Remove the seeds and membranes before using, and be aware of exactly how hot the pepper you’re using is they vary a lot.

Green Chile Peppers: Fundamental to nearly all Gazan recipes, the local variety of green chiles is hot! Jalapeño or serrano peppers make a decent substitute use hot Italian green peppers if you prefer less bite. Garlic: Rare is the Gazan dish that doesn’t include garlic-often lots of it! Use fresh garlic, never jarred, pre-minced, or dried. “You can smell them!” Dill seeds can usually be found in Turkish or Polish markets they are also readily available online. “You’ll know when it’s enough,” Laila’s grandmother used to advise. The seeds should be crushed in a mortar and pestle, using strong, circular strokes, in order to release their natural oils. Cumin should ideally be toasted and ground immediately before use, otherwise the flavor dulls.ĭill: Fresh dill greens and dill seeds are both widely used in Gaza’s cuisine. Any burp-less variety will do.Ĭumin: Perhaps more than any other spice, ground cumin characterizes Gazan cooking. If using canned chickpeas, strain and rinse several times before using.Ĭucumbers: The cucumbers available in Gaza are the small, thin-skinned, and almost seedless Middle Eastern khiyar, sometimes sold in the United States as Lebanese, Persian, or “mini” cucumbers. You may also use canned, precooked chickpeas: One 15-ounce can equals about half a cup of dried beans. We give measurements for dried chickpeas, which should be pre-soaked overnight and then boiled until just tender before use. In this chapter, we provide these foundational recipes, as well as some pointers on technique.Ĭhickpeas: Many recipes call for this staple legume. FUNDAMENTALS: CONDIMENTS, BROTH, AND MOREĬertain building blocks of Gazan cuisine are repeated again and again throughout the book: a spiced broth key to nearly all the stews, a mix of spices used in most rice dishes, a chile paste used as ingredient and condiment.

Day 7 culinary fundamentals