Arabian Iftar: My Versions of the Fatoush Salad, Zatar Naan and Lamb Shish Touk

Fatoush  Salad 

Ingredients:

1 cup pomegranate seeds (by seeds I mean the fruit not the dried ones)

1/2 cup chopped olives

1 cup chopped coriander leaves

1/2 cup chopped mint leaves

8-10 lettuce leaves roughly torn

3 tblspns roasted sunflower seeds

1 chopped tomato

For the dressing:

2 tblspns olive oil

2 tspns lime juice

1 tspn sumac powder

Whisk the oil, lime juice and sumac powder to make the dressing. Then add all the other ingredients, toss well, refrigerate and serve with the zatar naan and shish touk

Zatar Naan 

 

Ingredients:

2 cups of all purpose flour

2 tspns sugar

1 tspn salt (or as per individual liking)

3 tbspns of yogurt

3/4 tspn baking powder (optional)

enough water to knead into a soft dough

For brushing over the naan:

2 tblspns butter, 1 tspn chaat masala. Mix and keep aside.

Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add the yogurt and mix well. Keep adding water slowly and knead till you get a soft dough. Cover with a moist kitchen towel and let is rest for 2 hours. I prefer not to add baking powder as I like my naan a little crisp like a biscuit. I like the crispy texture of the zatar biscuit with the crunchy salad and the soft, melt in the mouth shish touk.

Divide the dough in small equal parts and roll to make 3mm thick naans (size as shape as per individual liking).  Preheat the oven at 180 degrees for 10 minutes. Place the naans on an oiled baking tray. Drizzle the naans with olive oil and generously sprinkle zatar powder. Place the tray in a preheated oven for about 6-8 minutes. When the naan turns golden brown it is ready. Remove from the oven and brush with a mixture of butter and chaat masala. Serve hot with the fatoush and shish touk.

Lamb Shish Touk

Ingredients:

3/4 kg boneless lamb meat, cut into cubes of 2''X2"

3 tblspns raw papaya paste

2 tblspns ginger garlic paste

2 tblspns yogurt

1 tspn garam masala

1/2 tspn fennel powder

1/2 tspn oregano (ajwain) powder

salt to taste

Marinate the meat cubes with all the above ingredients and keep aside for at least 4 hours.

Take 2 tblspns of olive oil in a grill pan. (I use a grill pan to make my shish touks instead of making them in the oven. I feel like the oven dries them out a little) Add the meat cubes to the pan and stir fry for 15 minutes. The meat and marinade will give out some moisture. Cook till the moisture evaporates and the meat cubes are tender. At this point the meat cubes will have grill marks as well. Serve hot.