Homemade Shrak Bread / Markook

Markook, also known as Shrak (Arabic: مرقوق، شراك) is a type of flatbread common in the countries of the Levant. It is baked on a domed or convex metal griddle, known as "saj" that’s shaped like an inverted wok. It is usually large, about 2 feet in diameter, and thin, almost translucent. Similar to the procedures for making some other flatbreads, the dough of markook is flattened and kept very thin.

Today I am are visiting Jordan. Markook/Shrak , is a traditional Bedouin bread that is popular in Jordan and the region as a whole.

Ingredients:
2 Cups Wheat flour

2 Cups All purpose flour
2 Teaspoons Instant yeast
2 Table spoons sugar
1 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Cup Olive oil
1 to 1.1/2 Cups warm water (or as needed)

Method


Mix the yeast and sugar in, add 1/2 cup warm water. Mix and leave for 10 minutes until yeast is bubbly.

In a large bowl add all the remaining ingredients except the water. Then add the yeast and only 1/2 cup water. Knead the dough, if you notice that it is too dry and difficult to form into a smooth ball, then it needs more water. Add a little of water gradually and knead until you have a smooth and soft dough. Knead the dough for 10 minutes.

Cover the bowl and leave for an hour until the dough doubles in size.

Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Form the pieces into balls and place them on a clean kitchen towel. Cover them with a towel and leave to rise for half an hour.

Sprinkle flour on the surface on which you will roll the dough.

Put the Wok (upside-down) on the oven top and open the fire on high.

Roll the dough ball on the floured surface until you have a very thin round sheet of dough.

Place the dough sheet on the hot wok and bake on one side only. Once shrak bread is ready remove and cover with a kitchen towel immediately so as not to dry. Repeat the process with the remaining balls of dough.

Home-made Shrak bread; the ancient and traditional bread of the Middle East. Bon appetite.

This is my entry for the BM #48, theme Pick one, Do three.
Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#48.

Sending this also to Mena's Cooking Club

Labels : Breads, Continental Cuisine, Mena Cooking Club, Blogging Marathon, Jordan

Knafeh

This month Mena's Cooking Club, I am travelling to Jordan, our host Evelyne from Cheap Ethnic Eatz choose this recipe

Knafeh is a baked Arabic dessert made with phyllo pastry shreds ie is a thin noodles or vermicelli as a base. Kunafeh is an Arabic and Middle Eastern dish. Very popular in Saudi Arabia around Ramadan After baking the crust, it is soaked in rose water flavored sugar syrup. Since, this phyllo pastry shreds is not availabel in India, and just wanted to try this recipe , found a novel idea of making it. I used fine roasted vermicelli and for the filling used khoya and rabri. But let me tell you that this dessert was delicious! We simply loved it. When served hot or at room temperature, knafeh is soaked in sugar syrup.

Ingredients400 Grams  Roasted Vermicelli 100 Grams Butter -   melted

25 Grams Pure Ghee
200 Grams Unsweetened Rabri - Homemade
200 Grams Khoya / Mawa- Homedmade
1/2 Cup Milk
1 Cup Sugar

1/2 Cup Water

Method

In a sauce pan add the sugar and water and cook it till it turn into a thick syrup.  Keep aside.

Melt the butter and ghee together and keep aside.

Break vermicelli into pieces and pour butter on it and with your hands  mix well till the vermicelli is coated.

In a baking dish press half the quantity of  this vermicelli, press to make a firm base especially to edges with thumb.

Cook khoya, rabri and milk on a slow flame till it just strats to bubble.

Pour this mixture over the base evenly taking care that is does flow from the edge or the knafeh with get burnt at the edges.  Then again top with another layer of vermicelli and again press well. 

Bake at 180 degree C for 20 minutes.

Take out of oven and pour sugar syrup while hot. 

Let it cool,  cut in to squares and serve.  This tasted so awesome that we enjoyed this dessert.

Labels : Sweets & Desserts, Continental Cuisine, Mena Cooking Club, Jordan
 

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Khoya / Mawa - Homemade

Khoya / Mawa is a milk cheese, made either from milk powder or traditionally by reducing whole milk in an open pan for long hours. It is one of the most famous and a classic ingredient in Indian cooking where it is used both for savory as well as sweet dishes. You will see a plethora of traditional sweets calling for this ingredient. The richness that it adds to the sweets is indescribable. For the little time/effort that you put in, the result with fresh home made Khoya far exceeded than from the one you get in sweet meat shops. It is not as hard as you might think. See these steps to realize what a simple process this whole Khoya making business is. Trust me - you will never buy store varieties ever again!

Homemade khoya is prepared in low budget and its also hygienic. This recipe of khoya used in mithai, desserts and cakes. If you live abroad then this homemade khoya recipe is a treasure for you because its not very common to get khoya from stores.

Ingredients2 Liters Full cream milk

Method

Bring the milk to boil in a pan and let it simmer for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes switch off the flame and keep aside. This step is necessary so that if there is any powder or anything else will settle to the bottom.

Pour this milk in a heavy bottom pan and let it simmer on medium flame.

Keep stirring occasionally, to avoid the milk to stick on the bottom of the pan.

Keep stirring till the milk  starts thickening.

When thicken/reduced let cool on room temperature, after cooling it will be more thick.

Ready to use, wrap with cling foil and freeze into small portions.

This Khoya / Mawa is simply delicious.  I got around 350 grams of Khoya.

Labels: Sweets & Desserts 

Rabri - Unsweetened - Homemade

This is the traditional cooking methodology to prepare nice and thick rabri that has delicious layes of solidified milk cream.

Ingredient

 5 Cups Full cream milk

Method

Bring the milk to boil in a pan and let it simmer for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes switch off the flame and keep aside.  This step is necessary so that if there is any powder or anything else will settle to the bottom.

Pour this milk in a heavy bottom pan and let it simmer on medium flame. When the cream forms on the surface gently push it to the edge of the pan and gently stir the milk so that it does not get burnt at the bottom. Keep pushing the cream to sides regularly till the milk reduces and form layers of cream.

 When done switch off the flame and keep to cool. The Rabri is ready store it in a airtight container and the freezer for further use. This is a unsweetened version of Rabri. If you want you add sugar and sweeten it. This can be used in many recipes. Refrigerate it for at least 2 hours before using.

This take a hour or more to get done.  I got around 300 grams of Rabri.  The taste of homemade Rabri is simply delicious and worth the effort.

Labels: Sweets & Desserts

Jordanian Tomato Rice Soup

My wish to see Jordan, where Jesus was baptized, will be fulfilled God only knows when. But this month Mena's Cooking Club, I am travelling to Jordan, our host Evelyne from Cheap Ethnic Eatz choose this recipe.

Ingredients
1/3 Cup Rice - I used brown rice 

1 Tablespoon Butter
1  Onion - chopped
4  Tomatoes - peeled and chopped
1 Teaspoon Tomato paste
1  Cinnamon stick
A pinch of black pepper
1 Teaspoon salt

Method

Wash and soak the brown rice for at least an hour. Do not skip this step because brown rice takes a long to cook.  If you are using white rice then skip this soaking step.

In a pan, melt the butter and fry in it the onions over medium heat until tender.Add in the tomatoes, tomato paste, black pepper, cinnamon stick and salt along with 2 liters of water.
When the mix begins to boil, reduce heat and simmer for an hour with lid on.

Add in the rice and check if you need to add more water. Leave to simmer for half an hour or so.  Serve hot.

We enjoyed this soup as our dinner, this was so warm and comforting.

Labels: Soup, Mena Cooking Club, Continental Cuisine, Jordan

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