/2 cup melted unsalted butter or margarine
1 large can fruit compote (pineapple or beach or cocktail or…. etc)
1 cup of fresh or whipping cream (if it doesn't contain sugar, add 2 tbsp icing sugar)
For syrup:
1 cup compote syrup
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice


Directions:
For syrup: stir compote syrup and sugar frequently in pot on medium heat. Once dissolved, add lemon juice and leave for around 10 minutes until thickened. Remove from heat and leave to cool.
Pre-heat the oven to 200 degree Celsius.
In a large bowl start to chop the konafa coarsely then add the melted butter and mix them together completely (until you find the konafa fully saturated with the butter).
In a baking mold, add konafa with butter and press it well in the mould then bake it for 20 minutes or until its surface turns golden brown, remove it from oven and pour the syrup (at room temperature) immediately over it.
Leave it to cool. Then layer with cream, then the fruit compote and serve.##

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