Middle Eastern

Interestingly enough, due to its shape, a tagine actually cooks by steaming, just like your microwave oven. Serve the tagine with steamed couscous with plumped raisins and finely chopped fresh coriander tossed into it.

Spiced turkey koftas with sweet and fragrant fig and brown rice pilaf.

Herb-flecked and fragrant, this colourful salad makes a wonderful lunch, side or light dinner.

Various combinations of rice and lentils are eaten throughout the Middle East and India, with perhaps the two most well-known versions being Lebanese mujadara and Indian kitcheree. Our Egyptian take on this homely dish, however, adds delicious "oomph" to the rice-lentil theme with its fragrantly spicy caramelised onion and piquant chilli sauce.

Test Kitchen Za’atar is a blend of roasted sesame seeds, sumac and dried herbs such as wild marjoram and thyme, but the ingredients depend on each maker. Note

Za'atar lamb with warm chickpea salad from Australian Women's Weekly.

Prepare the cheese and salad on the morning of the picnic. Note

Recipe can be made a day ahead, store, covered, in the refrigerator. It is important to use full-cream milk in this recipe,ook rice slowly for creamiest results. Serve with fruit of your choice. Note

If you don’t have a mixer with a dough hook, knead the dough by hand on a floured surface for 10 minutes by pulling and stretching the dough at every quarter turn. Flatbreads are best served freshly baked. Note

Refreshing and tasty, this salad would be excellent accompanied with grilled meat.

If you're looking for a quick and delicious weekend bbq lunch, this lamb kofta with spiced yoghurt recipe is perfect. Serve with a fresh, herby couscous salad on the side.

You can use orange juice in place of the sweet red wine if you like. Note

Za'atar-crumbed lamb backstrap; a Middle Eastern-style meat dish served on a bed of couscous.

You need about half a butternut pumpkin for this recipe. Preserved lemons, a North African specialty, are quartered and preserved in salt and lemon juice. To use, remove and discard pulp, squeeze juice from rind, rinse rind well then use. Sold in jars or in bulk by delicatessens; once opened, store preserved lemon in the […]

Chermoula can be made a day ahead; cover, refrigerate. Note

This dish is popular in Asia, the Middle East and Africa, and utilises a wonderful mix of those ethnic spices and flavours.

For a shortcut, use store-bought hummus and well-drained chargrilled eggplant. Note

Heady with Moroccan seasoning, this lamb with chickpea and almond rice makes a great lunch or light dinner.

Some of the stems and roots of coriander are used in this recipe so buy a bunch of fresh coriander with its roots intact. Wash the coriander under cold water, removing any dirt clinging to the roots. Chop coriander roots and stems together to obtain the amount specified. Note

These divine little pots of sweet couscous with oranges and rosewater, yoghurt and pistachio nuts make a fragrant, fruity and light dessert.

Makes enough to accompany 500g of grilled or roasted mixed vegetables, also goes well with grilled chicken tenderloins,fish or beef skewers, roasted eggplant; stirred into a filling for fresh spring rolls. Stir ¼ cup hot water into sauce to thin it, if desired. Note

Impress your guests this autumn with this simple, stunning dessert. The addition of thickened cream sweetened with maple syrup rather than the usual sugar is simply perfect.

You can use 750g (1½ pounds) frozen broad beans. Boil, refresh and remove skins as for fresh broad beans in step 1. Baharat is a middle eastern spice available from some delis and middle eastern grocers. If it’s hard to find, use moroccan spice mix instead which is readily available from supermarkets. Falafel mixture can […]

French-trimmed lamb shanks are redolent with the spices of the Middle East in this Moroccan inspired dish.

Tender chunks of spiced, marinated chicken and yoghurt dipping sauce make these lemony chicken kebabs perfect for a weekend lunch with rice or bread and salad.

Red capsicum dip is nutritious, tastes great and is very easy to make. Here, we've given you a spiced up Moroccan version. Serve dip with crusty bread; we used toasted pitta bread.

Topped with candied carrot, this cardamom-infused fruit salad is magnificent served with thick Greek yoghurt.

Recipe is suitable to freeze at the end of step 3. Note

Smoky with sumac and tahini, this spiced chickpea and yogurt dip is surprisingly easy to make, and entirely delicious.

cost-cutter Chickpeas are a major source of protein in cultures either predominantly vegetarian or where meat is considered a luxury item. Used in so many of our favourite dishes (think hummus and salsa), chickpeas can be soaked, parboiled then frozen in user-friendly amounts, ready to go when your menu dictates. One cup of dried chickpeas […]

Naturally sweet pumpkin and orange make for a delicious dish of couscous.

Crispy and crunchy dukkah-coated lamb cutlets with honey and pomegranate molasses.

DOUGH Note

A fragrant and delicious warm rice and chickpea salad from Australian Women's Weekly.

These healthy Middle Eastern spiced vegetable kebabs combine sweet, dense kumara with juicy beetroot to create a flavour sensation that will keep you coming back for more!

Enjoy this classic Middle Eastern dip with vegetable sticks, crackers, bread or meats. It's easy to make and packed full of the goodness of chickpeas.

