By Majida Rashid
A salad is not a meal, it is a style.
– Fran Lebowitz
Nothing can be truer than what Fran Lebowitz said. While salads around the world are synonymous with raw vegetables and herbs, various cuisines use them to suit their own style.
While coleslaw originated in the Netherlands, it gets drenched in creamy sauce to suit the American palate. Tabouleh, on the other hand, is from the Lavant region of present-day Syria and Lebanon. It shows off vibrant shades of green dappled with bits of red and specs of burghul to suit the local taste.
A traditional Pakistani salad consisted of thinly sliced round cucumber, white radishes (daikon), tomatoes, and red onions. It was sprinkled with mint and salt. To remove the bitterness of the cucumbers one had to cut off a slice at one end; then little cuts were made in the flesh and rubbed with the cut slice.
Shirazi salad, conversely, had all the ingredients finely chopped into small bite-sized pieces and mixed with a lot of lemon juice, salt and pepper. A similar salad is served throughout the Middle East, though the herbs can differ slightly. They also add sumaq.
Though a traditional dinner in Shiraz, Iran, usually consisted of four to five types of fresh herbs, goat cheese, and naan, cos lettuce dipped in lemon juice or vinegar was also popular.
Moroccans serve salad with almost every meal. Though not all of them are raw or use only vegetables. Even the slightly heated tangerine slices sprinkled with cinnamon are considered a salad. Their chickpea salad can be served as a salad or eaten with pita bread.
The quantities of the following ingredients can be adjusted. Some spices and red chilies can be found in Middle Eastern stores. The red chilies are similar to Mexican Anaheim chilies.
Red bell pepper can be used instead, but the flavor won’t be the same.
Ingredients can be prepared and refrigerated for a few days if packed separately. Greens should be chopped the same day of making the salad. Couscous can be made a couple of days ahead.
Moroccan Chickpea Salad
(Serves 3-4)
Ingredients:
1 cup couscous
1/2 teaspoon salt
4-5 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup almost boiling water
1 teaspoon of butter, optional
2 cups cooked chickpeas
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon Ras el Hanout (Moroccan spice blend)
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried ground ginger
1/2 cup dark raisins or black currents
1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped pistachios
2 red Anaheim-like chilies
3 small Persian cucumbers, finely chopped
2 cups grated carrots
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Dressing:
3-4 tablespoons each of olive oil
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon Ras El Hanout
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1/4 teaspoon roasted and crushed cumin seeds
Salt and black pepper to taste
Directions For couscous:
Place the couscous, 1 tablespoon oil and salt in a wide and flat glass bowl.
Mix it well with both hands. This prevents the couscous from clumping together.
Level the couscous, pour the hot water and leave aside for 15-20 minutes.
Mix well and add butter.
For chickpeas:
Roast the cumin seeds in the frying pan, stirring occasionally.
Transfer onto a plate, cool and crush with the back of a wooden spoon.
Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil.
Stir in Ras El Hanout, smoked pepper, ginger and half of the crushed cumin.
Drain the chickpeas and sauté them until they are coated with the spices.
Remove and let them cool.
Rinse and soak the raisins in water and leave aside.
Roast the pistachio in a frying pan over low heat, stirring occasionally.
Remove and cool.
Remove the seeds of the red chilies and finely chop them.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil and sauté the chilies.
Remove from the heat and cool.
Drain the sultanas.
In a big bowl mix together the chickpeas, sultanas, pistachios, chilies, cucumbers, the greens and carrots.
Add half of the couscous. More couscous can be added.
Mix all the ingredients for dressing and pour over the couscous-chickpeas mixture and toss well.
Taste and adjust the seasonings.
Transfer onto a serving dish and sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese.
Serve immediately.
– Fran Lebowitz
Nothing can be truer than what Fran Lebowitz said. While salads around the world are synonymous with raw vegetables and herbs, various cuisines use them to suit their own style.
While coleslaw originated in the Netherlands, it gets drenched in creamy sauce to suit the American palate. Tabouleh, on the other hand, is from the Lavant region of present-day Syria and Lebanon. It shows off vibrant shades of green dappled with bits of red and specs of burghul to suit the local taste.
A traditional Pakistani salad consisted of thinly sliced round cucumber, white radishes (daikon), tomatoes, and red onions. It was sprinkled with mint and salt. To remove the bitterness of the cucumbers one had to cut off a slice at one end; then little cuts were made in the flesh and rubbed with the cut slice.
Shirazi salad, conversely, had all the ingredients finely chopped into small bite-sized pieces and mixed with a lot of lemon juice, salt and pepper. A similar salad is served throughout the Middle East, though the herbs can differ slightly. They also add sumaq.
Though a traditional dinner in Shiraz, Iran, usually consisted of four to five types of fresh herbs, goat cheese, and naan, cos lettuce dipped in lemon juice or vinegar was also popular.
Moroccans serve salad with almost every meal. Though not all of them are raw or use only vegetables. Even the slightly heated tangerine slices sprinkled with cinnamon are considered a salad. Their chickpea salad can be served as a salad or eaten with pita bread.
The quantities of the following ingredients can be adjusted. Some spices and red chilies can be found in Middle Eastern stores. The red chilies are similar to Mexican Anaheim chilies.
Red bell pepper can be used instead, but the flavor won’t be the same.
Ingredients can be prepared and refrigerated for a few days if packed separately. Greens should be chopped the same day of making the salad. Couscous can be made a couple of days ahead.
Moroccan Chickpea Salad
(Serves 3-4)
Ingredients:
1 cup couscous
1/2 teaspoon salt
4-5 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup almost boiling water
1 teaspoon of butter, optional
2 cups cooked chickpeas
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon Ras el Hanout (Moroccan spice blend)
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried ground ginger
1/2 cup dark raisins or black currents
1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped pistachios
2 red Anaheim-like chilies
3 small Persian cucumbers, finely chopped
2 cups grated carrots
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Dressing:
3-4 tablespoons each of olive oil
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon Ras El Hanout
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1/4 teaspoon roasted and crushed cumin seeds
Salt and black pepper to taste
Directions For couscous:
Place the couscous, 1 tablespoon oil and salt in a wide and flat glass bowl.
Mix it well with both hands. This prevents the couscous from clumping together.
Level the couscous, pour the hot water and leave aside for 15-20 minutes.
Mix well and add butter.
For chickpeas:
Roast the cumin seeds in the frying pan, stirring occasionally.
Transfer onto a plate, cool and crush with the back of a wooden spoon.
Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil.
Stir in Ras El Hanout, smoked pepper, ginger and half of the crushed cumin.
Drain the chickpeas and sauté them until they are coated with the spices.
Remove and let them cool.
Rinse and soak the raisins in water and leave aside.
Roast the pistachio in a frying pan over low heat, stirring occasionally.
Remove and cool.
Remove the seeds of the red chilies and finely chop them.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil and sauté the chilies.
Remove from the heat and cool.
Drain the sultanas.
In a big bowl mix together the chickpeas, sultanas, pistachios, chilies, cucumbers, the greens and carrots.
Add half of the couscous. More couscous can be added.
Mix all the ingredients for dressing and pour over the couscous-chickpeas mixture and toss well.
Taste and adjust the seasonings.
Transfer onto a serving dish and sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese.
Serve immediately.
