M'Zar L'Israeli

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ¼ tsp chili flakes
• 1 can (400 g) crushed tomatoes
• 2 fresh tomatoes, chopped
• 5–6 eggs
• Salt, pepper, chopped parsley

Method

1. Heat oil in a wide pan. Soften onion and pepper 6–7 min.
2. Add garlic and spices; stir 1 min until fragrant.
3. Add both tomatoes, season, simmer 10 min until thick and jammy.
4. Make wells with a spoon, crack an egg into each. Cover, cook 5–7 min — whites set, yolks runny.
5. Scatter parsley. Serve straight from the pan with bread to scoop.

Ingredients

• 250 g dried chickpeas
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 150 g raw tahini (light, runny)
• 1 lemon, juiced (~60 ml)
• 2 garlic cloves
• ½–1 tsp salt
• Ice water as needed
• Olive oil, paprika, cumin to finish

Method

1. Soak chickpeas overnight in plenty of water with ½ tsp baking soda.
2. Drain. Boil with the remaining baking soda 40–60 min until very soft — almost falling apart. Skim off the skins that float up.
3. Blend hot chickpeas (save a handful) until smooth.
4. Add tahini, lemon, garlic, salt. Blend, drizzling ice water until it turns pale and fluffy.
5. Spread on a plate with a spoon-swirl, pool olive oil in the well, dust paprika + cumin, top with whole chickpeas.

Ingredients

• 5 firm tomatoes
• 4 Persian/mini cucumbers
• ½ red onion
• 1 small bunch parsley
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1½ tbsp lemon juice
• Salt & black pepper

Method

1. The whole skill is the knife work: dice everything tiny and even — 3–4 mm cubes.
2. Chop parsley fine. Combine vegetables in a bowl.
3. Dress with oil, lemon, salt, pepper only at the moment you serve — never earlier, or it weeps.

Ingredients (makes 4)

• 1 large eggplant, sliced 1 cm
• 4 hard-boiled eggs
• 4 pitas
• Hummus + tahini sauce
• 1 batch Israeli salad (above)
• Amba (mango pickle sauce)
• Pickles, oil for frying

Method

1. Salt eggplant slices, rest 20 min, pat dry. Fry in oil until deep golden and soft. Drain.
2. Warm pitas; open into a pocket.
3. Smear hummus inside. Layer eggplant, sliced egg, salad, pickles.
4. Drizzle tahini, then a careful line of amba. Eat immediately, over a plate.

Ingredients (makes 6)

• 1 L milk
• 60 g cornstarch
• 80 g sugar
• 1 tbsp rosewater
• Red syrup: 100 g sugar + 100 ml water + grenadine/rose
• Crushed peanuts, coconut to top

Method

1. Whisk cornstarch into 200 ml cold milk until lump-free.
2. Heat remaining milk + sugar. Pour in the slurry, whisk constantly until it thickens to custard, ~5 min.
3. Off heat, stir in rosewater. Pour into cups; chill 3 hr.
4. Simmer syrup ingredients 5 min until glossy. Cool.
5. Top each with red syrup, peanuts and coconut.