Lebanese Chicken and Stringbean Stew Lubiyeh or Lubi bi Assineyh

This is the Lebanese Jamaican version of a traditional Lebanese dish, Lubiyeh or Lubi bi Asineyeh. It is much spicier than the traditional Lebanese version....so be warned! I remember my mother spending hours to make this dish, browning the chicken, then slowly stewing it on the stove top or covered in a ceramic casserole in the oven, adding the spices that make up the Baharat, a little at a time. I have used a combination of oven roasting, and a slow cooker which takes away the need for constant monitoring! 

1 1 /2 lbs chicken thighs

1 lb string beans

10 cloves garlic, crushed

1 large yellow onion, cut into large chunks

5-6 very ripe, very red Roma tomatoes, cut into chunks

1/2-1 tablespoons Baharat (see previous recipe for this Lebanese mixture. It is also known as 7 spice mix and flavors and ingredients are very regional and family dependent. The main spices are cinnamon, paprika, cloves, allspice, and cumin. My version is a little spicy so you may want to either use commercially prepared brands or just add the main spices to taste. There are also many other recipes available for Baharat on the Internet)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

¼ cup olive oil

1 Habanero chili, whole

Cilantro, Mint, and lemon juice, additional crushed garlic to taste
Tomato paste to thicken sauce

Directions

1.      Cut the chicken thighs into chunks. Season with the Baharat, salt and pepper. Marinate in refrigerator for a few hours or overnight

2.      Wash, clean and cut the beans as shown. Place at the bottom of the slow cooker (6 quart)

3.      In a large baking casserole, arrange the onions, tomatoes and garlic, making sure that the garlic is sequestered in one corner of the dish. Place the chicken chunks on top of this and bake for about 30-45 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit until browned.

4.      Remove from oven. Place chicken chunks on top of the beans in the slow cooker, along with the whole, now cooked garlic cloves.

Puree, using blender (hand or standing), the tomatoes and onions in the broth created, and pour the pureed mixture over the chicken and beans.

The departure from the traditional Lebanese recipe by Lebanese Jamaicans, is the addition of a Habanero chili, left whole and removed towards the end of the cooking process. Naturally, it is optional, and not for everyone.

5.      Cook on high for 4 hours, or low for 6 hours. Stir once or twice during the cooking process. Thicken the sauce by adding tomato paste until you have it at a consistency you like.

6.      At the end of the cooking time, season to taste with additional salt and pepper, Baharat, additional beaten garlic, chopped cilantro, fresh mint and additional lemon juice, to taste before serving. This dish is usually eaten with rice or a thick flat bread, and a Lebanese salad. It tastes much better the next day after it has been refrigerated and the flavors allowed to mix.

 

A Different Type of Lebanese Kaak

As I mentioned in the previous post, Kaak is the generic Arabic term for "cake". Every Arab country has their own version, and within each country, multiple versions exist depending on the region, city, and perhaps variations right down to the family level. Versions of this also exist for the different festivals and "Eids". Some are made only at Easter, and use a special wooden mold to stamp a design on the surface of the cookie, and show that significance. Some use yeast as the leavening ingredient, and are more like a hard rusk (I prefer those), others are softer, more like a milk bun, and still others more like a cookie or shortbread. Some are stuffed with cheese or dates, others are made with nuts (walnuts, almonds or pistachios). Some are sweet, others are savory. So, one could make a different version every time, and never run out of variations to try.

None of my relatives or my Mother ever used a recipe. They all went by the "feel" of the dough. This makes it difficult to replicate exactly but the dough has to have the following characteristics, be pliable, smooth, dry, elastic (for the yeast based dough), and almost have the texture and feel like “Play-Do” or “Silly Putty”. It must be able to be rolled into a smooth ball, and should not be crumbly. A long period of kneading helps one achieve this end result. This is why the measurements are approximate.

This version has more of a cookie like texture (as opposed to the previous version that has the texture of a hard rusk). It is not very sweet but will go well with coffee or tea. Because they are so dry, they will keep for a long time in an airtight container. As to whether they will last that long would be a gamble!

