Cooking Tips

Middle Eastern Food Glossary

•        Biryani: Meat and rice dish •        Boti Kabab: Marinated lamb kabobs cooked in a tandoor •        Cardamom: Seed with aromatic flavor - 4 whole pods make 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom •        Coriander: Available as a ground spice or fresh coriander leaves    •        Chili Peppers: Jalapenos and milder Anaheim chili peppers •        Chutney: Fresh relishes made with fruits, vegetables, and herbs •        Dal: Dried beans, peas, and lentils - Can also be used to describe a dish prepared with legumes

•        Ghee: Clarified butter used in sauteeing and less commonly for deep frying •        Gulab Jamun: Deep-fried cake balls served with aromatic syrups •        Koftas: Lamb meatballs •        Korma: Rich nut-based sauce used in lamb dishes •        Kulcha: Flatbread often stuffed with onion or vegetables (potatoes and cilantro) •        Kulfi: Sweet, aromatic ice cream made from pistachios

•        Masala: Spice mixture •        Mattar Paneer: Curried peas (mattar) with cubes of paneer •        Moghlai Kabab: Skewered lamb •        Murgh Kari: Curried chicken •        Naan: Flatbread made from wheat and baked in a tandoor •        Pakoras: Deep-fried vegetables snack first dipped in chick-pea batter •        Palak: Spinach •        Paneer: Home-made cheese similar to firm ricotta •        Paratha: Whole-wheat flatbread - sometimes meat-filled •        Poppadums: Thin wafers made from lentils •        Pulau: Indian version of pilaf •        Puris: Deep-fried whole-wheat flatbreads

•        Raan: Leg of lamb marinated in yogurt-based masala •        Rayta: Vegetable and yogurt salad •        Roghan Josh: Rich lamb curry •        Saag Curry: Aromatic curried dish made from greens (saag) •        Saffron: An expensive yet important herb collected from the crocus flower - has a distinct flavor and also imparts orange color •        Samosas: Deep-fried pastry appetizers filled with vegetable or meat mixtures •        Sultana: Golden raisins used in Indian cooking •        Seekh Kabab: Kabobs of ground lamb cooked in a tandoor

•        Tamarind: pulp of a fruit that resembles gigantic vanilla beans with a distinct sour-sweet flavor - used in marinades, sauces, and chutneys •        Tandoori murgh: Chicken (murgh) cooked in a tandoor •        Tikka kabobs: Skewered boneless chicken cutlets (tikka) cooked in a tandoor •        Turmeric: slightly bitter ocher-yellow powder ground from boiled and dried rhizome •        Wet Masala: A thick marinade "paste" for meats •        Yogurt: Adds important texture and flavor to dishes - use plain yogurt for home-cooking

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