An Israeli Dinner – Meat Stuffed Potatoes

Israeli Stuffed Potatoes are tender potatoes filled with ground beef and seasonings before they are cooked in a flavourful tomato sauce.

I can’t tell you how happy I am to be back for this month’s Around the World in Twelve Plates. How was it even possible that I missed the ‘easiest’ country so far with last month’s challenge being an exploration of Greek cuisine, which I love and cook often. These last two months have been absolutely nuts with my involvement in several city wide food festivals and with our son’s wedding in Maui. We had a gorgeous, relaxing trip filled with all sorts of ‘Hawaiian’ food and now we’re back home. I don’t know what it is, but I always have a difficult time falling back into the cooking groove after a vacation…it’s probably because I never want it to ever end!

Getting back on track…this is the first ATW12P where I decided to cook an entire meal and not just a special dish. I don’t have anyone helping me cook so it’s quite challenging BUT my hubby was willing to do all those dirty dishes and that is a life saver right there. The dishes weren’t perfect; I missed throwing the mint in the Kuku and cilantro in the Stuffed Potatoes. The Rosewater and Vanilla Ice Cream I made didn’t get churned until 2 days later but it was absolutely delicious, eventually.

When Gabby first announced Israel, I was both excited and anxious to get researching. I knew that I would be making use of one or more of my Yotam Ottolenghi cook books and having experienced cooking from them previously, I knew that the recipes can be lengthy and full of ingredients (and flavour!). If you read the forward of ‘Jerusalem’ or do any research into Israeli cuisine, you will find out that it is similar to Canadian cuisine in that it really doesn’t contain only one style of cooking, but encompasses several styles based upon the country’s lengthy history of immigration. In Israel you will find dishes from so many other cultures and even similar dishes from several cultures, all claiming to ‘own’ the original idea for the dish. Israel is an inspired food country, filled with many cuisines, from Jewish dishes (kugel, bagels) to Arabic and Armenian, Greek and Russian Orthodox, Tunisian, Libyan, Moroccan, Turkish, and Indian…just to name a few that make up the country’s immense tapestry of flavours.

I chose several different dishes that represent a tiny portion of the flavours available in Israeli cuisine. The Fava Bean Kuku is basically a frittata-like dish of Iranian Jewish cuisine with the fresh flavours of herbs and sour notes of the barberries. I had a difficult time finding fava beans at this time of year in Canada so I used frozen sweet peas instead. I loved the combination of sour, sweet, and fresh herbs in this dish but it was a bit too out there for my family. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try my hand at making my very own falafel for the first time. Falafel (and hummus) are part of everyday life in Muslim Jerusalem and, I might add, very popular world wide and beloved in my own home. I loved the combination of herbs and spices but I had a huge problem getting them to stay together during the deep frying stage. I think they needed to be just a touch ‘pastier’ than they were chunky. These were the only four that vaguely resembled spheres of legit falafel. 

Lastly, I wanted to find out why Ottolenghi included a whole chapter entitled, ‘stuffed’ in his cookbook. It seems that the local culture is entirely fascinated with all things stuffed; from sweet to savoury, each of the city’s numerous cultures has some sort of dish that requires stuffing. It may seem tedious to hollow out the vegetables (carrots, eggplants, zucchini, potatoes, beets, tomatoes, onions, etc.) but stuffing them stretches the meat or rice further, looks impressive, and makes clean up a breeze because everything is usually baked in one dish.

I’m excited to see what all the other Around the World in Twelve Plates participants cooked for the Ethiopian challenge. We all have our own unique ways of completing each month’s challenges. If you want to see what everyone else is up to, clink on the links below!

Gabby at The Food Girl in Town

Kelly Ohana at My Organic Diary

Loretto & Nicoletta at Sugar Love Spices

Korena Vine at KorenaintheKitchen

Falafel

(Page 99 in Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi)

Ingredients

1. 1 1/4 cups dried chickpeas (or a can of chickpeas; drained)
2. 1/2 medium onion; finely chopped
3. 1 clove garlic; crushed
4. 1 tbsp flat leaf parsley; finely chopped
5. 2 tbsp cilantro; finely chopped
6. 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
7. 1/2 tsp ground cumin
8. 1/2 tsp ground coriander
9. 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
10. 1/2 tsp baking powder
11. 3 tbsp water
12. 1 1/2 tbsp flour
13. 3 cups or more sunflower oil for frying
14. 1/2 tsp sesame seeds; for coating
15. salt

Method

• Place the chickpeas in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Let sit over night.
• The next day drain the chickpeas (or drain the canned chickpeas) and combine them with the onion, garlic, parsley, and cilantro.
• Blitz the mixture in batches in a food processor, pulsing for 30 to 40 seconds at a time until it’s very finely chopped. Take care not to process to a mush or paste.
• Add the spices, baking powder, , 3/4 tsp salt, flour and water.
• Mix well by hand until it becomes smooth and uniform. Cover and place in fridge for at least an hour.
• Fill a deep pan with enough oil to come 2 3/4 inches up the sides of the pan. Heat the oil to 350 F.
• With wet hands, press one tablespoon of the mixture into a ball, sprinkle with sesame seed.
• Fry in batches in the hot oil until well browned and cooked through, about 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

Fava Bean Kuku

(Page 39; Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi)

Ingredients

1. 2 cups fava beans; fresh or frozen (I used frozen peas)
2. 5 tbsp boiling water
3. 2 tbsp sugar
4. 5 tbsp dried barberries
5. 3 tbsp heavy cream
6. 1/4 tsp saffron threads
7. 2 tbsp cold water
8. 5 tbsp olive oil
9. 2 medium onions; finely chopped
10. 4 cloves garlic; crushed
11. 7 large eggs
12. 1 tbsp flour
13. 1/2 tsp baking powder
14. 1 cup fresh dill; chopped
15. 1/2 cup fresh mint; chopped
16. salt and freshly ground pepper

Method

• Pre heat oven to 350F. Rinse frozen fava beans or peas under hot water. If using fresh fava beans, simmer in a pan of water for 1 minute and drain. Refresh under cold water
• Add sugar and baberries to a small bowl. Pour boiling water over top and let sit for 10 minutes.
• Bring cream, saffron, and cold water to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and set aside for 30 minutes to infuse.
• Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a 10 inch non-stick oven proof frying pan for which you have a lid.
• Add onions to oil and cook for about 4 minutes, then add garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Stir in the fava beans/peas and set aside. Drain barberries and add them as well.
• Beat the eggs well until they become frothy. Add flour, baking powder, saffron cream, herbs, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Whisk well.
• Add egg mixture to the still hot fava bean/pea, barberry, and onion mixture.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the eggs are just set. Remove and let stand for 5 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate.

If you make this Meat Stuffed Potatoes recipe, I’d love to hear about it in the comments section or in the ratings. Be sure to follow me on Facebook and Pinterest for my latest recipes. Also, if you do make this recipe please share your photos and tag me on Instagram. I hope you like this recipe!