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup Durum Atta Flour

¼ cup cornstarch or Arrowroot flour (I prefer the latter)

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons all purpose flour

½ cup toasted sesame seeds

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon Anise seed

1 Tablespoon Caraway Seed

1 Tablespoon of Anise seeds, finely ground to a powder)

1 Tablespoon orange blossom water (Ma'zahr)

1 Tablespoon Lebanese Rose Water, optional (Attar). I don't use it because I don't like the flavor

1 ½ teaspoon of freshly ground Mahlab

2 eggs

2 Tablespoons milk

2 teaspoons flour

½ cup olive oil

½ cup sugar

Directions

1.      Partially grind the anise and caraway seeds. Fully grind the extra tablespoon of anise seed to a powder.

2.      Mix together all the dry ingredients and the sesame seeds. Do not include the sugar. Set aside

3.      Whisk together the eggs, sugar, orange blossom water, rose water (if using), and olive oil until the mixture takes on a pale color, and thickens

4.      Add the dry ingredients and knead for about 10 minutes (the dough hook makes this easier). Add the milk 1 tablespoon at a time and the additional flour, teaspoon by teaspoon. I've put 2 teaspoons but it may take many more than that to achieve the end result of what the dough should be like. Once the dough comes together and the consistency is smooth and dry to the touch, take it out, form into a ball, and wrap it in grease proof paper or plastic wrap. Refrigerate for about 5-6 hours.

5.      Remove from the refrigerator. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Tear off lumps of dough about the size of a golf ball, and roll into a rope. Bring the edges of the rope together to form a closed loop. Lay on the cookie sheet, leaving enough space for the cookies to expand during baking. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 minutes until the bottom of the cookies have browned. The tops may still be quite white. Remove from oven, cool for about 10 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 175-200 degrees Fahrenheit, and put the cookies back in to dry out and slowly brown. This may take up to 2-3 hours or more.Store in an airtight container when cool.

Lebanese Kaak, my version

Kaak or Kakh, is the Arabic word for cake. There are many different types of Kaak, some more cookie like, others more bread like. I had an Aunt who made these like no other member in my family. Her Kaak was literally the best! I scoured the web looking for a similar recipe. There are many variations out there but none seemed to be like what I remember her own to taste like. This recipe doesn't quite capture her's either so I guess somethings just have to be left in the past and recalled only as memories.

This recipe is a combination of some I have found on the web plus I have added my own twist to them so they are made to my own taste! I use a long drying out time so that the finished product is more like a rusk bread, not so much a cookie. I'll try a more cookie based one another time. The drying out process ensures that these will have a long storage life when kept in an airtight container. This does take some time to make so it's no wonder that most people buy them from a bakery. That's fine if you live in  Beirut a large city with a Lebanese bakery but I have found that by the time they get to a neighborhood Lebanese store, they are stale and fairly "yukky"!

For a stronger Anise flavor, grind an extra tablespoon of anise seeds to a powder and add to the dry ingredients. If you like your cookies a bit sweeter, increase the sugar to 2/3 cup.

INGREDIENTS:

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ cups bread flour

1/3 cup Durum Atta flour

1/2 cup of olive oil

1/2 cup of half and half

1/2 cup of water

2 teaspoons of yeast
1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 cup of sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons of salt

1 Tablespoon Anise

1 Tablespoon Fennel seed

1 Tablespoon Caraway seed

1 Tablespoon Orange Blossom Water (Ma’zahr)

1/2 teaspoon of Mahlab

1 egg for wash

Sesame seeds

1. Partially grind the fennel, anise and caraway seeds in a small blender (a quick pulse does the trick as you want to leave some of the seeds whole). Whisk together the flours, 1/2 cup sugar salt, ground seeds, and mahlab in a mixing bowl. Set aside
2. Proof the yeast with 1/2 cup of warm water and the 1/2 teaspoon sugar for a few minutes.
3. Add the oil to the flour mixture and combine well until the mixture becomes grainy
4. Add the yeast mixture, Ma’zahr, and the warm half and half. Mix with the dough hook or by hand until you get a firm ball.
5. Let it rest covered for 15 minutes. Knead again 2 minutes then let it rise in a bowl that has been covered with a thin film of oil; cover the dough with a film of oil as well. Set it in a warm place to rise for at least one hour, until doubled in size.
6. Punch down the dough and let it rise again. Cover with a piece of plastic wrap or foil.
7. When the dough has doubled in volume, form into 20 balls. Cover with a damp towel and let them rise.
8. Lightly whisk an egg and pour into a plate. Pour some sesame seeds into another plate. Replenish these as they get used up.
9. Form each ball into a long rope. Press the ends to form a ring. Dip the ring face down into the egg mixture then dip the ring into the sesame seeds. Turn over and place on a cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper.  Cover and let them rest and rise for 45 minutes.
10. Bake in a 375F oven for about 15 minutes till golden brown. Then reduce the oven to 175F and let them dry out for another 6-8 hours in the low temperature. The Kaak should be hard, and sound hollow when tapped with a finger. There should be no “give” when the Kaak is pressed with a finger.