Since
I haven’t posted a recipe in a while, here are a bunch of them – a mix of African
and Middle Eastern flavours.

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PinI had written recently about the new addition to
my cookbook family (read Of a Memorable Brunch and New Cookbooks)
– the very entertaining The Married Man’s Guide to Creative Cooking
by Samar
Halarnkar. The book is filled with interesting anecdotes and recipes
that will make you want to venture into the kitchen even in this infernal
October heat! Written in his usual chatty style, the book is a bit heavy on the
meats and fish dishes rather than the veggies. Also, there are some great recipes for
condiments that you can easily make at home instead of relying on
preservative-laden store-bought stuff.

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Harissa

Harissa
is one such recipe mentioned in the book and I tried it out recently in this
delectable prawn dish. It was quite a hit with the husband and I made it again
last night for a potluck dinner with some girlfriends – who also made the right
noises about it 😉 Harissa
is a condiment of disputed origin but it’s popular in North African and Middle
Eastern cuisine – from Tunisia to Morocco, harissa is used to flavour meats,
stews and vegetables.

• 20
  dried red Chillies
• 3
  tbsp Olive Oil
• 3
  tsp Coriander powder
• 2
  tsp Cumin powder
• 1
  tsp Caraway seeds
• Salt

How
to:

• Boil
  a pot of water and soak the chillies for about 30 minutes. The chillies must be
  completely submerged in water.

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Harissa

• Remove
  the softened chillies and discard the stems and seeds.
• Grind
  the chillies along with half the olive oil and salt.
• Then
  add the spices and grind with the rest of the oil. You’re looking for a
  paste-like consistency so add some more olive oil if the mixture is too dry.
• Store
  in a glass bottle. Add a layer of olive oil on top and it should stay for a
  couple of weeks.

• 20
  medium Prawns, cleaned and de-veined
• 1
  medium Onion, chopped lengthwise
• 1-1 ½ teaspoons of Harissa
• Salt
  & Turmeric
• Juice
  of 1 Lemon
• Olive
  Oil
• Coriander
  for garnish

How
to:

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• Rub
  the prawns with harissa, some salt and turmeric. Add the
  lemon juice and allow to marinate for a while.
• In
  a pan, heat some oil and fry ¾ of the chopped onions.
• Once
  they soften add the prawns and fry till they are cooked through.
• Transfer
  the prawns onto a bed of Hummus (recipe below) and garnish with the remaining
  chopped onion and coriander. Add a squeeze of lime. Serve with warm pita bread.

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Recipe
3 – Hummus

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Tahini

• 100 gm chickpeas, soaked overnight and cooked (Tip – preferably refrigerate the cooked
  chickpeas for a few hours before using)
• 1
  tbsp Tahini (recipe here)
• 2
  cloves Garlic
• 1
  tsp cumin seeds
• 1-2
  green chillies, slit lengthwise (or 1 tsp red chilli powder)
• Juice
  of 1 Lemon
• Olive
  oil (extra virgin)
• Salt
  to taste

How to:

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Hummus

• Put
  all ingredients in a food processor. Add some water as well and blitz till you
  get a smooth consistency. Adjust the seasonings as per taste.
• Sprinkle
  some red chilli powder on top and drizzle with olive oil. Scatter some olives on top. Serve with warm pita
  bread.