Middle East Near You

Whatever the colour, this soup is a winter staple in my house because it is the hug you need on a cold dreary day!

Hi, I’m Maha Salah from Middle East Monitor, and today I’m going to show you how to make Sahlab.

Just think of this dish as a creamy risotto topped with meat and a spicy tomato-y salsa.

What’s my secret you ask? Croissants!

This is one of the most famous Egyptian dishes, made of pasta, rice and lentils, topped with fried onions and a spicy tomato sauce.

They are very simple and once you learn to make them, you’ll be making batches every week!

You’ll have it ready before any food can be delivered and, better yet, you won’t feel guilty after eating it!

Mujadara is a Levantine dish that can either be made with rice or bulgur wheat, but in my opinion, the bulgur wheat version is a lot tastier

This dish originated in the Syrian city of Hama some 60 years ago, and it spread across Syria.

Any yogurt-based dish is automatically my favourite. The way yogurt becomes velvety and smooth after it’s cooked is just amazing. My fellow Levantines feel the same way, as they...

I make this dish and remember late summer night family gatherings in the Middle East and this cooling dessert.

Almost every culture has their version of meat and potatoes, and this is the Middle East’s version. This form of the dish is mostly made in the Levant, but...

This recipe definitely takes me back to my grandmother’s house. Every time I make it, I can hear her yelling at us to stop eating it straight from the pan

When I think barbeques, I always think arayes.

There are very few people who don’t like Knafeh. It is one of, if not the most popular Middle Eastern dessert.

The best part of this dish is that all of these ingredients can be thrown into a tray, even in advance if you like, and left to cook on their own

For a quick and easy dinner that can feed 1 or a crowd, try these delicious lamb chops. I guarantee they are better than any takeaway you’ll pick up!

If there were one universal ingredient used in the Middle East, it would have to be dates. The region is full of an amazing variety of dates and it...

Middle Eastern food seems to be a series of some delicious form of stuffed vegetable, and this recipe is no exception.

his dish is perfect as a main or side dish, and dipping them in a cool yogurt and cucumber salad makes for the perfect summer meal.

I love how these pastries, mostly made in the Levant and served at weddings and graduations, are super easy and quick. They are absolutely perfect for dinner parties because...

I don’t know about you guys, but when I hear fried dough, my interest is instantly piqued. Awameh or luqmat al-qadi, as some Arabs call it, is one of...

  Let me start off by saying this is one of my absolute favourite dishes. It takes me straight to my grandmother’s house and is the definition of comfort...

Just like most Arab dishes, the way grape leaves are prepared differs not only from one country to another, but also from one household to another. Even the name of the dish...

Fatteh is a classic Levantine dish that usually involves pieces of bread that are toasted, fried, stale, or fresh then covered with other ingredients. The name is derived from...

Mansaf is the dish Jordan is most famous for. You will find it at every occasion or social gathering, be it a wedding, graduation, holidays, or just a plain old...

Kumpir is the Turkish version of a baked potato. While Americans think of a baked potato as having butter, sour cream, chives and maybe even some bacon, and Brits...

Maftool, derived from the Arabic verb fatala meaning to twist or roll, is a grain traditionally served in Palestine, as well as some parts of the Levant, made of...

When reading Susan Abulhawa’s collection of poetry titled My Voice Sought the Wind, I made the mistake of going in with traditional Arabic poetry in mind, as some have...

Born in Jerusalem on February 25, 1929, during the British Mandate of Palestine, the author, Issa Boullata, a prominent Palestinian scholar, writer and translator of Arabic literature living in...

Introduction According to international law and even the Israeli legal system, no one should be detained for their political beliefs. However, this is not the reality in the occupied...

Introduction The idea of a Jordanian-Palestinian confederation, which first emerged four decades ago, has resurfaced in recent months and is creating something of a controversy. The origins of the...