Saudi Arabian Rice with Turkey Kabobs, Zucchini, and Spicy Yoghurt

This evening (10 June 2013), I had dinner with my very dear friends Paul and Silke Handley at their home in Gex, France.  (Paul was the head of OCHA – my boss – when I worked in Nepal in 2007).  As always – Paul made a fabulous meal, a Saudi Arabian rice dish with turkey kabob, zucchini and a spicy yoghurt.

The Rice

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped fine

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1½ cups Basmati rice (soaked for 30 minutes, rinsed and drained)

4 tablespoons raisins

2 tablespoons tomato paste dissolved in 4 tablespoons hot water

¾ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground cardamom

Good pinch of ground cloves

3 cups water

4 tablespoons pine nuts (or sunflower seeds) toasted, for garnish

2-3 sprigs coriander leaves for garnish

• In a large pot, sauté the onion in the olive oil, for about 10 minutes. 
• Add the garlic and sauté for an additional 2-3 minutes. 
• Add the rice and stir for 2-3 minutes. 
• Add all the rest of the ingredients (except for the pine nuts), and stir. 
• Bring to a boil and cook over medium heat for about 12 minutes. 
• Stir the rice once, cover tightly, and turn off the heat so that the rice continues to cook in its own steam for another 30 minutes. 
• While the rice is cooking, toast the pine nuts in heavy frying pan over a medium heat, until nicely browned.

The Zucchini

2-3 zucchini

3-4 tablespoons olive oil

• Wash the zucchini but do not peel and cut into chunks.
• Sauté in the olive oil for about 15 minutes, until soft.

The Turkey Kabobs

About  1 pound of turkey (or chicken) kabobs, spiced 

Olive oil

• If the kabobs are not spiced, spice or marinade the turkey or chicken with your favorite spices.
• Stir fry in olive oil until cooked, about 10-15 minutes.

The Yoghurt

Approx. 1½ cups plain thick yoghurt (great if you can get sour Iranian, Afghan or Balkan yoghurt)

3-4 tablespoons olive oil

Tablespoon crushed cumin

½ teaspoon sea salt

• Grind together the sea salt and cumin. 
•  Add the olive oil and salt/cumin to the yoghurt and mix well.

To serve

•  Put the rice on a large serving dish. 
• Put the zucchini around the dish.
• Add the kabobs on top of the rice. 
• Garnish with pine nuts and coriander leaves. 
• Serve with yoghurt on the side.

 

Eggplant (or Aubergine) with Tomato-Garlic Sauce

A Turkish recipe, one I adapted from Ayla Esen Algar’s
“The Complete Book of Turkish  Cooking,”a book I picked up when I was last in Istanbul.

3 medium eggplants (about 1 pound each)

4 tablespoons coarse salt

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

5 medium tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped

(or 1½ cups canned tomatoes, drained)

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 tablespoon water

2 large cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons vinegar

  

• Peel the eggplants and cut off the stems. 
• Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise, then into ¼ inch slice. 
• Sprinkle the slices with the coarse salt, place them in a colander, cover with a heavy plate to weight down the pieces, and set aside for 4 hours. 
• Rinse the slices well and pat dry. 
• In a heavy skillet, heat the oil and fry the slices over a high heat (a few slices at a time) until they are golden brown on all sides. 
• Drain on paper towels and then arrange on a serving platter. 
• Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. 
• Add the chopped tomatoes simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
• Thin the tomato paste with the 2 tablespoons of water, add to the sauce and cook for another 2-3 minutes. 
• Stir in the garlic and the vinegar and remove from the heat. 
• Pour the sauce over the eggplant slices.

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