Because the cooking habits of Iraqis were so strongly influenced by neighboring Turkey and Iran, Iraq joins Israel as one of the only Middle-Eastern nations to lack a unique cuisine. Like the Turks, Iraqis love to stuff vegetables and eat a great deal of rice, lamb and yogurt. Like Iranians, they enjoy cooking fruits together with beef and poultry.
While there may not be a distinct style to Iraqi cookery, there are several dishes that have their roots there, and all have become well beloved parts of Israeli dining: Masgoof is an outdoor barbecue of skewered whole river fish; Pacha is a slowly cooked combination of sheep's head, stomach, feet and a variety of other meats in broth; and turshi, a mixture of pickled vegetables, is a popular side-dish.
Historian Reay Tannehill reports that in the 18th century, the most famous chefs of Baghdad were Jews who had traveled in Europe. Upon their return, they introduced French and Italian influences to the diet of upper-class Iraqi families. Even today, one of the most popular dishes in Baghdad is lahma bi ajeen. Composed of circles of yeast bread topped with ground lamb that has been cooked in herbed tomato sauce, the dish was devised by a Jewish chef after he had visited Italy. Many young Iraqis prefer to call the dish by its popular name - "pizza."
Click Any Dish to Reveal Recipe:
125 gr. cooked chickpeas
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. each cardamom, pepper and dill seed
2 Tbsp. oil (for frying)
1/4 kg. ground beef
1/4 kg. ground chicken
2 cups chicken stock
2 eggs
Grind the chickpeas finely and combine with the salt, cardamom, pepper and dill seed, mixing well.
In a skillet, heat 2 Tbsp. of oil and lightly brown the ground beef and chicken.
Combine the meat, chickpea mixture and egg, mixing well by hand. Form into meatballs about 1" (2 1/2 cm) in diameter. In a saucepan, heat the chicken stock and cook the meatballs in the stock until done (about 45 minutes). Drain and serve hot.
Serves 6.
1/4 kg. dried prunes, pitted
1/4 kg. dried apples
1/4 kg. dried apricots
1 kg. beef for stewing
3 Tbsp. olive or corn oil
1 Tbsp. each sugar and cinnamon
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
75 ml. tomato puree
4 cups boiled white rice, for serving
In separate bowls, soak each of the dried fruits in water for 2 hours. Drain well. Cut the meat into cubes about 1" (2 1/2 cm.) square. In a heavy skillet, heat the oil and saute the meat until browned on all sides. Add the prunes and cook on a low flame, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Add the apples, apricots, seasonings and tomato puree. Stir well and cook uncovered another 10 minutes. Serve hot on the white rice. On each portion, distribute the fruits and ladle over an appropriate amount of sauce.
Serves 6.
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup milk*
1/4 cup maple or light corn syrup
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
about 10 drops oil of peppermint
Combine the sugar, milk, syrup and cream of tartar in a large heavy pan and, over a low flame, heat until the sugar is dissolved, stirring constantly. Continue to cook and stir until the mixture comes to a boil.
Remove from the flame, cover and let stand for 3 - 4 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook without stirring until the mixture is at 240 degrees Fahrenheit (115 Celsius) (check by using a kitchen thermometer). Remove from the flame and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
Whip the mixture until creamy and then add the peppermint drops. Drop the mixture from a teaspoon onto aluminum foil to form small patties. Let cool and solidify before serving. Yields about 1/2 kg. of candies.
*Note: If serving these wafers with a meat-based meal, substitute soya milk for the milk.
Serves 6.
Note: If the fish suggested in this recipe are not available, substitute trout fillets and/or bass fillets.
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 kg. onion, chopped coarsely
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 kg. tomatoes, grated
1/2 tsp. salt
black pepper to taste
1/2 kg. gray mullet fillets
1/2 kg. heads of gray mullets
1/4 kg. each whole small red mullets and sea bream, cleaned
Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet, and saute the onions until well browned. Add the garlic, grated tomatoes and salt and saute for l5 minutes longer, stirring regularly. Add 4 cups of water to this mixture and bring to a boil.
Place the fish in a large kettle and pour the boiling mixture over. Sprinkle again with salt and black pepper to taste and cook gently for 45 minutes, skimming occasionally. Correct the seasoning and strain before serving. Whatever fish pieces that remain whole may be served with the soup.
Serves 6.
Sources: Embassy of Israel; Israeli Foreign Ministry; Ruth's Kitchen; Manischewitz; Rogov's Ramblings- Reprinted with permission.
Daniel Rogov is the restaurant and wine critic for the daily newspaper Ha'aretz. He is also the senior writer for Wine and Gourmet Magazine and contributes culinary and wine articles to newspapers in Europe and the United States.
