Cooking Jewish by Judy Bart Kancigor

Author:Judy Bart Kancigor
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, pdf
Publisher: Workman Publishing Company
Published: 2007-04-01T16:00:00+00:00

susan nachawati’s kharouf mahshi

(syrian lamb and rice stuffing)

from Judy Bart Kancigor

In September 2001, I was working on a Thanksgiving story for The Orange County Register. I planned to visit three Orange County families from different ethnic backgrounds to show how each group incorporates its native foods into this most American of holidays. Given the population of Orange County, interviewing Mexican and Asian families was a no-brainer, but I was undecided about the third. Then came September 11, and my choice was clear: I had to find a Muslim-American family.

The Nachawatis then owned a Syrian restaurant in Anaheim, barely a mile from one that had been burned to the ground in the crazy backlash aftermath of 9/11. The whole family assembled at the restaurant to meet me for the interview: Susan and her husband, Isam; their two teenage children; and Susan’s mother, who was visiting from Syria and spoke no English. As the interview progressed, these people opened their hearts to me, speaking of their hopes in coming to America and the fear that now gripped them. Every once in a while, Susan’s mother would whisper something to her grandson, and he would run into the kitchen to bring me more food. It all felt so familiar, just like being in a Jewish home. I gave them a copy of Melting Pot Memories, and I don’t know if Susan ever made tsimmes or kasha, but her lamb stuffing has become a staple in my house, where it makes frequent appearances as a side dish, rather than as a stuffing.

Middle Eastern turkey, she explained, is typically split into pieces and simmered in a fragrant broth until it is three-quarters done, then roasted in a hot oven (550°F) until crisp, and served over kharouf mahshi. Susan uses the broth from cooking the turkey when she cooks the rice. For Thanksgiving they are as likely to stuff a leg of lamb as a turkey. Either way, the meat is certified halal in accordance with Islamic rites, similar in some ways to kashrut. “When we fly, we order a kosher meal,” Susan told me, “and in the supermarket, if the product is marked ‘kosher,’ I don’t even have to check the ingredients. I will buy it while I’m closing my eyes.” SERVES 6 TO 8 M

¼ cup olive oil

½ pound ground lamb

2 cups basmati rice, well rinsed

2 teaspoons kosher (coarse) salt

2 teaspoons Seven Spices (see Note)

½ cup pine nuts, toasted (see box, page 17)

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the ground lamb and cook, breaking it up with a fork or the back of a spoon, until it is browned, about 8 minutes.

2. Stir in the rice, salt, Seven Spices, and 3½ cups water. Bring to a boil. Then lower the heat, cover the pan, and simmer until the liquid has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes.

3. Stir in the pine nuts. Fluff with a fork and serve.

Note: Seven Spices is a blend that varies by manufacturer but generally includes cumin, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, white pepper, allspice, and nutmeg or cardamom.

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