You could use whole, cleaned whiting for this recipe if you prefer, just extend the cooking time a little to compensate.

A beautiful, bright and healthy lamb, burghul and grilled zucchini salad.

Sumac, a purple-red astringent spice, can be teamed with almost anything ­ from fish to meat. It is also great sprinkled over vegetables. You can find sumac at any Middle-Eastern food store.

Dukkah-crumbed chicken served on hummus and tabbouleh topped pitta bread.

Za'atar chicken, a Middle Eastern spice mixture, salad with haloumi and watermelon salad.

Soak 12 bamboo skewers in water for at least an hour before using to prevent them from scorching during cooking. Note

Drizzled in sweet lemon syrup, these crispy almond and walnut pastries are a delightful accompaniment to a cup of hot coffee.

We used packaged felafel mix for this recipe, available from selected supermarkets, Middle-Eastern food shops and many health food stores. Note

Recipe is not suitable to freeze. If you’d prefer a vegetarian option of this soup. Microwave rice is fine to use here. Note

Lamb chops with roasted garlic yoghurt, smothered in a fragrant Middle Eastern herb mix.

The Middle Eastern flavours of this fresh, crunchy salad make for something slightly different for lunch.

This hazelnut and date tart tastes as impressive as it looks. It's a magnificent dessert that is only enhanced by its accompaniment of sweet, sesame cream.

Koftas are simply minced meat mixed with spices, and often onions, and rolled shape, although in many Arab countries they are shaped into ovals.

This chicken pilaf is a hearty and aromatic winter warming meal. The taste and smell of the dish will have everyone rushing to the dinner table and asking for seconds.

Slow-cooker meals are a blessing during the working week, especially in the colder months. Let this lamb, spinach and chickpea pilaf greet you at the end of a busy day.

These easy vegetarian pita pockets will be gobbled up by the whole family.

This Za'atar spiced chickpea salad with feta and mint is a great summer salad option.

Tabbouleh is a traditional Lebanese salad made with a great deal of chopped flat-leaf parsley and varying amounts of burghul, green onion, mint, olive oil and lemon juice.

Ras el hanout is a Moroccan spice mixture meaning `top of the shelf’. The mixture varies from one merchant to another, but is always subtly savoury with a touch of heat. Note

Try something different with this delicious Middle Eastern specialty.

Light and colourful tomato salad with labne and za'atar, a Middle Eastern spice mixture.

Fig and pistachio couscous and baby spinach leaves make the perfect bed for tender, char-grilled lamb backstraps.

Harissa is a Moroccan sauce or paste made from dried chillies, cumin, garlic, oil and caraway seeds. Harissa paste, available in a tube. It is very hot and should not be used in large amounts. Bottled harissa sauce, while still hot, is milder. It is available from supermarkets and Middle-Eastern grocery stores. Note

If using bamboo skewers, soak in water for at least 30 minutes to prevent them scorching during cooking, or cover the ends with foil. For a simple tzatziki sauce, combine ¾ cup low-fat yoghurt, 1 clove crushed garlic and 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley in a small bowl. For a simple chilli tomato […]

Not suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave. Note

You will need to order goat from a specialist continental butcher. This casserole is equally delicious made using lamb. Ask the butcher to butterfly the leg for you. Note

This delicious open sandwich is great for breakfast, lunch and everything in-between. The combination of creamy scrambled eggs and nutty Middle-Eastern spices is a match made in heaven.

The three types of nuts used here are tossed with the spice mixture then toasted, a process that infuses the cake with their combined flavours. The secret to a successful teacake lies in the beating of the sugar, egg and butter ­ the mixture must be very light in colour and full of air.

A delicious and easy recipe for spiced fried fish with lemon pistachio couscous. We used bream here, but you can use any firm white fish fillet, such as perch, blue eye or ling.

Soaked in fragrant honey and tossed in sesame seeds, these honey almond pastry fingers are sticky and nutty and impossible to resist.

These quick and tasty protein-packed beef and hummus wraps channel Middle Eastern vibes to create a delicious lunch or dinner that's easy to make and will please the whole family.

Za'atar is a Middle-Eastern blend of roasted dried spices; you can make your own as shown below or you can purchase it ready-made from Middle-Eastern food stores. It adds fabulous spice to this kebabs and hummus recipe.

The perfect balance of sweet and tart, this delicious candied orange peel recipe can be included in desserts, cakes and savoury dishes like tagines.

This lamb, eggplant and prune tagine is rich, unctuous and utterly delicious. Best served on a pile of fluffy couscous with preserved lemon.

This dish is sophisticated enough to serve at a dinner party.

Labne is a soft cheese originating from the Middle-East. It’s made from strained yogurt, and is available from major supermarkets and Middle-Eastern food shops. Note

Merguez sausages, from North Africa, are traditionally made with lamb and seasoned with garlic and hot spices. They can be found at most delicatessens and sausage specialists. Golden beetroots have a slightly sweeter flavour than the purple-red variety and can be found at most greengrocers. When trimming the beetroots, leave a little of the stalk […]

We used beef sausages here, but this snack would be just as good with chicken, pork or lamb sausages depending on your child’s tastes. You can replace the baba ghanoush with hummus. Note