Laham Fuq il-Fwar - Maltese Steamed Beef#EatTheWorld

Laham fuq il-Fwar, is steamed beef, it's a very popular and traditional Maltese recipe. Just add salt, pepper powder, beef or chicken broth and this dish is ready to steam. It's a simple with not much spice but has a delicious flavor.  For this an important tip is that semi freeze the chunk of beef undercut and then you will be able to slice is thinly. 

Place the sliced garlic then the meat slices on top in a oven proof pie plate or a large enamel plate,  place it over the pot of boiling water and plate with any lid that would fit. 

I used a rack on the big pot then placed the plate and covered it tightly with aluminum foil to lock the steam inside and kept it for an hour and 15 minutes and it was done. 

There is no frying or sautéing involved and needs little prep, but it is really delicious and the meat is super tender!

Serves Two
Ingredients
300 Grams Beef undercut/Sirloin - sliced thinly as possible
8 Cloves Garlic - sliced thinly
1 Teaspoon Olive Oil
½ Teaspoon Beef Stock Powder
6 - 8 Cherry Tomatoes - halved
Salt & Freshly Ground Pepper
Freshly Chopped Parsley - optional
¼ Cup Water

Method

Take an enamel tin plate or use a round oven proof pie dish or shallow pan. Place the sliced beef in the pan, place the sliced garlic under and around the beef slices. Mix the stock powder with a quarter cup of water and pour this over the meat. Place the tomatoes around the meat, season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with fresh parsley and drizzle olive oil over the top.

Place it over the pot of boiling water and plate with any lid that would fit, I used a rack on the big pot then placed the plate and covered it tightly with aluminum foil to lock the steam inside. Kept it for an hour and 15 minutes and it was done.

Soft juicy and succulent slices of meat.

You can thicken the sauce with a little cornstarch or arrowroot powder and water if too thin. I did not thicken the sauce, have this with mashed garlicky potatoes which absorb all the lovely juices or you can have this crusted bread, I had with garlicky cauliflower mash.

Serve with a sprinkle of freshly chopped parsley(optional).

Labels: Eat the World, Malta, Beef, Steamed, Healthy, Main course, International Cuisine, Serves Two, Keto, Low Carb

Each month a group of us join Evelyne of CulturEatz as she travels to different countries to Eat the World.
Check out all the wonderful Malta dishes prepared by fellow Eat the World members and share with #eattheworld. Click here to find out how to join and have fun exploring a country a month in the kitchen with us!

Check out all the wonderful Maltese dishes prepared by fellow Eat the World members and share with #eattheworld. Click here to find out how to join and have fun exploring a country a month in the kitchen with us! 

Sneha’s Recipe: Laham Fuq il-Fwar - Maltese Steamed Beef 

Pandemonium Noshery: Soppa tal Armla (Widows Stew) 

Culinary Adventures with Camilla: Stuffat Tal-Qarnita (Octopus Stew) 

Palatable Pastime: Slow-Cooker Maltese Rabbit Stew (Stuffat Tal-Fenek) 

A Day in the Life on the Farm: Fenkata 

Amy’s Cooking Adventures: Brodu Tat-Tigiega (Maltese Chicken Soup) 

Kitchen Frau: Baked Rice Cultureatz: Maltese Pastizzi Pastry

Bragoli - Maltese#Improv

I saw this recipe Bragoli recipe on tv,  it's a Maltese recipe,  very flavorful and taste delicious.  It's  the red wine in the gravy that gives an awesome taste to it.

When I, surfed the net seen so  many different variations, so you can alter your bragoli according to your taste.   I made this as seen on tv and altered it as per my taste.

  

Ingredients

2  Eggs - hard boiled and diced
6 Bacon Rashers
4 - 5 Beef Tenderloin Steak - flattened with a meat tenderizer
2  Big Cloves Garlic  - minced
1 Tablespoon Chopped Flat Parsley
2 Tablespoons breadcrumbs
Salt to taste

Red  Pepper flakes to taste
Olive oil for frying
Toothpicks

For the Gravy 
2 Bay leaves
2 Medium Onions  - finely chopped 

1 Green Chilly - finely chopped

5 Medium Tomatoes - blanched, skinned & finely chopped

2  Carrots -   diced
1 Stick Celery  - chopped
1½ Cup  Red wine

1  Cup  Green Peas - used frozen

Method
Hard boil the eggs and set aside. Once cooled chop them and the bacon.

