Flavours of the Levant

Who remembers the words of John Masefield’s famous poem Cargoes?

Quinquireme of Nineveh from distant Ophir,

Rowing home to haven in sunny Palestine,

With a cargo of ivory,

And apes and peacocks,

Sandalwood, cedarwood, and sweet white wine.

I learnt it off-by-heart, way back in school English lessons. I can’t recite it verbatim any more, but the verse, with  its ‘sandalwood, cedarwood and sweet white wine’, still evoke the feelings of another exotic world it inspired. I had the notion that this was somewhere in ‘the Levant’, probably something one of my teachers told us; I’m not sure they were too hot on accuracy. Of course, the Levant as a historical geographical area around the eastern Mediterranean no longer exists. Its modern day equivalent would be the countries of Cyprus, Egypt, Israel, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria and Turkey.

As I was organising my spice collection this week, it occurred to me that many of the flavours and ingredients of Levantine cuisine are amongst our favourites. Garlic, lemons, cinnamon, olive oil, cumin, tahini, sweet and spicy peppers. One of the key dishes found in traditional cuisines all around this area is the meze – a selection of small dishes, often served on a large round tray. The word ‘meze’ comes from the Persian meaning taste or snack. It’s a grazing style of eating that is well-suited to vegan fare.

Looking a Wiki’s list of traditional Levantine dishes I noticed quite a few that are already entrenched in my culinary repertoire: tabbouleh, falafels, hummus, lentil soup, pita breads and the wonderful Lebanese Mujaddara. A simple dish of cooked lentils and rice, served with fried onions, it must be one of the cheapest vegan dishes to make. There’s more than a fair share of meat-based dishes on that list, too, but I was sure that some of them could be veganised. So, I set about finding some inspiration for some new additions to my ‘World Vegan’ recipe scrapbook.

Lurking at the back of the cupboard was a bag of bulgur wheat I picked up I Aldi. I must have mistaken it for cuscus, because we don’t usually eat bulgur. No idea why. It’s usually used as the base of tabbouleh (I use couscous), but I was sure there must be other recipes. A quick Google search threw up any number of versions of tabbouleh or Mediterranean salad. Then, I came across a suggestion of using bulgur as the base of a pilau. Rather like a risotto, or not too far removed from my favourite Mujaddara.

What’s the difference between a pilau, a risotto and a paella? It’s all down the rice, the amount of liquid and the question of whether to stir or not stir. A pilau or pilaf (US spelling) is made with rice or grains, with stock, vegetables and spices. The key is that the rice should not stick together (not too much stirring). There are lots of other names for this dish depending on the region: pulao, palavu, pallao, as it crops up in many cuisines from the Balkans to the Caribbean. The Spanish version is paella. This is usually made with a particular type of rice – Bomba. Another alternative one-pan rice dish is the risotto, which again uses special rice varieties, often arborio or carnaroli. The technique of continually stirring a risotto results in a creamy dish. And then, there’s not forgetting the Caribbean’s traditional Jambalaya.

So, back to my recipe of the week: Levantine Bulgar Pilau. Two tips I learnt making this were; first, soak the bulgur in hot water for at least thirty minutes before cooking. Second, nutritionally, bulgur wheat actually contains more fibre than brown rice, so it’s a good healthy choice.

Levantine Bulgur Pilau

Olive oil

1 cup bulgur wheat soaked in ¾ cup water

2 or 3 cloves garlic

1 red onion

2 fresh tomatoes

½ cup green pepper

½ cup flat leaf parsley

2 tsp cumin

3 tbsp tomato concentrate/puree

Salt

First, put the bulgur wheat to soak. Whilst waiting, finely chop all the vegetables. They will cook evenly if they’re all about the same size. Then, heat some olive oil in a pan and add the garlic and cumin and fry gently until garlic is golden. Add the rest of the vegetables and cook gently until soft. Strain the bulgur if necessary (it should have absorbed all the water) and then mix it into the pan. Stir well and add the tomato paste. Mix thoroughly and allow to cook for a further five to ten minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with salad and pita bread, or chill in fridge – it’s great cold.