Every Thursday during Ramadan, we will introduce two Iftar recipes.

Dubai Eye's producer Linda Behringer went to see Salah Salha, Chef de Cuisine at the Al Khaima restaurant in the Royal Meridien Beach Resort and Spa in Dubai. He's also a regular guest on Ajman TV's weekly cooking show.

This week on our Ramadan special menu is a traditional Falafel and Zataar Manaish recipe.Yummy! Here are the two recipes.

Falafel

Ingredients:

1 cup dried chickpeas
½ cup large onions
2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh coriander
1 teaspoon salt
4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 ltr vegetable oil for frying
2 chopped tomato for garnish
1 no diced green bell pepper for garnish
¼ cup tahina sauce
1 pkt small pita bread

Method:

1. Put the chickpeas in a large bowl and add enough cold water to cover them by at least two inches. Let them soak overnight and then drain  the following day.
2. Place the drained, uncooked chickpeas and the onions in the bowl of a food processor (fitted with a steel blade).
3. Add the parsley, coriander, garlic and cumin to the chickpea mixture. Process until it is blended but not pureed.
4. Sprinkle in the baking powder and 4 tbsps. of flour and pulse.
5. Return the contents to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for several hours.
6. Form the chickpea mixture into balls about the size of walnuts, or use a falafel scoop (available in Middle Eastern market’s).
7. Heat three inches of oil to 375degrees in a dip pot or wok and fry one ball to test. If it falls apart, add a little flour.
8. Fry about six balls at once for a few minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Then drain the falafel on paper towels.
9. Stuff half a pita with falafel balls, chopped tomatoes, onions, green pepper and pickled turnips.
10. Drizzle with tahina and enjoy.

Zataar Manaish

Ingredients:

For the dough:
1/2 teaspoon packaged active dry yeast
1-1/2 cup unbleached flour
1/2 cup warm water
½ teaspoon salt

For the thyme:
1 glass dried thyme
1 glass sumac powder
1 tbsp sesame seeds
3 tbsps olive oil

Method for the thyme manaish:

1. Whisk together the yeast, 1 tbsp. of flour and 1/4 glass of warm water in a small bowl. Wait for approximately 10 minutes until the mixture develops  a creamy consistency.
2. Mix together the salt and 3/4 glass of flour in a large bowl.
3. Add the yeast mixture and the remaining ¼ glass of warm water. Stir until the mixture smoothens and then mix with ½ glass of flour.
4. Knead the dough on a soft surface ,lightly re-flour the work surface and your hands when the dough becomes too sticky.
5. Work the dough until it is smooth, soft and elastic (for approximately 10 minutes).
6. Form the dough into a ball, then generously dust with flour and put in a medium sized bowl.
7. Cover the bowl with cling film and let the dough rise in a warm, draft free room until it doubles in size, for approximately  one hour).
8. While the dough is rising, mix the thyme leaves, sumac and sesame seeds in a medium sized mixing bowl.
9. Add olive oil to the mixture to form a paste (this paste is the zaatar mixture).
10. When the dough has fully risen, place it onto a floured surface and press down to mould/roll it into a disk-like shape.
11. Finally, spread the zaatar mixture over the dough and place in a stone pizza oven. Cook at 350-degrees for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the dough is golden and crispy to eat.
12. Serve.

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