Traditional Ramadan Dishes from Algerian cuisine

The Algerian cuisine is not known much in Egypt like other Arab ones. Therefore, this is an opportunity to get to know the Algerian cuisine from the famous Algerian fashion designer Ilham Kharbache.

[caption id="attachment_124695" align="aligncenter" width="544"] Algerian fashion designer Ilham Kharbache[/caption]

She presented to "See" some of the famous Algerian dishes which are prepared during the days of Ramadan.

**First Dish Freek Soup (Al-Gary)

[caption id="attachment_124664" align="aligncenter" width="1065"] Ingredients[/caption]

How to prepare:

1- Put the meat in a bowl suitable for cooking, and start stirring it over a medium heat until the meat water dries

2- Add 3 spoons of vegetable oil with one spoon of butter spoonful.

3- Add onion to meat in the bowl, and stir well until the onion becomes blond or golden in color.

4- Add to meat a mixture of coriander, celery, salt and black pepper (if wanted), one spoon of canned tomatoes paste, and a chopped tomato fruit.

5- Then mix all makings s until they are fried over the fire for several minutes.

6- Add a cup of water and let the mixture to boil.

7-Add 1/2 cup of freekeh (wheat ground) to the bowl, then add water 8-Leave the mixture over medium heat for an hour to an hour and a half until the meat is done and the soup become thick.

9-Then pour the soup into a serving dish, and garnish it with green coriander and a little dry mint (as desired).

**Second Dish: Sweet soup with Shebah Al Sufrah

[caption id="attachment_124670" align="aligncenter" width="889"] Shebah Al Sufrah[/caption]

How to prepare:

1-Put butter and onion in a bowl, stir, and then add the meat to it.

2- Add salt and black pepper and stir well.

3- Add cinnamon and then water. 4- Leave the makings on medium heat.

5-After 1/4 hour, add raisins and leave the mixture to boil.

6-After another 1/4 hour, add plum and then a glass of sugar, and we leave it on fire until the mixture become thick.

7- Add Shebah Al-Sufrah** and leave it to boil for two minutes to absorb the mixture and then keep it away from fire.

8- Add a cup of distilled blossom water then add sesame and almonds (as desired)

** Shebah Al-Sufrah is an Algerian dish consists of pieces of meat, onions, oregano, a spoon of ghee and sugar.

**Third Dish :Al Burak

[caption id="attachment_124665" align="aligncenter" width="492"] Ingredients[/caption]

How to prepare Burak:

1- Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

2- Add meat and stir for a few minutes until the meat juice evaporates.

3- Add onion, garlic, and stir until the onion softens.

4- Add salt, spices, black pepper and stir until the makings mix well.

5- Leave the makings to cool completely.

6- Take out dough chips.

7- Put a chip of dough in a bowl, and add a little stuffing in the center of the chip, add some cheese on it (type and quantity of cheese is optional), green olive and parsley.

8-In the middle of the filling, form a small hole and break an egg.

9- Close the chip in square shape. 10-Put a little of egg white on the edges of the wafer, and press it a little until the tip sticks.

11-Heat the oil inside a deep frying pan, and fry the chips (known as Burak in the Algerian dialect) until it becomes golden in color.

12- Put the borax on blotter paper to get rid of the excess oil.

13-Serve the Burak with lemon slices.

[caption id="attachment_124666" align="aligncenter" width="1080"] Burak[/caption]

**Fourth Dish: Le Hmess

How to prepare :

1-Grill pepper, tomatoes and garlic over fire.

2- Put the makings in a plastic bag.

3-Close the bag and let it cool

4- Remove seeds, stems and skin off pepper.

5- Cut the makings into small cubes.

6-In a bowl, put olive oil, pepper, garlic, tomato, salt, black pepper and spices (according to taste).

7-Turn it over

[caption id="attachment_124671" align="aligncenter" width="731"] Le Hmess[/caption]

**Important note:

Never wash the pepper with water, as it loses the taste of barbecue.

**Fifth Dish: Kesret Ma'agoun

[caption id="attachment_124667" align="aligncenter" width="810"] Ingredients[/caption]

How to prepare:

1- Put the semolina and add oil and mix until they combined together.

2- Add yeast, salt, and black cumin.

3- Add water and knead until we get soft dough.

4- Cover the dough and leave it until it rises.

5- Then repeat the kneading and form balls and pierce them with a fork.

6- Cook the balls in a clay pan (tagine).

[caption id="attachment_124680" align="aligncenter" width="747"] Kesret Ma'agoun[/caption]

Finally

The table of the holy month is full of not only delicacies but also full of customs, traditions and family gathering.

Contributed by Ahmed Moamar