Made in Yemen – Ramadan delicacies [Archives:2006/987/Last Page]

Every issue, we will bring you recipes of a number of Yemeni traditional foods made especially during Ramadan. We will also provide you with health tips regarding some of the food items for your benefit. Bonn appetite!

Ma'souba:

Ingredients:

1 cups flour

3 cups wheat

Pinch of salt

– cup Ghee

Pressed dates according to taste (6 dates is recommended)

Warm water for making the dough

Madarah (Yemeni stone bowl used for cooking) – optional

Instructions:

Making the bread:

1. Mix the flour with the wheat and a pinch of salt for taste and make a soft dough with the warm water

2. Leave to rest for 10 minutes

3. Heat wide pan or oven

4. Cut the dough into 2 pieces or one piece if pan is less than 10 inches wide

5. Make a thick layer of dough by spreading it to about 10 inches in diameter

6. Place into pan and roast until golden from one side or in the oven Flip bread upside down to cook the other side until golden (if cooking in traditional oven “Tanour” no need for flipping) – bread needs to be half done

Preparing the Ma'souba:

1. If using Madarah, heat it first

2. Heat the ghee a little

3. Make sure the dates are soft

4. Cut the still hot bread into small pieces and place in the bowl – because the bread is half cooked it could be scrambled easily

5. Mix it with the ghee and the dates and make sure the mixture is homogenous

6. Serve hot

Note:

If you can't make the bread at home, then use ready-made Malouj but it won't be as tasty or as soft when mixing with ghee and dates.

Health benefits of Masouba

This dish is a typical Yemeni dish that is very nutritious and easy on the stomach. It contains wheat and dates, which are very healthy, and it contains ghee, which is a good energy source.

Importance of wheat:

Wheat is the most important cereal crop in the world and ubiquitous in our culture. Bread, pasta, bagels, crackers, cakes, muffins and other wheat containing products line our supermarket shelves and fill our grocery baskets. It is luck for us that this popular grain is available throughout the year. Wheat, in its natural unrefined state, features a host of important nutrients.

The researchers concluded, “Given that both a high cereal fiber content and lower glycemic index are attributes of wholegrain foods