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National cuisine of Israel: seven dishes of Jewish cuisine
Israeli cuisine has preserved a century-old heritage almost in its original form. In addition, she tried on the traditions of the East and West. For this, the national dishes of Israel are loved all over the world.
Miracle on beans
One of these dishes is hummus, a chickpea snack popular in Israel and other countries. Soak 200 g of chickpeas overnight. Then cook it until it is properly softened. Brown 4 tablespoons of sesame seeds in a dry pan, grind it in a coffee grinder and mix with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Whisk the finished chickpeas with a blender, add 2 cloves of garlic, the juice of half a lemon, 2 tbsp olive oil and sesame paste. For a rich taste and aroma, put a pinch of coriander, cumin and red pepper. Smear hummus on croutons or pita bread, and the household will not be able to tear themselves away from such a snack!
Herring in ambush
We also love forshmak. This is the national dish of Israel, which is prepared from herring, less often-from meat. We clean the herring from the bones and cut it into small pieces. In the same way, chop 2 hard-boiled eggs, 2 boiled potatoes, an onion and a medium apple. Chop the pieces of 100 g of butter. All the ingredients are passed through a meat grinder or whipped with a mixer. The finished mixture is flavored with salt and pepper, transferred to the herring bowl and sent to the refrigerator for an hour. Before serving, sprinkle the forshmak with green onions. This appetizer successfully diversifies the menu of both a regular family dinner and a dinner party.
No-frills casserole
As you know, the traditional cuisine of Israel is not complete without matzo-unleavened crispy tortillas. They are eaten as bread or added to various dishes. For example, in kugel, aka casserole. Break 500 g of matzo in pieces, pour ½ cup of boiling water and let it soak. Separately, whisk 6 yolks and 6 whites, mix them with the soaked matzo. We introduce 150 g of chicken fat, salt and pepper. Lubricate the heat-resistant form with oil, sprinkle it with grated bread and pour in the matzo base, you can add raisins to taste. Bake the kugel for 30 minutes at 180 °C. In Israel, it is served with broth. However, in itself, it will definitely have a home taste.
Queen of the Seas
Stuffed fish is truly the crowning national dish of Israel. Fish (pike or cod) are cleaned of scales, remove the fins, tail, head and entrails. Cut it into pieces 2 cm thick and remove the pulp. Twice we pass it through a meat grinder, the second time – with a raw onion. Add to the minced meat boiled carrots, 100 g of bread soaked in milk and once again scroll in the meat grinder. Add 2 raw eggs, 2 tablespoons of butter, salt and pepper. Fill the minced fish pieces and align the edges. At the bottom of the pan, put the sliced onion, carrot and beetroot, on top-the fish in one layer. Fill it with water, put your favorite spices and cook for 1.5 hours. To make home foodies appreciate the dish, serve it chilled.
Goose Stories
There are very interesting recipes in the cuisine of Israel. Stuffed goose necks are just such a case. Before cooking, a couple of goose necks should be tarred and washed with water. For the filling, mix 8 tablespoons of ground beef, raw egg, chopped onion, 2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs, a pinch of salt and pepper. We fill the necks with minced meat, only loosely, otherwise they will burst. The edges are carefully sewn with threads. First, cook the necks for half an hour in salted water, then fry in oil until golden brown. Before serving, cut the necks diagonally. This dish will be a real decoration of any festive dinner.
Beetroot coolness
Soups in the traditional cuisine of Israel are in high esteem, including cold ones. Boil the beets until half-cooked with the addition of 1 tbsp. l. 9% vinegar. We rub it on a coarse grater and return it to the broth together with a large potato, cut into cubes. Add salt and bring the vegetables to readiness. At the end, pour in 100 ml of raw beet juice — this will make the color richer. Put 5 tablespoons of sugar, stir and cool the soup. Pour it on plates and put in each finely chopped fresh cucumbers, herbs, sliced tomatoes. A harmonious addition to this borscht will be a sauce of 1½ cups of sour cream and 3 tablespoons of horseradish.
Dessert Test
Israeli desserts are extremely satisfying, such as kindley cakes with poppy seeds and nuts. Knead the dough from 1 kg of flour, 400 g of goose fat, 6 raw and 2 boiled yolks, 30 g of sugar. We introduce 5 g of yeast, diluted in warm water, and 50 ml of white wine. Leave the dough to rise. Boil to a thick consistency of 200 g of nuts, 200 g of raisins and separately 100 g of poppy seeds and 100 g of sugar in a mixture of 100 ml of white wine and 150 ml of water. Divide the dough into 8 tortillas, spread on each filling and fold, giving them an elongated shape. Brush the kindlies with egg and bake at 180 °C until they are browned. Sweet tooth will never resist such a treat.
The cuisine of Israel makes a lasting impression on those who meet it for the first time. We hope our recipes will convince you of this. And if you are already familiar with this cuisine, tell us about your favorite dishes.