In a bowl mix  the eggs, bacon, garlic, parsley, red chilly flakes, salt to taste and breadcrumbs.

Flatten the steak with a meat tenderizer.

Place a tablespoon of the filling  on one end of the steak.

Wrap your meat around the mixture by rolling the meat to make a wrap.

Fasten with toothpicks.

In a deep pan / kadai  heat  oil and add the bay leaves.

Over a medium heat lightly brown your bragoli and set aside.
In the same pan, add  the onions, garlic and green chillies  fry  for 2 - 3 minutes. Add the carrots,  celery and tomatoes and a cup of water cook for 5 minutes on low flame . Add the wine and  place the browned bragoli on top and  bring it to a boil. Simmer on medium low flame for an hour,  keep stirring in between.  

After an hour or so,  if you find that the bragoli are nearly cooked,  add the peas and cook till the peas and bragoli are full done. 

After an hour and a half the bragoli is cooked.

Remove the toothpicks and bay leaves before serving.

Serve with mashed potatoes and steamed french beans, or  asparagus.   I had this with steamed rice. 

Sending this Improv Cooking Challenge, hosted by Nichole Little, theme for month is " Bacon & Onions".

Labels :  Beef, Steaks, Tenderlion,Bacon, Eggs, Red Wine, Carrots, Green Peas, Improv Cooking Challenge, Malta, International Cuisine

An InLinkz Link-up

Classic Maltese Chicken and Vegetable Brodu / Soup

This month in Mena's Cooking Club, I am travelling to Malta our host of the month is Yasmeen of Wandering Spice. 

According to wiki, Malta officially the Republic of Malta, is a Southern European island country comprising an archipelago of a few islands in the Mediterranean Sea. . The country covers just over 316 km2 (122 sq mi), with a population of around 450,000, making it one of the world's smallest and most densely populated countries. The capital of Malta is Valletta, which at 0.8 km2, is the smallest national capital in the European Union. Malta has two official languages: Maltese and English.

Malta has a long Christian legacy and its Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Malta is sometimes traditionally claimed to be an Apostolic see because, according to the Acts of the Apostles, Paul the Apostle was shipwrecked on Malta. Catholicism is the official religion in Malta. Come lets travel to Malta....  and relish the Classic Maltese Chicken and Vegetable Brodu / Soup.  Brodu means broth which is extremely flavorful and simple to make.

Ingredients
1 Tablespoon Olive oil
1 large Onion - diced
1 Tablespoon Stalks Coriander - finely chopped
3 Cloves Garlic - finely chopped
1 Tablespoon Tomato paste
1 Large Carrot - diced
2 French Beans - diced into small bits
1 Potatoes, - chopped in small pieces
2 Tablespoons cabbage - shredded
700 Ml hot chicken stock (or veg stock for vegetarians)
1 Bay leaf
1 Teaspoon Mixed herbs
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 Cup Orzo pasta - Homemade
Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

Chicken stock/ the brodu:
To make the stock use the back, neck and wings of a chicken. In a pot add 1.1/2 liter of water and the chicken, let it boil on low flame for 45 minutes to an hour or till the stock reduces for half the quantity, Strain the stock and shred the flesh. Keep the stock and the chicken separately.


In another pot, heat the olive oil,   add the onions and bay leaf, saute onions  till lightly brown.  Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1-2 minutes or until it deepens in color and flavor.
Add in the diced carrots, beans, potatoes, cabbage and give it a quick stir,  add the stock of the chicken, herbs, coriander stem and bring it to a boil, then reduce the flame to low and cover and cook 25 minutes, until the carrots and potatoes are tender. 

Add in the Orzo pasta, cook for about 4 minutes.  When the pasta cooks add the chicken. 

Serve hot with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese on top  and toasted  garlic butter bread .

My Notes:

I used fresh herbs like thyme, rosemary, parsley, basil and oregano a little bit of each.

You can used any small pasta of your choice.

Labels : Malta, Soup, Healthy, Mena Cooking Club

An InLinkz Link-up